“We know the Cowboy is one of the forces that is pushing Adam to cast the girl who is called 'pretty' at the board room meeting. We see her later at the party shortly before, you guessed it, the Cowboy passes by. So wouldn't the logical choice for BiB be Melissa George (or the unnamed character she's playing?)”
IMO Cowboy is simply a neutral conduit that is used by the mind to present the choices to be made. No one is pushing but the unseen mind.
I see the Castligiane’s as symbols of the powerful forces that exist within the (unseen) human psyche that push “us” to make choices that are difficult to resist…having to do with “worldly desire”. We become corralled by our own desires (note the skull, light bulb and canyon (of the mind) all clever mental symbols) We find reasons to justify doing wrong (to ourselves). “We” are “guilty” of “self” abuse to ourselves. Adam is not forced or threatened. In this case “desire” for worldly possessions like a exclusive house, jewels, Rolls Royce etc. The “Adam characteristic” gives up control (direction) and chooses a bad “Rhode(s)”=path=road=choice and is shown a heartless self-centered jerk. It is the same Rhodes name (both Camilla’s) but simply a different “bad” path that leads to suffering negativity. I perceive the unseen character as making the wrong life choices via the mental manifestations represented by the characters. The sequence of events occurs as Adam chooses Blonde Camilla Rhodes and then Betty hurriedly leaves the audition not to connect with the Adam character but instead chooses her physical desire. These are the (bad) choices we see that result in the "direction" of what life will “be”.
“So wouldn't the logical choice for BiB be Melissa George (or the unnamed character she's playing?)”
Lyssie Powell is BiB. Adam chose a bad Rhode and Betty chose another bad Rhode=road=path=choice. The names are the same= bad roads/Rhodes)
“I'm of the opinion that Diane's story is repeating over and over again.”
We kind of agree here but the concept for me is that the “mind” never cares (or understands or can resist) that the “Rhode” to happiness is not a “Mulholland Drive” of worldly self-centered desire but can only be found “within”. The outer world is “illusion” while the inner world is “reality”. The character constantly repeats the same mistakes and never achieves the intended “peace” represented by Irene and companion, BiB(?), and perhaps Blue Hair. The first part of the film is what we expect…the second is the result of choices made in the previous part.
Since I see this all as a symbolic moral lesson there is no need to create additional material outside of the film. It is a complete and connected artwork.
“The cycle only breaks when Diane avoids the hit. Something like that. No?”
I try to avoid creating anything outside of the film. It is the viewers own preconceptions that we mistakenly rely on instead of what we are actually seeing in the film. There is nothing in the film that actually refers to a “hit” initiated by Joe or Diane other that the viewers assumptions. I do not associate Camilla’s ride in the limo at the beginning with Joe or Diane. I see her as a symbol of desire that floats into the mind (Havenhuest) after a previous cycle (crash) on MD. She waits outside the “locked entrance” at Havenhurst and sneaks in although perhaps with the knowledge of the “mind” having failed to keep the desire out. There are many suggestions that the mind subconsciously is aware what is occurring but unwilling to take actions to change the behavior.
Had Betty/Adam chosen to connect with each other (themselves), the result can be presumed to have been “better“ to find “happiness” or “love” (of self). Instead Adam submits to the force (Camilla Rhodes/path) Betty follows desire (Camilla Rhodes/path) and is lost. Note the music connecting Betty’s arrival at the studio, the “love” scene, walking up the path to the dinner and the end as she escapes back to an illusion.
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dropkick23
8 years ago
IMO Cowboy is simply a neutral conduit that is used by the mind to present the choices to be made. No one is pushing but the unseen mind.
I try to avoid creating anything outside of the film.
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oldgoldtop
8 years ago
I presume you are suggesting I am "outside" of the film. It seems a difficult concept for others to grasp but I seem naturally to perceive things symbolically. This does not come naturally to my wife so I realize others see the world differently. My screen name actually refers to my 1956 gold top Les Paul guitar I bought at a jewelry store in 1968. It symbolizes much of my life and has meaning to me immeasurably beyond any monetary value. Well it's okay if you don't...
I attempt to assign a specific connective interpretation on what I see actually contained within the film's "existence". Cowboy is in the film speaking his lines in composed shots with various props that can be given interpretations that work in a unified way within a theme for the entire film. This is very different than creating any outside imagined events never mentioned or shown at all in the film such as a "hit" or "suicide" that viewers typically atttempt. Cowboy does not threaten or force. He simply says (non-threatening) "I WANT YOU TO (do something). He speaks about "The good life" to suggest material worldly desire (desire=powerful forces impossible to satisfy...like always spitting out the worlds finest cappicino). He than speaks of doing "good". The "good" life can be interpreted as inner bliss/compassion/humanity/love/peace etc. Cowboy says to the "director" let someone (something) else (your desire/greed) take control and do the "driving" of life ("you drive me wild" etc.) BUT if you "DO GOOD"...(love/peace/"inner stardom"/enlightenment).
Can you see the difference of interpreting something "real" (reel?) as opposed to imagining or creating something "outside"? I "interpret" the outside imagined events as viewers "illusions" corresponding to the seeking solutions (happiness) in the physical material world rather than "within". Not SEEING the world (film) as it "IS".
When Cowboy opens the door to speak to BiB he is speaking (happily) to the "different character" (Lyssie Powell) that can be interpreted as the "character" Betty did not evolve to become (although hoped/expected to). (See me one more time="done good" as we SEE BiB).(Then we SEE a corpse and unsmiling Cowboy...See me two more time="done bad"...self-centered "the good life" of "Mulholland Drive"). Recall that I interpret ALL characters as mental manifestations of inner actions of one symbolic universal mind (Betty=Joe=Adam=Ed etc). Betty/Diane (et al) remains lost (again) in an inner world of suffering due to the wrong choices(ignorance) made by following a physical desire (Rita/Camilla Rhodes=road=path=choice). Her "love" was spoken as "I'm "IN" love with you" (suggesting obsessive self centered) as opposed to "I LOVE you" (real LOVE for the OTHER (self)). The music during the first sex scene relates/connects to three other "desire" scenes. Once we realize where desire "leads" in the film (suffering/negativity) we can begin feel the powerful sadness the that music can convey. "She" (we) did not transform into a better "character(istic)" represented by BiB. If she/he had done "good" (to herself/ourselves/myself)and connected with "Adam" (mental abstraction character) the (inner) life would have changed for the better (love/happiness/stardom of positive "goodness" to inner soul) and awoken as a new better character (become a new (different)and better person) (BiB). (Note how a corpse is shown after BiB...death of the "dream of finding happiness" and a life still remaining within a negative/suffering (subconscious/mental) world.)
A few other (of many) interpretations inside the film...Note how Betty's face looks "towards Rita" (desire)as they lay in bed. Rita looks upwards and not towards Betty. Notice how it is Rita's hand wrapping around Betty's suggesting Rita (desire) is now in control (within desires grip) as Betty than allows her desire to lead her. These are images and actions that can be connected and interpreted to show the character is becoming "lost" to "desire". Notice how Laura Herring's character is connected to the chain call and the phone call to Diane. All of this is inside the film. Read the script from the pilot as Lynch describes the meeting of the eyes between Betty and Adam. Listen to the words of the songs being sung as they connect and connect them to the actions on the screen.
These elements are all within the film to be interpreted and understood to provide a suportable/logical/meaningful "enlightenment" that is further strongly related to the artists own personal life philosophy. This can be thought of as using the "language" of the film to help understand it.
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oldgoldtop
8 years ago
dropkick,
I wanted to add...
Lynch shows us how the same lines can be interpreted in different ways. The first reading of the script by Betty and Rita might be imagined as the typical way those lines might be interpreted. The second time by Betty at the audition we see a very different interpretation that could be somewhat unsettling for viewers. I believe this to be a "pointer" for the viewer to do the same in other places as I have described in the previous reply with Cowboy. But one of my favorites is the exchange between Betty and Rita as they are about to have the first sexual encounter (Havenhurst). My capitalization for interpretive purposes...
Rita:"Thank you Betty".
Betty; "It's NOTHING"
Rita: "No, I mean thank you for EVERYTHING"
Betty: "Your welcome"
Rita:"GOOD NIGHT, SWEET Betty"
Rita kisses Betty (fore)"HEAD".
I left out some filler but the idea that Betty says its "nothing" (like bum drops bag?) but has given "everything" (inner happiness) to Rita (Rita/Camilla Rhodes=desire/bad road/path/choice) and the line "good night sweet Betty" takes on a "dark" meaning as "sweet Betty is about to be gone/lost.
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