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Having now seen "Mulholland Drive" over (3) times, and being a huge David
Lynch fan, I felt compelled to write out my analysis of the film to dispel
the notion that this movie doesn't add up. Admittedly, some liberties must
be taken, and succumbing to dream logic is a must, but the film really does
fit together- despite what most people have been saying. Below I will begin
my analysis of the film at the point just after the visit to Club Silencio,
as Rita has just opened the "Blue Box" and Betty has disappeared. MY
ANALYSIS WILL EVENTUALLY SHOW THAT THE ENTIRE FIRST 90 MINUTES WAS DIANE'S
DREAM (with some reality tossed in), BUT THAT THE LAST 45 MINUTES WAS A
COMBINATION OF FANTASY, HALLUCINATION, AND FOR THE MOST PART, REALITY.
Sorting out which is which was the fun part, but I think I have finally done
it. I will map the scenes out; then for each, describe what Lynch is trying
to show us, and further describe how he purposely made it tricky for us to
decipher.
AFTER THE OPENING OF THE BLUE BOX
Scene 1- The aunt walks into her bedroom, having apparently heard a noise.
She looks around, sees nothing, then retreats back into the hall.
What Lynch is trying to show us- In the scene directly preceding this, Rita
has opened the "Blue Box," Betty has disappeared, and the now opened box has
fallen to the ground. We now see the aunt from the beginning of the movie
(Betty's aunt), yet she is HOME. She looks to the floor, where the "Blue
Box" from the previous scene fell, but sees nothing. It is of my opinion
that this woman is simply a RED HERRING- if you recall, at the end of the
movie when Diane is at the pool/dinner party, she tells everyone how her
aunt died and left her a lot of money. I don't think we are to believe that
the woman shown to us here is supposed to be Diane's aunt. I think that the
thing of interest here is simply that the BLUE BOX IS NOT REAL. IT DOES NOT
EXIST. THIS IS THE POINT OF THE SCENE- I will explain more of this aspect
later.
Scene 2- The Cowboy wakes up Betty/Diane.
We are now witnessing the end of Diane's dream. For some reason (explained
later), she has made the Cowboy a figure in her dream, and in the dream he
wakes her up. The entire movie up until this point has therefore been DIANE'
S DREAM. She was never Betty. She has always been Diane Selwyn.
Scene 3- Diane walks out into the hallway/ her neighbor comes to the door to
retrieve a few of her things (piano ash tray, dishes, etc).
This scene throws the whole time/space continuum into a loop. What is very
important here is the SIGHTING OF THE BLUE KEY ON THE TABLE, AND THE
NEIGHBOR TAKING BACK THE PIANO ASH TRAY. As we will find out later, the blue
key is symbolic of the "hit" on Camilla being finished- we learn this from a
scene later with Diane and the hit man at Winkie's. Diane's neighbor also
tells Diane that "those 2 detectives are still looking for you." OBVIOUSLY,
CAMILLA HAS ALREADY BEEN KILLED. THE DETECTIVES ARE ON TO HER.
Scene 4- Diane is in the kitchen, turns around, and sees Camilla- "Camilla,
you came back" she cries.
Another Lynch twist. Camilla has already been killed. What Diane sees here
is simply a fantasy of Camilla before her eyes. She is beginning to have
guilt and doubt about having her killed, and wants her back. This momentary
image of Camilla therefore shows us that Diane regrets having had Camilla
killed, and is still in love with her. The tip-off to Camilla being a
fantasy image here is the way Laura Harring's character is shot- almost
glowingly, looking as beautiful as can be. This is the way Diane wishes to
remember her by (possibly from the first time they met while working on the
set of the Sylvia North Story).
Scene 5- Diane makes coffee, walks to the couch, and sees a topless Camilla.
The camera switches views, and suddenly we see a topless Diane, who then
pounces on top of Camilla.
Another shifting of the time/space continuum. This is now BEFORE Camilla has
died. THE PIANO ASH TRAY IS STILL ON THE TABLE, BUT THERE IS NO BLUE KEY.
Lynch has therefore succeeded in confusing the audience, for in 3
back-to-back-to-back scenes, he has shown 1) Diane AFTER Camilla has been
killed, 2) Diane's fantasy of Camilla, and 3) Diane BEFORE Camilla has been
killed. They are all grounded in reality, unlike the first 90 minutes (and
unlike critics such as Roger Ebert who have misinterpreted the ENTIRE movie
to be a dream). They are merely confusing due to Lynch shifting back and
forth in time- but these should not be read as DREAMS. These scenes should
merely be seen as us going BACKWARDS in time.
Scene 6- Adam and Camilla are in the car rehearsing, and Diane scornfully
watches from afar, confirming her suspicions that Camilla is seeing Adam.
THE FOLLOWING SCENES MORE OR LESS PROCEED IN ORDER, SO EXPLANATION OF THEM
WILL BE CONCISE UNTIL MORE IS WARRANTED.
Scene 7- Camilla shows up at Diane's, Diane says it "****ing matters to me,"
and slams the door shut. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF HER DOWNWARD SPIRAL. She
masturbates while obviously thinking of Camilla, but now realizes that
Camilla will never be there again.
Scene 8- We hear the phone ring, and it is Camilla calling for Diane. This
is the invitation for the pool party, which is on Mulholland Drive. NOTE THE
RED DRAPED LAMP AND THE CIGARRETTE BUDS NEXT TO DIANE'S PHONE- THIS POPPED
UP EARLY IN THE MOVIE (I will explain later).
Scene 9- The limousine drives down Mulholland Drive (mirroring the opening
scenes identically). The driver stops, and Camilla comes out of the darkness
to take Diane on a secret shortcut to the pool/dinner party. THIS SCENE IS
IMPORTANT- FIRST, IT SHOWS HOW CAMILLA IS SO EMBARRASSED NOW ABOUT BEING
SEEN WITH DIANE, THAT SHE NEEDS TO TAKE HER UP A SHORTCUT THROUGH THE TREES
SO THAT NO ONE WILL SEE THEM ENTER THROUGH THE FRONT. SECONDLY, FOR A
FLEETING INSTANT, DIANE BELIEVES THAT CAMILLA REALLY IS ACTING SINCERE. NOTE
HER REACTION WHEN CAMILLA TAKES HER HAND AND THEY WALK UP THE PATH. SHE
SMILES AT THEIR HOLDING HANDS, AND THEN SMILES AT CAMILLA. This, however,
will lead to the deterioration of Diane, when she will soon realize that
Camilla is NOT taking her back, but is merely inviting her to the party out
of pity.
Scene 10- Dinner Party Scene. Adam brings Camilla and Diane drinks, while
Coco introduces herself to Diane as Adam's mother. They then sit at the
dinner table, where Diane explains to everyone how she came into money (her
aunt died and left her a lot of money), and how she came to Hollywood after
winning a Jitterbug contest (note the opening credits, where at the end of
the dancing, we see her face grinning as if she has just won the contest).
We also see another woman (Camilla from her dream) kiss the real Camilla,
and we also see in the periphery the Cowboy, as well as one of the mobster
brothers from the opening of the movie (the man with the penchant for
expresso). NOTE HERE THAT DIANE SEES THE EXPRESSO MAN AFTER SHE HERSELF HAS
JUST BEEN SERVES AN EXPRESSO- THIS EXPLAINS WHY IN HER EVENTUAL DREAM, THIS
MAN IS GIVEN THIS ODD CHARACTERISTIC OF DISLIKING EXPRESSO.
This scene has SO MUCH going on it is hard to describe. Essentially, we
learn about Diane's first trip to Hollywood, how she met Camilla on the
"Sylvia North Story," and how she has essentially played second fiddle to
Camilla ever since. It is apparent to all at the table that Diane has bee
leeching onto Camilla, and that her brief successes in getting roles have
all been because of Camilla. This also helps to explain how Diane has all of
her money. When Diane sees another actress kiss Camilla, she feels extremely
jealous and hurt (which will manifest itself into her fantasy, to be
discussed later). Adam also mentions here how "I got the pool, she got the
pool man", referring to his ex-wife. He was very happy with the settlement,
indicating that he never wanted to be with his wife and was glad things
worked out the way they did.
Then, Adam begins to make an announcement about himself and Camilla. It
seems as if they are going to be engaged, but we as the audience never find
out- we only see Adam and Camilla begin to laugh hysterically. Just before
this moment, we see the Cowboy walk in the background. It is of my opinion
that Diane is beginning to HALLUCINATE ABOUT ADAM AND CAMILLA LAUGHING- IT
IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THEY ARE, AT THIS POINT, PLANNING ON GETTING MARRIED-
BUT IT IS UNLIKELY THAT AN ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD PRODUCE THIS KIND
OF MEAN-SPIRITED LAUGHTER; RATHER, I THINK THAT DIANE'S FEELINGS OF BETRAYAL
AND JEALOUSY SPARKS HER TO IMAGINE THAT CAMILLA IS LAUGHING AT HER, AND THUS
PROPELS HER DOWN THE PATH OF HIRING A HITMAN TO FINALLY GET RID OF HER,
ADDING TO THE OLD ADAGE "IF SHE CAN'T BE WITH ME, SHE CAN'T BE WITH
ANYBODY."
Scene 11- coffee with the hit man at Winkie's.
We finally see the payoff- Diane reaches into her purse, shows us the wad of
money (to be manifested into her fantasy later), and orders the hit on
Camilla to take place. She glances over to the cashier's table, and sees the
man from the beginning of the movie, the one who had been having dreams
about the monster behind Winkie's. The hit man then shows Diane the blue
key, indicating that he will leave it in the place they have determined once
the job is done. SEE SCENE 3- in scene 3, the key is on the table, adding
further proof, at the time of scene 3, that the job HAS BEEN DONE. Diane
also sees the waitress with the name "Betty" on the tag- this will be her
name in the fantasy. When Diane here asks the hit man what the key opens, he
merely laughs- the scene then switches to nighttime, with the camera panning
out to where the monster behind Winkie's is playing with the blue box.
Scene 12- Monster opening the blue box, and the miniaturized elderly people
exiting from it.
This is the surreal highpoint of the movie- I am not 100% sure on my theory
here, but I believe that this image is supposed to be one that,
chronologically, is to occur AFTER the hit has taken place. Remember, Diane
is having extreme guilt over the death of Camilla (see her image of Camilla
from Scene 4, above). She also has the blue key now, where the hit man has
left it for her. The guilt of having ordered a murder on the one woman she
loved, plus her deteriorating state of mind, lead her to create a
hallucination as to what the key opens. In this hallucination, the monster
behind Winkie's is symbolic of pure evil, and the two elderly people are the
devil's evil minions (I know, this is a stretch, but remember Diane's state
of mind at this point is completely fragmented). It is possible that she has
encountered this "monster" at Winkie's sometime before, although in reality
the monster is probably just a homeless man. In her hallucination, the
monster is symbolic of her repressed guilt- the opening of the box releases
the evil upon her, symbolized by the elderly couple walking maniacally from
the box and to (not shown on camera) her apartment. IT IS SPECULATIVE AS TO
WHY SHE WOULD IMAGINE THESE TWO ELDERLY PEOPLE AS BEING HER REPRESENTATION
OF EVIL- MY THEORY IS THAT PERHAPS THE OLD WOMAN HERE IS REALLY A
MANIFESTATION OF HER AUNT AND UNCLE, OR EVEN MOTHER AND FATHER; HER AUNT
LEFT HER ALL THE $, AND NOW DIANE HAS USED THE $ TO KILL A LOVER. Also, this
would explain the opening of the film- over the jitterbug dancing credits,
we see images of Betty with the two elderly citizens, almost as if they were
pictures taken after she won the contest. They are proud of her for winning
the Jitterbug contest; now, in Diane's hallucination, they are ashamed and
upset about what she has become.
Scene 13- Diane at her apartment, sketching out on her couch, when suddenly
the elderly couple crawl under her front door. They become normal sized and
chase her throughout the house, when suddenly they corner her into her
bedroom- Diane then reaches inside her bedroom drawer, pulls out a gun, and
shoots herself in the head.
Another surreal highlight. I am again unsure as to why Diane has chosen the
elderly couple to appear in this hallucination- but it is obvious that they
represent Diane's tortured state of mind, and the only way for Diane to end
it is to kill herself. Once she kills herself, she assumes the SAME POSITION
THAT BETTY AND RITA SAW THE DEAD DIANE SELWYN IN EARLIER IN THE MOVIE.
Scene 14-15- Amongst a flurry of images, we see a close-up of the "monster,"
followed by flashbacks of Diane's fantasy of Betty and Rita, and then the
blue-haired woman from Club Silencio whispering the word "silencio." The
movie then fades to black.
I believe the uttering of the word "silencio" is symbolic of Diane's mind
being silenced- her fantasy has ended, her life is over, and everything now
is "silencio." I will talk about this more at the end.
MULHOLLAND DRIVE- THE FIRST 90 MINUTES
I will now go, in quicker fashion, the opening 90 minutes of the film, which
are essentially Diane Selwyn's dream. I will not label each individual
scene, but will merely progress through the story and attempt to explain
things of importance.
We open with the title sequence over the Jitterbug dancers. Remember, DIANE
WON A JITTERBUG CONTEST, WHICH WAS HOW SHE FIRST GOT TO HOLLYWOOD. Diane
obviously uses this to begin her dream because it was the happiest time of
her life. There are flashes of images here indicating that perhaps the
elderly couple and her are related and have known each other for quite some
time- either her aunt before she died, or her mom and dad.
Rita survives the hit on Mulholland Drive, escapes with amnesia, and tumbles
down the Hollywood cliff until seeking refuge from the newly departed aunt
of Betty's. DIANE DREAMS THAT THE HIT WENT AWRY AND THAT CAMILLA SURVIVED.
BY GIVING CAMILLA AMNESIA IN HER FANTASY, THERE IS NO WAY FOR CAMILLA TO
REMEMBER HER FALLING OUT OF LOVE WITH DIANE- CAMILLA IS GIVEN A CLEAN SLATE,
WHICH GIVES DIANE THE CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER ALL OVER AGAIN.
Phone calls are made by various individuals, obviously related to Rita's
disappearance. Mr. Roque informs one of his servants that "the girl is still
missing." We then see a series of phone calls (no face is revealed), and the
last phone call reveals the location of something we see at the end of the
movie- A RED DRAPED LAMP. If you remember, DIANE was in this room when
Camilla called to inform her that the limousine was waiting to pick her up.
I BELIEVE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF DIANE'S REALITY POPPING UP IN HER FANTASY
(THERE ARE OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS AS WELL). Even though she is dreaming and
this is a fantasy, she does continue to have shades of guilt- it is
therefore more than likely that the call to the RED DRAPED LAMP ROOM
actually DID happen, and that Diane picked it up to discuss the hit on
Camilla. THAT IS WHY MERELY SAYING THAT THE FIRST 90 MINUTES IS SIMPLY A
DREAM IS NOT CORRECT; most of it is, but certain things may be memories from
her real life as she lays in her bed after having shot herself. This is more
than likely what is happening here.
Betty arrives at LAX with the almost TOO friendly elderly couple wishing her
good luck. DIANE HAS TURNED HER MOST CRAZED HALLUCINATIONS INTO ALMOST
ANGELIC FIGURES IN HER FANTASY- In real life, they drove her to kill
herself; in her fantasy, they offer nothing but support- indeed, Diane's
fantasy is almost TOO happy- note the way the elderly couple smile in the
taxi leaving the airport. SHE WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO RUIN HER IN THIS
FANTASY- THEY WILL ALWAYS BE SMILING.
Betty arrives to see Rita in the shower. She meets Coco (Adam's mother in
real life)- what better way for Diane to have retribution in her fantasy
than to have Adam's mother, who was so condescending to her at the dinner
party, be Betty's LANDLORD. If you remember, the Coco in reality was upset
at Diane for being late to the party, and then was condescending towards her
when she discussed how she came to Hollywood and first met Camilla. Well, in
Diane's dream, Coco helps out Betty by giving her the faxed pages of a movie
scene audition (later scene). Also, it is ironic for Betty in her dream to
have Coco be the landlord. Coco was Adam's mother, who essentially stole
Camilla from Diane. Now, Betty has Rita all to herself, and without anyone
knowing, RIGHT UNDERNEATH COCO'S NOSES. She has to keep Rita a secret
because Coco would not allow her to be there- perhaps mirroring how Coco was
disapproving of Diane at the pool party.
Betty and Rita open Rita's purse, and find all of the money, plus the blue
key. THE MONEY, AS WE FIND OUT LATER, WAS REALLY DIANE'S. SHE HAS SIMPLY
GIVEN IT A NEW MEANING IN HER DREAM SO THAT SHE CAN BE THE ONE TO HELP SOLVE
RITA'S IDENTITY. BETTY WANTS TO BE WITH RITA SO MUCH THAT SHE WILL DO
ANYTHING TO HELP HER OUT (even if this means, as we find later, running out
on a potentially lucrative audition). THEREFORE, SHE HAS TO CREATE AN
AMNESIAC-FILLED RITA THAT HAS SOME MYSTERY TO HER- THE MONEY IN THE PURSE
AND THE BLUE KEY ACCOMPLISH THAT PERFECTLY.
Adam runs into trouble at a meeting, where the Castigulani brothers order
him to cast CAMILLA RHODES. But the Camilla in her FANTASY is simply the
actress from the pool party who kissed the real-life Camilla. There is a
reason for this, which I will discuss later. It is worth noting here about
the fanatical expresso-drinking brother- remember in reality, Betty saw this
man at the pool party, while she herself had just been served an expresso.
In her fantasy, for some warped reason, she has made this man virtually a
living representation of expresso. Also, because of her desire to get back
at Adam for stealing Camilla away, she begins to destroy Adam's professional
life by having the brothers order him to cast Camilla Rhodes. This is just
the beginning of how she will destroy Adam. Adam then returns home to find
his wife in bed with the pool man, where he promptly gets tossed out after
diluting her jewelry with pink paint. IN DIANE'S FANTASY, IT IS ADAM WHO IS
CHEATED ON. Not only is he cheated on, but to make matters worse, he gets
his *** kicked by the man doing the cheating. DIANE MUST HAVE REVELED IN
THIS PART OF HER FANTASY- HOW PERFECT FOR ADAM, THE MAN WHO DESTROYED HER
LIFE IN REALITY, TO HAVE HIS LIFE RIPPED APART IN HER FANTASY.
We switch plots and head across town, with the hit man laughing at a story
told to him by the man with the black book. If you recall, we enter the
conversation in the middle of the story, but at the end of it, the long
haired man laughs and says "****ing car accident." It is possible that they
are discussing the car accident Diane created in her fantasy, thereby
enabling Rita to escape with amnesia. Diane might think it is funny how she
has made everything work out for her in this fantasy, as the laughing by the
two men obviously show. The hit man then kills the long haired man, and then
must kill 2 other civilians (and a vacuum cleaner) because HE IS NOT A GOOD
HIT MAN. Many viewers might think this is simply superfluous stuff Lynch
tossed in for comic asides, but I think it has meaning- in her fantasy,
DIANE DREAMS THAT THE HIT MAN SHE HIRED DOES NOT DO THE JOB; IN FACT, HE IS
BORDERLINE INCOMPETENT AT HIS JOB. THIS COMFORTS DIANE IN HER FANTASY
BECAUSE CAMILLA WILL NOT BE KILLED, ESPECIALLY BY A GUY AS CLUELESS AS THIS.
Betty and Rita sit on the couch, when Rita begins to remember "Mulholland
Drive." This is where Diane's dream begins to show signs of waking up. As
you recall, Diane tells everyone at the pool/dinner party that it was
Camilla who helped her get parts for films, etc. SO, IN DIANE'S FANTASY, SHE
IS THE ONE WHO HELPS RITA OUT. SHE GIVES RITA JUST ENOUGH MEMORY TO RECALL
CERTAIN EVENTS, BUT NEVER ENOUGH TO DETERMINE WHO SHE REALLY IS; IN FACT,
SHE RECALLS JUST ENOUGH INFORMATION SO THAT BETTY CAN HELP HER OUT. DIANE
FIGURES THAT IF SHE HAD BEEN THE ONE WHO HAD HELPED CAMILLA OUT, PERHAPS
CAMILLA WOULD HAVE STAYED WITH HER; SO, IN THE FANTASY, BETTY INITIATES
EVERYTHING IN TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF RITA. THIS, SHE HOPES, WILL
ALLOW RITA TO FALL IN LOVE WITH HER.
Betty and Rita walk to Winkie's, use the phone, and call the police to
inquire about the accident on Mulholland Drive. Thereafter, once inside,
Rita sees the name tag on the waitress labeled "Diane," and suddenly, Rita
remembers something about the name "Diane Selwyn". I BELIEVE THAT IT IS
SIMPLY ANOTHER WAY FOR BETTY, IN THE DREAM, TO HELP RITA OUT SO THAT RITA
WILL EVENTUALLY OWE EVERYTHING SHE HAS TO BETTY. They then determine to go
to Diane Selwyn's apartment the next day to see if Rita will recall
anything.
Adam then stays at the hotel run by "Cookie," who informs him that his
credit is max'd out and that two guys from the bank are looking for him. He
then calls his assistant, who informs him that the "Cowboy" wants to meet
him at midnight. This scene is interesting in many ways. First of all, it
brings to mind the "2 detectives" following Diane Selwyn around- only this
time, "2" people are following Adam- also, note how Adam's assistant comes
onto him and invites him back to her place- he shrugs it off as if the
thought had never crossed his mind. NOW, THIS IS A STRETCH, BUT I ALMOST GOT
THE FEELING THAT ADAM'S ASSISTANT IS SYMBOLIC OF CAMILLA- THEY BOTH HAVE
DARK HAIR, WITH VERY VIBRANT LIPSTICK. IN DIANE'S FANTASY, THE ASSISTANT
TRIES TO SEDUCE ADAM, BUT HE DOES NOT GO ALONG WITH IT. IN REALITY, WE
EVENTUALLY FIND OUT THAT CAMILLA DOES SUCCESSFULLY SEDUCE ADAM, BUT HERE, IN
DIANE'S DREAM, ADAM IS NOT INTERESTED. SO, DIANE CAN REST ASSURED THAT A MAN
WILL NOT STEAL CAMILLA AWAY FROM HER. (this is pushing the analysis, I
admit, but it does make sense following Diane's dream logic).
Adam sees the "Cowboy", who essentially appears out of the shadows and
instructs him to cast Camilla Rhodes. This scene is pretty straightforward,
and in my opinion just shows how Diane is re-imagining people whom she has
seen in reality and given them new meaning in her dream. We do catch a
glimpse of the Cowboy at the pool party. Rather than explain him as an
apparition or a "ghost," I am of the view that he was just some oddball
person at this Hollywood party whom Diane happened to notice. In her dream,
she imagines him as the guy ordering Adam to cast the film. This is a
simplistic explanation of the Cowboy's character, but giving him a different
meaning would destroy the dream logic of the movie- therefore, I see him as
simply being an oddball character Diane Selwyn has seen in reality, and who
she has re-imagined into her fantasy as a foil for Adam, the man who stole
her woman.
Louise (the psychic woman) knocks on Betty's door, warning about trouble.
"Someone's in trouble- something bad is happening." THIS IS SOMEWHAT TRICKY,
BUT I BELIEVE CAN BE EXPLANED. AS I SAID EARLIER, THE FIRST PART OF THE
MOVIE IS ALMOST ENTIRELY DIANE'S DREAM, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN PARTS WHERE
DIANE'S REALITY HAS ENTERED IN. THIS IS A SCENE WHERE I FEEL THAT DIANE IS
TRYING TO WARN HERSELF (IN THE FORM OF BETTY) THAT SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO
HAPPEN TO RITA (THE EVENTUAL HIT ON HER LIFE). IT IS ALMOST LIKE A PIECE OF
HER REALITY HAS SLIPPED INSIDE HER DREAM.
Betty and Rita rehearse Betty's big scene, after which she takes off to go
to the Hollywood studio where she will do the scene for real. THIS SCENE HAS
A COUPLE OF INTERESTING THINGS TO NOTE. FIRST OF ALL, BETTY'S PERFORMANCE
DURING THE REHEARSAL SHOWS THAT SHE REALLY IS A GREAT, TALENTED ACTRESS.
EVERYBODY LOVES HER, THE CASTING AGENTS WANT TO SHOW HER AROUND TO OTHER
FILMS, AND ESSENTIALLY EVERYONE LEAVES MESMERIZED BY HER PERFORMANCE. THIS
IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF HOW IT HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE. REMEMBER AT THE POOL
PARTY, SHE EXPLAINS HOW SHE LOST OUT TO CAMILLA IN THE "SYLVIA NORTH" STORY
BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR DIDN'T LIKE HER. WELL, IN HER FANTASY, THE DIRECTOR NOT
ONLY LOVES HER, BUT THE PRODUCERS, CO-STARS, AND CASTING AGENTS GO CRAZY FOR
HER. IN DIANE'S FANTASY WORLD, SHE WILL GET THE LEAD ROLE.
Diane is shown Adam's new film, and the two lock eyes momentarily.
Meanwhile, Camilla Rhodes appears on stage, and per the Cowboy's demand,
Adam tells his producer "this is the girl". NOTE THAT THIS ACTRESS WAS THE
ONE IN REALITY WHO WAS SEEN KISSING CAMILLA AT THE PARTY, POSSIBLY ANOTHER
ONE OF CAMILLA'S EX-LOVERS. DIANE WAS THEREFORE EXTREMELY JEALOUS OF HER, AS
WELL AS ADAM. However, in Diane's fantasy, this woman is re-imagined as the
Camilla Rhodes who will win the lead actress part. In fantasy, just like in
reality, this woman seemingly blocks Diane; in reality, she one-ups Diane by
becoming one of Camilla's lovers; in fantasy, she would have prevented Betty
from auditioning successfully for the part, since Adam was forced to cast
Camilla Rhodes. BUT BETTY IS NEVER ABLE TO AUDITION BEFORE ADAM; RATHER, SHE
SUDDENLY REMEMBERS THAT SHE HAS TO HELP OUT WITH RITA IN LOCATING DIANE
SELWYN'S APARTMENT. BETTY THEN RUNS OUT OF THE AUDITION BEFORE ADAM CAN EVEN
MEET HER. My theory on this is that Diane's fantasy started to lose focus-
she originally conceived it as a way to win back Camilla's heart, but then
she became sidetracked- her fantasy slowly turned into her becoming a
successful actress, much like her original ambition upon winning the
Jitterbug contest, and Rita became lost in her mind. Seeing the actress
Camilla Rhodes perform, however, brought the purpose of her fantasy back to
her, which explains why she abruptly leaves the audition in the middle of
Camilla Rhodes singing.
Betty and Rita go to Diane Selwyn's apartment. Along the way, Rita spots 2
detectives staking out the place. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF DIANE'S REAL LIFE
MELDING INTO HER FANTASY. THESE ARE THE SAME 2 DETECTIVES WHO ARE STAKING
OUT DIANE'S PLACE AFTER CAMILLA HAS BEEN KILLED.
They walk throughout the apartment corridors, and knock on what they believe
is Diane Selwyn's apartment, only it now belongs to a neighbor who just
recently switched apartments with Diane. (PROBABLY BECAUSE DIANE SUGGESTED
SWITCHING PLACES AFTER CAMILLA WAS KILLED). THIS SCENE ALSO SHOWS THAT THIS
WOMAN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE RITA AT ALL! THIS IS THE FIRST CLUE THAT RITA'S
RECOLLECTION OF THE NAME "DIANE SELWYN" WAS COMPLETELY INVENTED BY DIANE IN
HER DREAM AS A WAY OF ALLOWING BETTY TO HELP SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT WOULD
NEVER BE SOLVED. IN HER DREAM, DIANE NEVER WANTED RITA TO FIGURE OUT WHO SHE
USED TO BE; IF SHE DID, THEN SHE WOULD REMEMBER HOW SHE NO LONGER LOVES
DIANE. THEREFORE, DIANE HAS GIVEN RITA CLUES TO HER IDENTITY THAT AMOUNT TO
LITTLE MORE THAN RED-HERRINGS; BETTY WILL TRY TO HELP SOLVE THEM, BUT THEY
WILL NEVER LEAD TO ANYWHERE.
They eventually break into Diane Selwyn's apartment (of course, in typical
Diane's fantasy fashion, it is Betty who breaks in), and the two discover a
decomposing Diane Selwyn laying on the bed (IN THE SAME POSITION THAT DIANE
SHOT HERSELF AND IS CURRENTLY DREAMING). Rita screams, runs outside, and
feels that the only way to protect herself is to cut her hair and don a
blonde wig. RITA OWES MUCH DEBT TO BETTY; BETTY HAS BEEN THE ONLY ONE THERE
TO HELP HER, AND THESE FEELINGS OF GRATITUDE SUDDENLY TURN TO FEELINGS OF
LOVE AS RITA SEDUCES BETTY THAT SAME NIGHT. The two make love, and it is
here where Diane's fantasy has hit its zenith. Everything has worked out for
the best in her dream; after Betty helped Rita and the two became close
trying to solve Rita's identity (an identity that could NEVER be solved),
the two fell in love.
Club Silencio
I give this last section its own title because I am unsure about where to
properly place it. One part of me says it is Diane beginning to wake from
her dream, while another says the entire scene is simply a metaphor for
everything being an illusion. What we do know is that Rita begins saying
"Silencio" in her sleep quite incessantly, followed by "no hay banda.no hay
banda en el orchestra." She then demands that Betty accompany her to Club
Silencio, which appears to be in some rusticated back alley away from all
civilization (it almost looked eerily reminiscent of the back of Winkie's
and where the monster might be hiding out, but that is probably due to the
lighting of the scene.) They sit inside, and we see the magician utter the
exact same words Rita was muttering in her sleep. HAD RITA BEEN HERE BEFORE?
HOW WOULD SHE KNOW ABOUT THIS CLUB? My opinion is that the entire club is an
illusion- Diane fantasized about getting Camilla back; but Camilla is in
essence saying that she cannot be had. By taking her to Club Silencio, she
shows Betty that everything was an illusion. She did not really make love to
Betty just minutes before.it was just in Betty's mind. The entire scene
reflects the theme that it is simply a "recording"- Betty can dream about
being with Camilla, but it is not REAL. Once the performer sings her song
and collapses, Betty discovers the blue box in her purse, suddenly
materialized. They go home, Rita gets the key out from the closet hiding
space, and when she turns around, Betty has disappeared. SHE HAS AWOKEN. THE
DREAM IS OVER. As the blue-haired woman at the end of the film quietly says,
"SILENCIO"- Diane's world is now silent, and her fantasy has come to an end.
The illusion is gone. Reality has kicked in, and now Diane is dead, lying in
her bed after having shot herself.
Conclusion
I think this is a good way to interpret the movie, but like a true Lynch
film, I'm sure there are several other possibilities. While I like my
interpretation, there are a couple of things I cannot explain- for example,
why is "Cookie" the emcee at the Club Silencio? I am trying to think of why
he is both there and at the hotel where Adam is staying- I know this is
trivial, but I'm sure Lynch tossed him in there for a reason- or maybe it is
a deliberate Lynchian red herring, and Cookie perhaps moonlights at the Club
Silencio at 2 in the morning (!). Oh well, not every mystery in this film
can be solved. I hope everyone enjoyed that interpretation, and that
everyone sees this movie many more times before it shows up on DVD (where I
hope it arrives soon). The more I think about this movie, the more I see
similarities with the "Usual Suspects", for some reason- Verbal Kent
basically using things he sees in the office to tell fantastical stories
about the past; much like Diane using people and places in her reality to
dream about a fantastical past. But comparing a movie like this to the
"Usual Suspects" does not to David Lynch justice. See this movie again!
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