Mulholland Drive's myriad interpretations

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2007)

The weird thing about watching Mulholland Drive (probably 15 times now)is that each time I try REALLY hard to understand it, each time I see new things, each time I find new revelations, and then if enough time has passed, I have new discoveries that I then "remember" that I actually figured out a while ago. At least it's riveting. Also, it's the most REALISTIC view of the topography and people of LA I've ever seen, and I'm from the Valley. I actually saw it the first time in York, England and couldn't believe how homesick it made me. I kept turning to people and saying, "Yeah it really looks just like that!" Which is odd because it is a fantasy. I've read a few comments on this site and others. Everything sort of makes sense, but not really. My daughter said the first time when I thought it was a comment of the degrading nature of Hollywood, "Mom, she isn't even an actress! She's a prostitute!" Which I believe is true. Then I couldn't figure anything out the first time. It was 3 times before my son (my twins are 25 in case you thought I was letting kids see the film) "Mom, the blond kills her cause she's jealous!" I didn't even know she did that. And it was a few more times before I realized the girl on the bed was Diane. Once I read an interpretation that the whole thing was not Diane's fantasy but Camilla. I thought that was really crazy until last night when I watched it. Believe it or not, it actually makes MORE sense that way. Camilla is the "expresso" and the director (member that look when Adam and Diane look at each other?) picks Diane and Camilla kills HER. He's used to messing with prostitutes. Member that seedy hotel room? Anyway. . . .