A Brilliant Puzzle Worth Trying to Solve

Rating: 10/10 (30 August 2016)

Many have compared the underlying story of Mulholland Drive to a puzzle, and I must agree. However, unlike a traditional puzzle, this one arguably has only partial solutions that each depend upon personal interpretation. For much of the film, identities are blurred, events appear unrelated or pointless, and even the acting and character motivations come across as unnatural and bizarre. The atmosphere created by David Lynch's dreamlike style (through both cinematography and music) is wholly surreal as well, as anyone familiar with him would expect. But unlike other stories that explore the surreal by descending into the frustrating realm of purely subjective interpretation, Mulholland Drive is anchored by several critical, objective events and relationships in the central character's life. As the end of the film nears, the details surrounding these critical events are revealed, quickly bringing clarity to much of the bizarre amalgamation of prior events, but the vast periphery remains mysterious. When all is said and done, the viewer is left with many questions and even more answers waiting to be uncovered.
In short, Mulholland Drive is an incredibly complex film, and one which can also be very engrossing and satisfying. It will inevitably confuse and disinterest some viewers, particularly those not interested in working to decode such a puzzling narrative. Yet unlike many films which lose much of their appeal once the twist or mystery has been revealed, this film only gets more interesting the more you piece together. Perhaps others will have a different experience, but for me it was as if the answers to the peripheral mysteries of Mulholland Drive were all there, right in front of me, but just out of reach; just out of focus; just needing one more connection to be made. And the more you piece together, the more you realize that the number of meaningful connections between various events is absolutely staggering. It never ceases to fascinate me with its depth and for this reason, I regard it as a truly brilliant film.