Mullholand Dr Vs Lost Highway
Which is the best for you?For me it's really hard,as both film are quite similar in tone,atmosphere and overall themes,LH is slightly better.
The shadows betray you because they belong to me.
Bane
You could throw Blue Velvet and probably Wild at Heart in there, too. They're all, still quite distinct, variations on the same theme: dark haired guy between sweet blonde and ominous dark haired woman. With the possible addition of a crazed villain and some mysterious character.
I'm seeing Lost Highway and Blue Velvet on about the same level, with an edge for Lost Highway for its boldness, raw energy and sophisticated construction work going well beyond classic narrative. Then Wild at Heart. Then Mulholland Drive.
My preference is for Mulholland - based on its exceptional portrayal of a damaged young woman by Naomi Watts. I don't think there is another performance of this quality amongst Lynch's other works. The nearest thing is Laura Dern in Inland Empire and Wild At Heart respectively.
I also find the mirrored worlds of Diane's fantasy and past history possess just enough correspondence to inform us about her past and make her a fully rounded character. There is too little of Fred's background in LH, and we see far less of his emotional spectrum in Bill Pullman's performance.
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Yeah. Lynch provided some fairly detailed background on Diane, so it's possible to understand her behavior. It's clear she was the victim of incest, became pregnant, had an abortion, was made the scapegoat and exiled from her family home, later working as a waitress/part-time prostitute/bit part actress.
Assuming Fred MADison's early history was mapped out in the Pete DAYton narrative, all we learn is that his origins were modest suburban, his parents were irresponsible, he hung out with a bad crowd, and had a talent for tuning cars. He cheated on his girlfriend with some criminal's moll who involved him in a drugs, cash or vehicle robbery where somebody died. The girl went back to her mobster boyfriend (probably a fence) - leaving Fred tormented by guilt/jealousy/fear, which led to his later psych problems.
At least that's the way I see it. The very slow pace of LH meant missed opportunities to flesh out the character.
Plus - altho' I like Pullman, he's not in the same league as Watts.
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There are a couple of tough moments, but IE is no Evil Dead gore-fest - it's dark and intense, but it shouldn't give you nightmares. If you enjoyed his other films, you'll probably like it.
I found it the most confusing of all Lynch's works. There are some sequences set in early 20th century East Europe which add to the complexity. I have an idea what they represent, but you should see it without my speculations. I suspect Lynch thought he'd made Mulholland too easy to decipher, and intended to make IE more difficult. I'm sure there's a coherent narrative hiding in there, but I can't unravel all of it.
Although it's set in LA, I don't think it has much to do with the reality of Hollywood itself.
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I couldn't finish Inland Empire
share" It's clear she was the victim of incest, became pregnant, had an abortion, was made the scapegoat and exiled from her family home"
Wait what?
Why?
Much of Diane's background is in Betty's audition scene at the producer's office, and the brief conversation with the casting director in the corridor immediately afterwards. That's her family in the office - not film people.
Even though people know this is all part of Diane's dream, it gets taken literally. Lynch uses symbolism - without interpretation it's impossible to see the hidden narrative.
The abortion is depicted symbolically in the scene where the fat lady gets shot in the ass - she is the egg. The bullet is the male sperm. Her tiny enzyme-filled office is the womb. The janitor with the vacuum symbolizes the abortion - vacuum is part of that process. Electricity/life is shorted out. Alarms go off.
Haha! Some fantastic bullshít there, well done :)
You are wrong. That's not a theme, that's just a situation. The poster meant LH and MD are similar in their reality vs fantasy theme (e.g. trying to escape the current reality by creating a fantasy version of it)
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