Dir: David Lynch. Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ann Miller, Dan Hedaya.
New work from David Lynch is always a momentous event for this writer, as he’s one of only a few filmmakers to consistently offer intelligent, provocative and genre-stretching, if mostly disturbing, material. 1999’s The Straight Story proved he could handle simplicity with aplomb, but it’s when he’s dealing with the humanities darker moments that his genius really shines through. His films are distressing, often haunting, yet still absorbing emotionally, and never offer easy answers. Which is why I love them so much.
Mulholland Drive is Lynch’s most obscure and difficult film yet, but it’s so refreshing to watch something which doesn’t even attempt to be conventional. A psychological mystery, a character study, and a satire on Hollywood, it works equally well as a mood piece as a drama, and certainly the moods and emotions it invokes (fear, unease, eroticism, confusion) have lead to the creation of an unforgettable piece of cinema.
Originally made as a pilot for a tv show for the US network ABC (who originally broadcast Twin Peaks and On The Air), it’s of little surprise they rejected it as this is material far too odd for mainstream audiences, even by Lynchian standards. The project lay dormant for a while until Lynch persuaded Studio Canal to revive it, shooting extra material and creating an ending which was less open ended. And
Both worlds intertwine at certain points, though only when it serves to bewilder further, and it’s the mystery of Rita’s true identity that is central to the film for the first two-thirds of it’s running time. And then everything changes, and without wishing to give too much away, nothing is what it once seemed to be. Or is it just now how it really is, and what has gone before was not? Well, as previously mentioned, we really don’t want to give too much away as it would without doubt spoil your enjoyment, and attempting to make sense of this is all part of the fun, and what Lynch intended.
The film’s littered with Lynchian motif’s which fans will instantly recognise, and a knowledge of Twin Peaks and Lost Highway helps when theorising what the hell it’s all about, but in no way is this essential either. A take on lost dreams, a lost Hollywood, and lost love, it’s structure confuses, and certainly not all of it is explainable, but then all the best noir’s contain such plot devices, and Lynch clearly had a lot of fun playing with them.
This clearly isn’t a film for everyone – especially those who expect a happy ending when visiting the cinema. Several people walked out during the screening that I was present at, and one person shouted “Jesus Christ” as the end credits began, and the sound of confusion echoed through the cinema as people left. But it’s being left without answers that makes Lynch’s work such a joy – a filmmaker who challenges his audience rather than patronises it for once. Challenging, dark, beautifully acted and scripted, this is Lynch at his best. See it now.
Alex Finch.
Still confused? Want/Need to know more about Mulholland Drive? Then visit: http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2001/10/23/mulholland_drive_analysis/?x
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2093/index.html
http://davidlynch.topcities.com/
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