In 1999 David Lynch made his most conventional film to date; The Straight Story, then Mulholland Drive came out of nowhere. The bulk of the film was shot two years earlier as a pilot to a TV series that did not get picked up (they chose an American version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Why?) and TV’s loss became cinemas gain. The French company Studio Canal funded extra shooting to make it into a complete film. There has been much debate as to if there is a coherent narrative amongst the strands of the story. The beauty of the film is that it is open to interpretation and there are lots of possible stories that could be happening. You can take different things from repeated viewings.
It is probably best to see the film a few times before you read other peoples ideas on the narrative. But if you have got to that stage you may be interested in a card that appears in the American DVD release of the film providing tips of a few things to look out for in the film. This is no idiots guide to understanding the film it is an informative and slightly cryptic insight from the films director David Lynch. The points have been common knowledge for some time but I have only just learned of them. While I am glad I had not seen the list previously I watched the film again with the points close at hand to refer to and found that it cleared up a few lose threads and helped me decide between two interpretations of what is going on. If you would rather stick to your own interpretation of the film do not read on. If you do what to know the tips are:
- Pay particular attention in the beginning of the film: At least two clues are revealed before the credits.
- Notice appearances of the red lampshade.
- Can you hear the title of the film that Adam Kesher is auditioning actresses for? Is it mentioned again?
- An accident is a terrible event — notice the location of the accident.
- Who gives a key, and why?
- Notice the robe, the ashtray, the coffee cup.
- What is felt, realized, and gathered at the Club Silencio?
- Did talent alone help Camilla?
- Note the occurrences surrounding the man behind Winkie’s.
- Where is Aunt Ruth?
I am not going to answer these questions for you or tell you what conclusions I drew from it (that would ruin your fun!) but I think it gives a clear narrative for the film. Even if you ignore everything else pay particular attention to “What is felt, realized and gathered at the club Silencio?” this is a key point in the narrative and most interpretations pivot on this part of the film.
And a final thought even if you hated the film it made a star of Naomi Watts who had been appearing in films for ten years but had never had a breakthrough role therefore it is responsible for some of the great roles she has had in recent years.
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