I will preface by saying that I actually liked it, too, but I'm also irritated by it at the same time, mostly because it was a little too incoherent and loose, and I feel like David Lynch didn't even know what was really going on. I think you're probably right, re: Secret Window, and how it went all wrong by explaining itself/being lame, but I think MD didn't go quite far enough -- surely there's some sort of balance between trite and total incoherence. *g*
That said, here's my theory:
The beginning of the story is at the end, naturally, with Diane having Camilla killed. This is "reality." She hires that guy, and then goes to sleep that night and proceeds to have a dream. The dream is the rest of the movie, incorporating little details from "real" life and manipulating them until they present the picture of herself, and her world, Diane most wants. Betty is a brilliant actress who is loved and adored by all; Diane is not. Rita needs/loves Betty the way Camilla never needed/loved Diane.
The thing that doesn't hold up is the idea of the box, and the creepy guy, and the old people. I don't know wtf that was all about. It could just be bizarre dream images/Diane's subconscious mind trying to assign something for the blue key to open, so it represents more than Camilla's death. I would like to sit down with David Lynch and have him explain the whole thing to me.
Basically, Lynch is a really good filmmaker; he uses the camera in every way possible, he makes things feel really creepy, and sets his scenes so they pop. The way he structured everything, and dressed it up, is the only thing that saves it from being a mess. At least, on first view. This is probably one of those movies that, if you watch it over and over, you eventually piece together exactly what happened, but the real trick is making the viewer like it enough to care to know wtf happened, which I think DL succeeded at.
Wait, I take it back, I don't think I need to sit down with Lynch, because this guy explains it really well. I concur with him. *g* I Googled "mulholland drive theories" and came up gold. If he's right, it really is fucking brilliant; if he and I are just projecting, it's still probably brilliant, because what's better than not having a clue what you're doing, and people assigning genius to it?
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-07-10 11:09 am (UTC)I will preface by saying that I actually liked it, too, but I'm also irritated by it at the same time, mostly because it was a little too incoherent and loose, and I feel like David Lynch didn't even know what was really going on. I think you're probably right, re: Secret Window, and how it went all wrong by explaining itself/being lame, but I think MD didn't go quite far enough -- surely there's some sort of balance between trite and total incoherence. *g*
That said, here's my theory:
The beginning of the story is at the end, naturally, with Diane having Camilla killed. This is "reality." She hires that guy, and then goes to sleep that night and proceeds to have a dream. The dream is the rest of the movie, incorporating little details from "real" life and manipulating them until they present the picture of herself, and her world, Diane most wants. Betty is a brilliant actress who is loved and adored by all; Diane is not. Rita needs/loves Betty the way Camilla never needed/loved Diane.
The thing that doesn't hold up is the idea of the box, and the creepy guy, and the old people. I don't know wtf that was all about. It could just be bizarre dream images/Diane's subconscious mind trying to assign something for the blue key to open, so it represents more than Camilla's death. I would like to sit down with David Lynch and have him explain the whole thing to me.
Basically, Lynch is a really good filmmaker; he uses the camera in every way possible, he makes things feel really creepy, and sets his scenes so they pop. The way he structured everything, and dressed it up, is the only thing that saves it from being a mess. At least, on first view. This is probably one of those movies that, if you watch it over and over, you eventually piece together exactly what happened, but the real trick is making the viewer like it enough to care to know wtf happened, which I think DL succeeded at.
Wait, I take it back, I don't think I need to sit down with Lynch, because this guy explains it really well. I concur with him. *g* I Googled "mulholland drive theories" and came up gold. If he's right, it really is fucking brilliant; if he and I are just projecting, it's still probably brilliant, because what's better than not having a clue what you're doing, and people assigning genius to it?