Self recognition - through a glass darkly

Rating: Null/10 (18 August 2003)

I saw this movie last night for the first time. I have never seen any David Lynch.... and I have never seen or read any interpretations of his work by professional or amateur critics / spoilers etc My reaction seems to be slightly different from many others, who find the crucial shift of perspective baffling and/or irritating ... for me the movie was redeemed by that sudden change (Diane wakes up ) ... 2/3rds of the way through the movie and on to the end. Although up untill then I had very much enjoyed a lot of things about it, I was becoming restless ... I thought the exposition was over-extended ... the devices were already much used, and just beginning to pall. The first 2/3rds of the movie could benefit from many cuts ... tightening up etc. However.. in retrospect, as a whole, the overall idea/formal structure is terribly well realised. There are many sensual, visual pleasures of the film .... but it's great achievement is the sense of psychological self-recognition evoked eventually ... self recognition - not self-understanding. Even if only for a moment, we admit it to ourselves - that our own grasp of reality is not what we think... and that we kid ourselves that we have some control ! The the last 1/3rd of the movie comes like a sudden slap in the face ... and that shock echoes on. The final few seconds are grim... but one of the best things I've seen on film.