Mulholland Drive- the puzzler of puzzlers

Rating: 8/10 (6 May 2005)

It is not often that films are both confusing and pleasing. Confusion is often reconciled throughout films in ways that leave viewers with a sense of finality and comfort with whatever theme that the filmmakers wish to convey. However, there are certain films that use irreconcilable plot incongruencies as a device that leaves an audience intentionally puzzled. The effectiveness and entertainment value of the movie is then even more dependent on the production and quality of the portions of the film that are coherent. David Lynch's film entitled Mulholland Drive is this sort of movie. Through it's ambiguous, disjointed plot yet superbly executed production, Mulholland Drive is a highly puzzling yet entertaining film. This critique intends to outline and analyze the aspects of the film that make it work.
Without a coherent plot to depend on, Mulholland Drive places the onus of its quality on the value of each aspect of production. Through the usage of music, transitions, angling, and other film techniques, the movie manages to convey a message that stays consistent with the themes of the film that are discernible. The music manages to convey a sense of looming mystery and ominous foreshadowing in the low, constant tones. Even in the scenes where the characters are in broad daylight, like when the men are behind the restaurant or when the women are at Diane's apartment, the music compels the viewer to maintain a sense of tension and suspense. Another part of the film that enhances this feeling is the camera work. There is a strong presence of first person camera, which is another indication of the limited level of knowledge that the viewer is allowed. The blind corners and dark areas that are shown in this mode bring about an even greater sense of tension and even fear. Atop this camera effect technique is the hazy and disoriented transitions. This is consistent with the vagueness of the story as well as the memory of Rita (Camilla) that was largely lost after her accident. The combination of the music, camera perspective, and transitions translates into a riveting look inside the intense mystery that is centered around Mulholland Drive. With these tools, the viewer is drawn into a series of events that are disjointed and indiscernible yet enrapturing and highly entertaining.
The plot is one of dizzying twists and curves that leave the viewer rather speculative. There are numerous possibilities as to what actually happened in the film that depend largely on the chronological order one sees the events in. It is possible that there are the three characters of Camilla/ Rita, Betty, and Diane that take on interchangeable aesthetic identities throughout the film by the main actresses Naomi Watts and Laura Elena Harding. It seems that there is also the possibility that Rita and Betty took on the alter identities of Camilla and Diane as time progressed after the accident. Another plausible plot involves Diane arranging the murder of Camilla then rekindling her love affair with "Rita" after the accident. Of course there are more possibilities that all seem possible, yet ultimately irreconcilable in any explicit way. This versatility is part of what makes this film worth watching again and again, and it is also one of the reasons that it was nominated for an Academy Award.
The themes of this film are represented well through the symbolism of specific parts of the film. There is the dancing scene in the beginning with the multiple layers and reducing characters, which is symbolic of the cryptic nature of the plots and the dwindling memories of the film. There is also Silencio, the name of the place where the intriguing Spanish performance occurred. The oft spoken quote "no hay banda," or "there is no band," is another suggestion perhaps that reality is arbitrary and existence is not at all absolute or easy to discern. Certainly there are numerous ways to interpret the film, and this appears to be no accident on the part of the filmmakers' intentions. But the disorientation that the characters experience is transferred masterfully onto the viewer throughout the film. As far as puzzling movies go, this is extremely puzzling. However, this seeming disarray of events and themes is consistent in a way that is as confusing as it is riveting and ultimately entertaining.