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Reader comments on
Subject: My interpretation of Mulholland Drive
Date: Mar 11, 2003
Firstly, I reckon that the whole film is a series of dreams, separated by reality.
Firstly, we see the aspirations of a young girl to become a star in Hollywood (Jitterbugging montage that opens the film), then we have a brief moment of reality (1st person view of a red pillow and sheets) - this is followed by a nocturnal dream providing the bulk of the film, and ends as soon as Diane is told by the cowboy to wake up. After this, we have another period of reality up to the point where Diane jumps on top of the naked Camille - suddenly, we're back in dreamland, but more specifically, memories, recollections and recollections of actual occurrences (in a different mould to the nocturnal dream). Then it's back to the real world for the grand finale (Diane's suicide) - as a coda, Lynch shows a scene with the woman from the club uttering 'Silencio!' and the film ends. So the structure of the film looks like this....
aaRdddddddddddddddddddddddddddrRRmmmmmRRRaa[coda]
a= aspirational Dream
d= nocturnal Dream
m= memory & recollections
R= reality
The three moments of actual reality are:
1. First person view of the red pillow and sheets in Diane's apartment just after the 'jitterbug montage'
(Diane falls asleep and the dream starts...)
2. The scene where the girl has come round to gather her stuff, and Diane notices the blue key on the coffee table. Diane is wearing a drab robe, which disappears once the recollections and memories start.
(Diane starts to fantasise about Camille, and recalls the ending moments of their relationships and the beginnings of the new one that Camille strikes up with the movie director.)
3. Diane's guilt catches up with her, and she is driven crazy and kills herself.
Anything else is a dream of one type or another. The bathrobe that Diane wears marks whether the scene that we're seeing is real or not. If she's wearing it, it's real and happening at present.
The recollections are not in cronological order, but I think the whole thing goes like this...
1. Diane is told by Camille that their relationship must end (2nd Lesbian scene)
2. Camille taunts Diane by displaying her intimacy with the director (Movie set)
3. Diane and Camille have a row, leaving Diane crying and masturbating to solace herself, to the point where it gives her no satisfaction.
4. Later that evening, Diane is picked up by a limo sent by Camille to attend a party held by her. Destination - Mulholland Drive. The couple announce their engagement, and Diane's obsessive jealousy is taking over her rational thought
5. Diane hires a hitman and is told to expect a blue key in an agreed place.
6. Later on, possibly that evening, although more likely a month or so later, Diane goes to sleep and has a strange dream.
7. The next morning, she is woken up by her ex girlfriend who she may have caught on the rebound, and ended badly ("It's been three weeks already")
8. Diane starts getting her flashback recollections.
9. That evening, Diane kills herself.
Of the projected images that make it to the nocturnal dream, most are from Diane's recollections and memories. These clues are given as she focuses in on little details (The man at Winkies, the Espresso cup at the dinner party, and 1001 other people, locations and objects that all reappear displaced in Diane's nocturnal dream exactly as stuff that you see and remember appear in your own dreams.
Additional stuff is probably abstract or metaphysical representations of Diane's psyche - the scene at club Silencio is definitely a message to us and Diane that what we have seen and assumed is real, is all a sham. The box is a physical representation of one of Diane's conciense anxiety, despair or something (it is open to several interpretations, but somewhere in there is something that she doesn't want to face, but has to - it is the product of the situation that she has created for herself, and she has to face it (Much like the guy in the Diner scene) - Other abstracts open to interpretation are the Tramp behind Winkies, the dwarf in the wheelchair, the soothsaying lodger, even the aunt's house. They are not seen at all in Diane's memories, but they must have come from somewhere to appear in her dream. They represent a combination of Diane's feelings, and wish-fulfilments. They also provide excuses for Diane to blame her hang-ups on. The only other abstract which appears outside the dream is the Old couple, who appear in her dream and end up in her guilty conscience which drive her to kill herself.
A nice little touch was in the very last scene of the film, with a single figure at the club uttering 'Silencio!' before the film stops. I guess this is directed at us to remind us that what we have just seen is an illusion itself (a bit of a cheeky afterthought, but wraps up the film perfectly!)
I feel that this works best for me, and I can understand and appreciate the film much better using this. It all fits nicely, and makes perfect sense (to me)
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Comment index:
wow from Rosanna, Jun 10, 2002
Re: wow from Joshua (editor of Offoffoff), Jun 12, 2002
Re: wow from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
PCP from Kilgore Trout, Sep 1, 2002
Aunt??? from HugeElvis, Oct 14, 2002
» My interpretation of Mulholland Drive « from Trelloskilos, Mar 11, 2003
wow from Rosanna, Jun 10, 2002
Re: wow from Joshua (editor of Offoffoff), Jun 12, 2002
Re: wow from Tashtigo707, Jun 17, 2002
PCP from Kilgore Trout, Sep 1, 2002
Aunt??? from HugeElvis, Oct 14, 2002
» My interpretation of Mulholland Drive « from Trelloskilos, Mar 11, 2003
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