Complex and Ingenious

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2004)

If there was ever a filmmaker whose films fuel discussion and divided opinion long after the final credits have rolled, David Lynch is certainly a prime candidate.
Almost every film he has made so far is classed as either a work of genius with a unique point of view, or incomprehensible arty-farty rubbish. Despite whatever anyone thinks of his films, however, it is undeniable that they are all very well-crafted, well-directed, and will unfailingly cause a reaction.
Mulholland Drive, while originally intended to be a TV series in the same vein as "Twin Peaks" was restructured and recreated into a fascinating piece of film-making and storytelling, with a dreamlike and almost detached atmosphere all of its own. Employing several set pieces of mysterious dwarfs, blue neon, red drapes and vintage microphones, chanteuses singing Roy Orbison songs, enigmatic and dangerous femmes fatales and '50's memorabilia, the setting is perfectly "Lynchian". Everything is stylish and chic, caught in a hazy lens with an element of something dark just behind the scenes.
What causes the most controversy in Lynch's films, however, is the plot itself, or more particularly, the conclusion. Some people will wonder if there was a point to watching the movie, expecting an ending that is handed on a plate. Lynch, however, likes to make his audience work for their own answers to the movie (and personally, with the case of Mulholland Drive, I do believe that there is an underlying solution that does make sense of the entire film). Moviegoers who enjoy something cerebral and enjoy a challenge will love this movie. Others who do not attempt to understand the movie will either be entranced by the imagery, or be appalled at the apparent lack of a coherent ending.
Ultimately, though, the key to Lynch's films, including Mulholland Drive, is to switch your point of view. Lynch's films centre heavily on dreams, and once the viewer realises what they are watching, the film takes on a different perspective, with a satisfactory conclusion.