Mulholland Drive (film) 20786 226178349 2008-07-17T04:49:59Z Escarbot 1554195 robot Adding: [[bn:মুলহল্যান্ড ড্রাইভ (চলচ্চিত্র)]] {{featuredarticle}} {{For|the street in Los Angeles|Mulholland Drive}} {{Infobox Film | name = Mulholland Drive | image = Mulholland.png | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[David Lynch]] | editing = [[Mary Sweeney]] | cinematography = [[Peter Deming]] | producer = [[Pierre Edelman]]<br />[[Alain Sarde]]<br />[[Mary Sweeney]] | writer = David Lynch | starring = [[Naomi Watts]]<br />[[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]]<br />[[Justin Theroux]]<br />[[Ann Miller]] | distributor = [[Universal Pictures]] ([[USA]])<br />[[TVA Films]] ([[Canada]])<br />[[StudioCanal]] (international sales) | released = US: [[October 12]], [[2001]] (limited)<br />Canada: [[October 26]], [[2001]] (wide)<br />UK: [[January 4]], [[2002]]<br />Australia: [[January 31]], [[2002]] | runtime = 146 min. | country = [[United States]] / [[France]] | language = [[English language|English]] / [[Spanish language|Spanish]] | budget = $15 million (estimated) | amg_id = 1:246240 | imdb_id = 0166924 }} '''''Mulholland Drive''''' is a 2001 [[mystery film]] written and directed by [[David Lynch]] that exhibits elements of [[film noir]] and [[Surrealism|surrealism]]. It stars [[Naomi Watts]], [[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]] and [[Justin Theroux]]. The film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the ''[[Prix de la mise en scène]]'' (Best Director Award) at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] as well as an [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]. ''Mulholland Drive'' also launched the careers of Watts and Harring and was the last feature film to star veteran Hollywood actor [[Ann Miller]]. The film is widely regarded as one of Lynch's finest works, alongside ''[[Eraserhead]]'' (1977) and ''[[Blue Velvet]]'' (1986). Originally conceived as a [[pilot episode|television pilot]], a large portion of the film was shot with Lynch's plan to keep it open-ended for a potential series. After viewing Lynch's version, however, television executives decided to reject it; Lynch then provided an ending to the project, making it a feature film. The half-pilot, half-feature result, along with Lynch's characteristic style, has left the general meaning of the movie's events open to interpretation. Lynch has declined to offer an explanation of his intentions for the narrative, leaving audiences, critics, and cast members to speculate on what transpires. The film tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms, newly arrived in [[Los Angeles, California]], who meets and befriends an [[amnesia]]c hiding in her aunt's apartment. The story includes several other seemingly unrelated [[Vignette (literature)|vignettes]] that eventually connect in various ways, as well as some surreal scenes and images that relate to the cryptic narrative. ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that while some might consider the plot an "offense against narrative order&nbsp;... the film is an intoxicating liberation from sense, with moments of feeling all the more powerful for seeming to emerge from the murky night world of the unconscious."<ref>{{cite news | first=A.O | last=Scott | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D04EEDE133AF934A25756C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 | title=Critic's Notebook; Shoving Through the Crowd To Taste Lyrical Nostalgia | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=[[May 17]], [[2001]] | page=E1 | accessdate=2008-05-29}} </ref> == Plot == The story may not be linear and exhibits several instances of temporal disruption. A dark-haired woman ([[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]]) escapes her own murder when she is the sole survivor of a car accident on [[Mulholland Drive]]. Injured, she descends into [[Los Angeles]] and sneaks into an apartment which has just been vacated by an older woman with red hair. An aspiring actress named Betty Elms ([[Naomi Watts]]) arrives from [[Deep River, Ontario]] and takes a taxi to the apartment, where she finds the dark-haired woman confused, not knowing her own name. The dark-haired woman assumes the name "Rita" when she sees a poster for the film ''[[Gilda]]'' (1946), starring [[Rita Hayworth]]. Betty decides to assist her in discovering her identity, and they look in Rita's purse where they find a large amount of money and an unusual blue key. A man in a diner called "Winkies" tells his companion about a nightmare in which he dreamt there was a horrible figure behind the diner. When they go to investigate, the figure appears, causing the man with the nightmare to collapse in fright. Later, a bungling hit man attempts to steal a book full of phone numbers and leaves three people dead. A Hollywood director named Adam Kesher ([[Justin Theroux]]) has his film commandeered by apparent mobsters, who insist he cast an unknown actress named Camilla Rhodes ([[Melissa George]]) as the lead in his film. After he resists, he returns home to find his wife having an affair and is thrown out of his house. He later learns that his bank has closed his line of credit and he is broke. He agrees to meet a mysterious figure called The Cowboy, who urges him to cast Camilla Rhodes for his own good. Betty and Rita try to learn more about her accident and Rita remembers the name "Diane Selwyn" after they are served by a waitress named Diane in Winkies. They call Diane Selwyn after finding her in the phone book, but she does not answer. Betty goes to an audition, where her performance is highly praised. A casting agent takes her to the set of a film called ''The Sylvia North Story'', directed by Adam, where Camilla Rhodes gives an audition and Adam declares "This is the girl". Saying that she needs to meet a friend, Betty flees before she can meet Adam. Betty and Rita go to Diane Selwyn's apartment and break in when no one answers the door. In the bedroom they find the body of a woman who has been dead for several days. Terrified, they return to their apartment, where Rita disguises herself with a blonde wig. The two women make love that night and fall asleep until 2 a.m., when Rita insists they go to an eerie theater called Club Silencio. A performer explains in several languages that everything is an illusion; a woman performs a song, then collapses, although the song continues. Betty finds a blue box in her purse that matches Rita's key. Upon returning to the apartment to open the box, Betty disappears, and Rita unlocks the box, and it falls to the floor with a thump. The woman with the red hair investigates the sound, but nothing is there. The Cowboy appears in the doorway of Diane Selwyn's bedroom saying, "Hey, pretty girl. Time to wake up." Diane Selwyn (played by Naomi Watts) wakes up in her bed. She looks exactly like Betty, but she is portrayed as a lonely and depressed failed actress, in love with Camilla Rhodes (played now by Laura Elena Harring), who torments and rejects her. On Camilla's invitation, Diane attends a party at Adam's house on Mulholland Drive. Her limousine stops before they reach the house and Camilla escorts her using a shortcut. Adam, who is a successful director, also appears to be in love with Camilla. Over dinner, Diane states that she came to Hollywood when her aunt died, and she met Camilla at an audition for ''The Sylvia North Story''. Another woman (played by Melissa George) kisses Camilla and they turn and smile at Diane. Adam and Camilla attempt to make an important announcement, but dissolve into laughter and kiss while Diane watches, crying. She notices the cowboy walking across the room in the background. Diane meets with the bungling hit man at Winkies, where she gives him Camilla's photo and a large amount of money, and they are served by a waitress named Betty. The hit man tells Diane that when the job is done, she will find a blue key. Diane looks up to see the man who had the nightmare standing at the counter. Back at her apartment, in view of the key, she is terrorized by hallucinations. She runs screaming to her bed where she shoots herself. == Production history == === Development === Originally conceived as a [[television series]], ''Mulholland Drive'' began as a two hour-plus [[television pilot|pilot]] produced for [[ABC Studios|Touchstone Television]] and intended for the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television network. David Lynch sold the idea to ABC executives based only on the story of Rita emerging from the car accident with her purse containing $125,000 in cash and the blue key, and Betty trying to help her figure out who she is. An ABC executive recalled, "I remember the creepiness of this woman in this horrible, horrible crash, and David teasing us with the notion that people are chasing her. She's not just 'in' trouble—she ''is'' trouble. Obviously, we asked, 'What happens next?' And David said, 'You have to buy the pitch for me to tell you.'"<ref name=>Woods, p.&nbsp;206.</ref> Lynch described the attractiveness of the idea of a pilot, despite the knowledge that the medium of television would be constricting: "I'm a sucker for a continuing story&nbsp;... Theoretically, you can get a very deep story and you can go so deep and open the world so beautifully, but it takes time to do that."<ref name="divine"/> The story balanced normal and surreal elements, much like Lynch’s earlier series ''[[Twin Peaks]]''. Groundwork was laid for [[story arc]]s, such as the mystery of Rita's identity, Betty's career, and Adam Kesher's film project.<ref>Woods, p.&nbsp;205–214.</ref> === Casting === Lynch cast [[Naomi Watts]] and [[Laura Elena Harring]] by their photographs. He called them in separately for half-hour interviews and told them he had not seen either of their previous works in film or television.<ref name ="david"/> Harring considered it fateful that she was involved in a minor car accident on the way to the first interview, only to learn her character would also be involved in a car accident in the film.<ref>Newman, Bruce ([[October 10]], [[2001]]). "How pair got to intersection of Lynch and 'Mulholland'", ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]'', p.&nbsp;F-6.</ref> Watts arrived wearing jeans for the first interview, direct from the airplane from New York City. Lynch asked her to return the next day "more glammed up". She was offered the part two weeks later. Lynch explained his selection of Watts, "I saw someone that I felt had a tremendous talent, and I saw someone who had a beautiful soul, an intelligence—possibilities for a lot of different roles, so it was a beautiful full package."<ref name="cheng"/> [[Justin Theroux]] also met Lynch directly from his airplane. After a long flight with little sleep, Theroux arrived dressed all in black, with his hair mussed. Lynch liked the look and decided to cast Adam wearing similar clothes and the same hairstyle.<ref name="neman" /> === Filming === {{Quote box2|width=40%|align=right|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|quote=<div style="text-align:left;"> ''"One night, I sat down, the ideas came in, and it was a most beautiful experience. Everything was seen from a different angle&nbsp;... Now, looking back, I see that [the film] always wanted to be this way. It just took this strange beginning to cause it to be what it is."'' |source=David Lynch, 2001 }} </div> Filming for the television pilot began on location in Los Angeles in February 1999 and took six weeks. Ultimately, the network was unhappy with the pilot and decided not to place it on its schedule.<ref>Woods 2000, p.&nbsp;213–214.</ref><ref>Romney, Jonathan. "Film: Lynch opens up his box of tricks; Mulholland Drive David Lynch," ''Independent'' (London), [[January 6]], [[2002]], p.&nbsp;11.</ref> Objections included the nonlinear storyline, the ages of Harring and Watts (whom they considered too old), Ann Miller's character cigarette smoking, and a close-frame shot of dog feces in one scene. Lynch remembered, "All I know is, I loved making it, ABC hated it, and I don't like the cut I turned in. I agreed with ABC that the longer cut was too slow, but I was forced to butcher it because we had a deadline, and there wasn't time to finesse anything. It lost texture, big scenes, and storylines, and there are 300 tape copies of the bad version circulating around. Lots of people have seen it, which is embarrassing, because they're bad-quality tapes, too. I don't want to think about it."<ref>Woods, p.&nbsp;214.</ref> The script was later rewritten and expanded when Lynch decided to transform it into a feature film. Describing how he transitioned from an open-ended pilot to a feature film with a resolution of sorts, Lynch said, "One night, I sat down, the ideas came in, and it was a most beautiful experience. Everything was seen from a different angle&nbsp;... Now, looking back, I see that [the film] always wanted to be this way. It just took this strange beginning to cause it to be what it is."<ref name="macaulay"/> The result was an extra eighteen&nbsp;pages of material that included the romantic relationship between Rita and Betty and the events that occurred after the blue box was opened. Watts was relieved that the pilot was dropped by ABC. She found Betty too one-dimensional without the darker portion of the film that was put together afterward.<ref name="fuller"/> Most of the new scenes were filmed in October 2000, funded with $7&nbsp;million from French [[production company]] [[StudioCanal]].<ref name="david">David, Anna (November, 2001). "Twin Piques", ''Premiere Magazine'', '''15''' (3), p.&nbsp;80–81.</ref> Theroux described approaching filming without entirely understanding what the plot was about: "You get the whole script, but he might as well withhold the scenes you're not in, because the whole turns out to be more mystifying than the parts. David welcomes questions, but he won't answer any of them&nbsp;... You work kind of half-blindfolded. If he were a first-time director and hadn't demonstrated any command of this method, I'd probably have reservations. But it obviously works for him."<ref name="timestheroux">{{cite news | last = Arnold | first = Gary | title = Smoke and mirrors; Director Lynch keeps actor Theroux guessing | page = B5 | publisher = ''The Washington Times'' | date = [[October 12]], [[2001]]}}</ref> Theroux noted the only answer Lynch did provide was that he was certain that Theroux's character, a Hollywood director, was not [[autobiography|autobiographical]] of Lynch. Watts stated that she tried to bluff Lynch by pretending she had the plot figured out, and that he delighted in the cast's frustration.<ref name="david"/> == Interpretations and allusions == Giving the film only the tagline, "A love story in the city of dreams",<ref name="macaulay">Macaulay, Scott (October, 2001)."The dream factory", ''FilmMaker'', '''10''' (1), p.&nbsp;64–67.</ref> David Lynch has refused to comment on ''Mulholland Drive's'' meaning or [[symbolism]], leading to much discussion and multiple interpretations. ''[[Christian Science Monitor]]'' film critic David Sterritt spoke with Lynch after the film screened at Cannes and wrote that the director "insisted that ''Mulholland Drive'' does tell a coherent, comprehensible story," unlike some of Lynch's earlier films.<ref>{{cite news | first=David | last=Sterritt | title=Lynch's twisty map to 'Mulholland Drive' | date=[[2001-10-12]] | work =[[The Christian Science Monitor]] | page =15 | accessdate = 2008-04-02}}</ref> On the other hand, Justin Theroux said of Lynch's feelings on the multiple meanings people perceive in the film, "I think he's genuinely happy for it to mean anything you want. He loves it when people come up with really bizarre interpretations. David works from his subconscious."<ref name="timestheroux"/> An early interpretation of the film uses [[dream analysis]] to explain that the first part is a dream of the real Diane Selwyn, who has cast her dream-self as the innocent and hopeful "Betty Elms", reconstructing her history and persona into something like an old Hollywood movie. In the dream, Betty is successful, charming, and lives the fantasy life of a soon-to-be-famous actress. The last third of the film presents Diane's bleak real life, in which she has failed both personally and professionally. She arranges for Camilla, a cold ex-lover, to be killed, and unable to cope with the guilt, re-imagines her as the dependent, pliable amnesiac named Rita. Clues to her inevitable demise, however, continue to appear throughout her dream.<ref name="tang"> {{cite web | last = Tang | first = Jean | title = All you have to do is dream | date = 2001-11-07 | publisher = Salon.com | url = http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2001/11/07/mulholland_dream/ | accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref> This interpretation was similar to what Naomi Watts construed, when she said in an interview, "I thought Diane was the real character and that Betty was the person she wanted to be and had dreamed up. Rita is the damsel in distress and she's in absolute need of Betty, and Betty controls her as if she were a doll. Rita is Betty's fantasy of who she wants Camilla to be."<ref name="fuller">Fuller, Graham (November 2001). "Naomi Watts: Three Continents Later, An Outsider Actress Finds her Place," ''Interview'', Vol. 11, p.&nbsp;132–137.</ref> Watts's own early experiences in Hollywood parallel those of Diane's. She endured some professional frustration before she became successful, auditioned for parts in which she did not believe, and encountered people who did not follow through with opportunities. She recalled, "There were a lot of promises, but nothing actually came off. I ran out of money and became quite lonely."<ref name="pearce">Pearce, Gareth ([[January 6]], [[2002]]). "Why Naomi is a girl's best friend", ''The Sunday Times'', p.&nbsp;14.</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]'' asked six well-known film critics for their own perceptions of the overall meaning in the ''Mulholland Drive''. Neil Roberts of ''[[The Sun]]'' and Tom Charity of ''[[Time Out]]'' subscribed to the theory that Betty is Diane's projection of a happier life. [[Roger Ebert]] and [[Jonathan Ross]] seemed to accept this interpretation, but both hesitated to overanalyze the movie. Ebert stated, "There is no explanation. There may not even be a mystery." Ross observed that there were storylines that went nowhere: "Perhaps these were leftovers from the pilot it was originally intended to be, or perhaps these things are the non-sequiturs and subconscious of dreams."<ref name="lewis"> {{cite news | last = Lewis | first = Robin | title = Nice film if you can get it: Understanding ''Mulholland Drive'' | publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]'' | date = [[January 17]], [[2007]] | url = http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,634856,00.html#article_continue | accessdate = 2008-04-05}}</ref> [[Philip French]] from ''[[The Observer]]'' saw it as an allusion to Hollywood tragedy, while Jane Douglas from the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] rejected the theory of Betty's life as Diane's dream, but also warned against too much analysis.<ref name="lewis"/> Another theory offered is that the narrative is a [[Möbius strip]], a twisted band that has no beginning and no end.<ref name="hudson">Hudson, Jennifer (Spring 2004). "'No Hay Banda, and yet We Hear a Band': David Lynch's Reversal of Coherence in ''Mulholland Drive''". ''Journal of Film and Video'', '''56''' (1), p.&nbsp;17–24.</ref> Or Betty and Rita, and Diane and Camilla may exist in parallel universes that sometimes interconnect. Or the entire film is a dream, but whose dream is unknown.<ref name="lapote">Lapote, Philip (September–October, 2001). "Welcome to L.A." ''Film Comment'', '''37''' (5), p.&nbsp;44–49.</ref> === A "poisonous valentine to Hollywood" === Regardless of the proliferation of theories, movie reviewers note that no single explanation satisfies all of the loose ends and questions that arise from the film. Stephen Holden of the ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "''Mulholland Drive'' has little to do with any single character's love life or professional ambition. The movie is an ever-deepening reflection on the allure of Hollywood and on the multiple role-playing and self-invention that the movie-going experience promises&nbsp;... What greater power is there than the power to enter and to program the dream life of the culture?"<ref name="holden">{{cite news | first=Stephen | last=Holden | date=[[October 6]], [[2001]] | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9901E2DA143CF935A35753C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all | title=Film Festival Review: Hollywood, a funhouse of fantasy | work=The New York Times | page=A13 | accessdate=2008-05-29}}</ref> J. Hoberman from ''[[The Village Voice]]'' echoed this sentiment by calling it a "poisonous valentine to Hollywood".<ref name="hoberman"> {{cite news | last = Hoberman | first = J. | title = Points of No Return | publisher = ''[[The Village Voice]]'' | date = [[October 2]], [[2001]] | url = http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0140,hoberman,28631,20.html | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> {{Quote box2|width=40%|align=right|bgcolor=#c6dbf7|quote=<div style="text-align:left;"> Contained within the original DVD release is a card titled "David Lynch's 10 Clues to Unlocking This Thriller". The clues are: # Pay particular attention in the beginning of the film: At least two clues are revealed before the credits. # Notice appearances of the red lampshade. # Can you hear the title of the film that Adam Kesher is auditioning actresses for? Is it mentioned again? # An accident is a terrible event&nbsp;&mdash; notice the location of the accident. # Who gives a key, and why? # Notice the robe, the ashtray, the coffee cup. # What is felt, realized, and gathered at the Club Silencio? # Did talent alone help Camilla? # Note the occurrences surrounding the man behind Winkie's. # Where is Aunt Ruth? |source=''2002 DVD edition insert''<ref>(2004) "David Lynch's 10 Clues to Unlocking This Thriller", ''Mulholland Drive'' DVD (insert), Universal Focus.</ref> }} </div> ''Mulholland Drive'' has been compared with [[Billy Wilder]]'s [[film noir]] classic ''[[Sunset Boulevard (film)|Sunset Boulevard]]'' (1950), another tale about broken dreams in Hollywood.<ref name="macaulay"/><ref>Sheen, p.&nbsp;170.</ref><ref name="vass"/> Apart from both titles referring to iconic Los Angeles streets, ''Mulholland Drive'' is "Lynch's unique account of what held Wilder's attention too: human putrefaction (a term Lynch used several times during his press conference at the New York Film Festival 2001) in a city of lethal illusions".<ref name="nochimson">Nochimson, Martha (Autumn 2002). "''Mulholland Drive'' by David Lynch", ''Film Quarterly'', '''56''' (1), p.&nbsp;37–45.</ref> The title of the film is a reference to iconic Hollywood culture. David Lynch lives near Mulholland Drive, and stated in an interview, "At night, you ride on the top of the world. In the daytime you ride on top of the world, too, but it's mysterious, and there's a hair of fear because it goes into remote areas. You feel the history of Hollywood in that road."<ref name="macaulay"/> Watts also had experience with the road before her career was established: "I remember driving along the street many times sobbing my heart out in my car, going, 'What am I doing here?'"<ref name="cheng">Cheng, Scarlet ([[October 12]], [[2001]]). "It's a Road She Knows Well; 'Mulholland Dr.' star Naomi Watts has lived the Hollywood metaphor behind the fabled highway", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. p.&nbsp;F.20.</ref> One critic cautioned viewers against a cynical interpretation of the events in the movie, stating that Lynch presents more than "the façade and that he believes only evil and deceit lie beneath it."<ref name="weight">Weight, Gregory (2002). "Film Reviews: Mulholland Drive", ''Film & History'', '''32''' (1), p.&nbsp;83–84.</ref> As much as Lynch makes a statement about the deceit, manipulation, and false pretenses in Hollywood culture, he also infuses [[nostalgia]] throughout the film, and recognizes that real art comes from classic filmmaking, as Lynch cast, thereby paying tribute to, veteran actors [[Ann Miller]], [[Lee Grant]], and [[Chad Everett]]. He also portrays Betty as extraordinarily talented and that her abilities are noticed by powerful people in the entertainment industry.<ref name="weight"/> Laura Elena Harring described her interpretation after seeing the finished product: "When I saw it the first time, I thought it was the story of Hollywood dreams, illusion and obsession. It touches on the idea that nothing is quite as it seems, especially the idea of being a Hollywood movie star. The second and third times I saw it, I thought it dealt with identity. Do we know who we are? And then I kept seeing different things in it&nbsp;... There's no right or wrong to what someone takes away from it or what they think the film is really about. It's a movie that makes you continuously ponder, makes you ask questions. I've heard over and over, 'This is a movie that I'll see again' or 'This is a movie you've got to see again.' It intrigues you. You want to get it, but I don't think it's a movie to be gotten. It's achieved its goal if it makes you ask questions."<ref> {{cite news | last= Spelling | first= Ian | title= Laura Elena Harring Explores The World of David Lynch | work = New York Times Syndicate/LesbiaNation | date= November 2001}} Retrieved from [http://www.davidlynch.de/harringnyle.html davidlynch.de] on [[2008-04-01]].</ref> === Romantic content === Treatment of the relationships between Betty and Rita, and Diane and Camilla varied between those who were honestly touched by their sincerity and those who were titillated. A review of the film by ''[[Premiere (magazine)|Premiere]]'' stated that the relationship between Betty and Rita is "possibly the healthiest, most positive amorous relationship ever depicted in a Lynch movie."<ref name="kenny">{{cite news | last = Kenny | first = Glenn | title = Mulholland Drive | publisher = ''Premiere Magazine'' | date = [[October 12]], [[2002]] | url = http://www.premiere.com/moviereviews/483/mulholland-drive.html | accessdate = 2008-04-01}}</ref> Another pointed out that the pivotal romantic interlude between Betty and Rita is so poignant and tender by Betty's "understanding for the first time, with self-surprise, that all her helpfulness and curiosity about the other woman had a point: desire&nbsp;... It is a beautiful moment, made all the more miraculous by its earned tenderness, and its distances from anything lurid."<ref name="lopate">Lopate, Philip (September-October 2001). "Welcome to L.A.", ''Film Comment'', '''37''' (5), p.&nbsp;44–45.</ref> Another review stated the scene's "eroticism is so potent it blankets the whole movie, coloring every scene that came before and every one that follows".<ref name="zacharek">{{cite web | last = Stephanie | first = Zacharek | title = David Lynch's latest tour de force | publisher = Salon.com | date = 2001-10-12 | url = http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2001/10/12/mulholland_drive/index.html?source=search&aim=/ent/movies/review | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> An analysis of the film in terms of the lesbian as a tragic figure noted the media response to the film: "(r)eviewers rhapsodized in particular and at length about the film's sex scenes, as if there were a contest to see who could enjoy this representation of female same-sex desire the most."<ref name="love">Love, Heather (Winter, 2004). "Spectacular failure: the figure of the lesbian in ''Mulholland Drive''", ''New Literary History'', '''35''' (1), p.&nbsp;117–132.</ref> The author, Heather Love, wrote that the film used a classic theme in literature and film depicting lesbian relationships: Camilla as achingly beautiful and available, rejecting Diane for Adam. Popular reaction to the film suggests the contrasting relationships between Betty and Rita, and Diane and Camilla are "understood as both the hottest thing on earth and, at the same time, as something fundamentally sad and not at all erotic" as "the heterosexual order asserts itself with crushing effects for the abandoned woman".<ref name="love"/> Media portrayals of Naomi Watts' and Laura Elena Harring's views of their onscreen relationships were varied and conflicting. Watts said of the filming of the scene, "I don't see it as erotic, though maybe it plays that way. The last time I saw it, I actually had tears in my eyes because I knew where the story was going. It broke my heart a little bit."<ref>Hensley, Dennis (February 2002). "Lust Highway", ''Total Film'', Issue 61, p.&nbsp;72–74.</ref> However, in another interview Watts stated, "I was amazed how honest and real all this looks on screen. These girls look really in love and it was curiously erotic."<ref name="pearce"/> While Harring was quoted saying, "The love scene just happened in my eyes. Rita's very grateful for the help Betty's given [her] so I'm saying goodbye and goodnight to her, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, I kiss her and then there's just an energy that takes us [over]. Of course I have amnesia so I don't know if I've done it before, but I don't think we're really lesbians."<ref name="ferber">Ferber, Lawrence (October 11–24, 2001). "Sapphic Strangeness", ''Watermark'', p.&nbsp;31.</ref> Heather Love agreed somewhat with Harring's perception when she stated that identity in ''Mulholland Drive'' is not as important as desire: "who we are does not count for much—what matters instead is what we are about to do, what we want to do."<ref name="love"/> == Characters == [[Image:BettyMulholland.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Betty ([[Naomi Watts]]) arrives in Los Angeles; pictured with Irene ([[Jeanne Bates]]). Betty is bright and optimistic, in contrast with Watts' portrayal of Diane in the latter part of the film.]] '''Betty Elms''' ([[Naomi Watts]]), the bright and talented newcomer to Los Angeles, is described as "wholesome, optimistic, determined to take the town by storm",<ref name="lopate"/> and "absurdly naïve".<ref name="taubin"/> Her perkiness and intrepid approach to helping Rita because it is the right thing to do is reminiscent of [[Nancy Drew]] for reviewers.<ref name="taubin"/><ref name="ebert"/><ref>Johnson, p.&nbsp;155.</ref> Her entire persona at first is an apparent cliché of small-town naïvitée. But it is Betty's identity, or loss of it, that appears to be the focus of the film. For one critic, Betty performed the role of the film's consciousness and unconscious.<ref name="taubin"/> Naomi Watts, who modeled Betty on [[Doris Day]], [[Tippi Hedren]], and [[Kim Novak]], observed that Betty is a thrill-seeker, someone "who finds herself in a world she doesn't belong in and is ready to take on a new identity, even if it's somebody else's".<ref name="fuller"/> Film critic Amy Taubin suggests that Betty is a reincarnation of Sandy from Lynch's ''[[Blue Velvet]]'': Betty's hometown shares the same name as the apartment building of ''Blue Velvet's'' femme fatale, Dorothy. Having been freed from her small-town constrictions, Sandy is reborn as Betty, drawn to a dark-haired mystery woman like Dorothy, and falls in love with her and loses herself.<ref name="taubin">Taubin, Amy (September–October 2001). "In Dreams", ''Film Comment'', '''37''' (5), p.&nbsp;51–55.</ref> Betty, however difficult to believe as her character is established, shows an astonishing depth of dimension in her audition.<ref name="vass"/><ref name="toles">Toles, George (2004). "Auditioning Betty in Mulholland Drive", ''Film Quarterly'', '''58''' (1), p.&nbsp;2–13.</ref> Previously rehearsed with Rita in the apartment, where Rita feeds her lines woodenly, the scene is "dreck"<ref name=lapote/> and "hollow; every line&nbsp;unworthy of a genuine actress's commitment", and Betty plays it in rehearsal as poorly as it is written.<ref name="toles"/> Nervous but plucky as ever at the audition, Betty enters the cramped room, but when pitted inches from her audition partner ([[Chad Everett]]), she turns it into a scene of powerful sexual tension that she fully controls and draws in every person in the room. The sexuality erodes immediately as the scene ends and she stands before them shyly waiting for their approval. One film analyst asserts Betty's previously unknown ability steals the show, specifically, taking the dark mystery away from Rita and assigning it to herself, and by Lynch's use of this scene illustrates his use of deception in his characters.<ref name="toles"/> '''Rita''' ([[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]]), the mysterious and helpless apparent victim, is a classic [[femme fatale]] with her dark, strikingly beautiful appearance. Roger Ebert was so impressed with Harring that he said of her "all she has to do is stand there and she is the first good argument in 55&nbsp;years for a ''Gilda'' remake".<ref name="ebert"/> She serves as the object of desire, directly oppositional to Betty's bright self-assuredness. She is also is the first character with whom the audience identifies, and as viewers know her only as confused and frightened, not knowing who she is and where she is going, she represents their desire to make sense of the film through her identity.<ref>McGowan, p.&nbsp;198</ref> Instead of threatening, she inspires Betty to nurture, console, and help her. Her amnesia makes her a blank persona, that one reviewer noted, is "the vacancy that comes with extraordinary beauty and the onlooker's willingness to project any combination of angelic and devilish onto her".<ref name="lopate"/> A character analysis of Rita asserts that her actions are the most genuine of the first portion of the film, since she has no memory and nothing to use as a frame of reference for how to behave.<ref name="hudson"/> Todd McGowan, however, author of a book on themes in Lynch's films, states that the first portion of ''Mulholland Drive'' can be construed as Rita's fantasy, until Diane Selwyn is revealed; Betty is the object that overcomes Rita's anxiety about her loss of identity.<ref>McGowan, p.&nbsp;199.</ref> [[Image:Rita Poster Mulholland.jpg|thumb|300 px|left|The dark-haired woman ([[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]]) assumes the name "Rita" after seeing the name on a poster. Her search for her identity has been interpreted by film scholars as representing the audience's desire to make sense of the film.]] After Betty and Rita find the decomposing body, they flee the apartment and their images are split apart and reintegrated. Immediately they return to Betty's aunt's apartment where Rita dons a blonde wig—ostensibly to disguise herself—but making her look remarkably like Betty. It is this transformation that one film analyst suggests is the melding of both identities. This is further illustrated soon after by their sexual intimacy, followed by Rita's personality becoming more dominant as she insists they go to Club Silencio at 2 a.m., that eventually leads to the total domination by Camilla.<ref name="nochimson"/> '''Diane Selwyn''' (Naomi Watts), the palpably frustrated and depressed woman, who seems to have ridden the coattails of Camilla, whom she idolizes and adores, but who does not return her affection. She is considered to be the reality of the too-good-to-be-true Betty, or a later version of Betty after living too long in Hollywood.<ref name="holden"/> Diane is the personification of dissatisfaction, painfully illustrated in a scene where she is unable to climax while masturbating, crying tears of frustration. One analysis of Diane suggests her devotion to Camilla is based on a manifestation of [[narcissism]], as Camilla embodies everything Diane wants and wants to be.<ref name="ridgway"/> Although she is portrayed as weak and the ultimate loser, for Jeff Johnson, author of a book about morality in Lynch films, Diane is the only character in the second portion of the film whose moral code remains intact. She is "a decent person corrupted by the miscellaneous miscreants who populate the film industry".<ref>Johnson, p.&nbsp;137.</ref> Her guilt and regret are evident in her suicide, and in the clues that surface in the first portion of the film. Rita's fear, the dead body, and the illusion at Club Silencio, indicate something is dark and wrong in Betty and Rita's world. In becoming free from Camilla, her moral conditioning kills her.<ref>Johnson, p.&nbsp;137–138.</ref> '''Camilla Rhodes''' ([[Melissa George]], Laura Elena Harring) is little more than a face in a photo and a name that has inspired many representatives of some vaguely threatening power to place her in a film against the wishes of Adam. Referred to as a "vapid moll" by one reviewer,<ref name="fullerbabes">Fuller, Graham (December 2001). "Babes in Babylon", ''Sight and Sound'', '''11''' (12), p.&nbsp;14–17.</ref> she barely makes an impression in the first portion of the film, but after the blue box is opened and she is portrayed by Laura Elena Harring, she becomes a full person who symbolizes "betrayal, humiliation, and abandonment",<ref name="lapote"/> and is the object of Diane's frustration. Diane is sharp contrast to Camilla, who is more voluptuous than ever, and who appears to have "sucked the life out of Diane".<ref name="love"/> Immediately after telling Diane that she drives her wild, Camilla tells her they must end their affair. On a movie set where Adam is directing Camilla, he orders the set cleared, except for Diane—at Camilla's request—where Adam shows another actor just how to kiss Camilla correctly. Instead of punishing Camilla for such public humiliation, as is suggested by Diane's conversation with the bungling hit man, one critic views Rita as the vulnerable representation of Diane's desire for Camilla.<ref name="wyman"> {{cite web | last = Wyman | first = Bill | coauthors = Max Garrone, Andy Klein | title = Everything you were afraid to ask about "Mulholland Drive" | publisher = Salon.com | date = 2001-10-23 | url = http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2001/10/23/mulholland_drive_analysis/index.html | accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref> '''Adam Kesher''' ([[Justin Theroux]]) is established in the first portion of the film as a "vaguely arrogant",<ref>Woods 2000, p. 208.</ref> but apparently successful director who endures one humiliation after another. Theroux said of his role, "He's sort of the one character in the film who doesn't know what the [heck's] going on. I think he's the one guy the audience says, 'I'm kind of like you right now. I don't know why you're being subjected to all this pain.'"<ref name="neman">Neman, Daniel ([[October 19]], [[2001]]). "Indie Actor Theroux Puts in 'Drive' Time". ''Richmond Times Dispatch'' (Virginia), p.&nbsp;C1A.</ref> After being stripped of creative control of his film, he is [[cuckold]]ed by the pool cleaner (played by [[Billy Ray Cyrus]]), and thrown out of his own opulent house above Hollywood. After he checks into a seedy motel and pays with cash, the manager arrives to tell him his credit is no good. Witnessed by Diane, Adam is pompous and self-important. He is the only character whose personality does not seem to change completely from the first part of the film to the second.<ref>McGowan, p.&nbsp;205–206.</ref> One analysis of Adam's character contends that because he capitulated and chose Camilla Rhodes for his film, that is the end of Betty's cheerfulness and ability to help Rita, placing the blame for her tragedy on the representatives of studio power.<ref name="nochimson"/> Minor characters include The Cowboy (Lafayette Montgomery), the Castigliani Brothers ([[Dan Hedaya]], [[Angelo Badalamenti]]), and Mr. Roque ([[Michael J. Anderson]]), all of whom are somehow involved in pressuring Adam to cast Camilla Rhodes in his film. These characters represent the death of creativity for film scholars,<ref name="ridgway"/><ref>Sheen, p. 171.</ref> and they portray a "vision of the industry as a closed hierarchical system in which the ultimate source of power remains hidden behind a series of representatives".<ref name="taubin"/> [[Ann Miller]] portrays Coco, the landlady who welcomes Betty to her wonderful new apartment. Coco, in the first part of the film represents the old guard in Hollywood, who welcomes and protects Betty. In the second part of the film, however, she appears as Adam's mother, who impatiently chastises Diane for being late to the party and barely pays attention to Diane's embarrassed tale of how she got into acting.<ref name="ridgway"/> ==Style== [[Image:Mulholland Drive Mr Roque.jpg|thumb|300 px|Dwarf actor [[Michael J. Anderson]], as Mr. Roque, was fitted with oversized prosthetic limbs in order to give him the appearance of an abnormally small head.]] The filmmaking style of David Lynch has been written about extensively using descriptions like "ultraweird",<ref name="zacharek"/> "dark",<ref name="nochimson"/> and "oddball".<ref>Johnson, p.&nbsp;6</ref> An author of a book on Lynch wrote, "One cannot watch a Lynch film the way one watches a standard Hollywood film noir nor in the way that one watches most radical films."<ref>McGowan, p.&nbsp;2.</ref> Through Lynch's juxtaposition of cliché and surreal, nightmares and fantasies, nonlinear story lines, camera work, sound, and lighting, he presents a film that challenges viewers to suspend belief of what they are experiencing.<ref name="vass">Vass, Michael ([[June 22]], [[2005]]). "Cinematic meaning in the work of David Lynch: Revisiting ''Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me'', ''Lost Highway'', and ''Mulholland Drive''", ''CineAction'', Issue 67, p.&nbsp;12–25.</ref> Many of the characters in ''Mulholland Drive'' are archetypes that can only be perceived as cliché: the new Hollywood hopeful, the femme fatale, the maverick director, and shady powerbrokers that Lynch never seems to explore fully.<ref name="love"/> Lynch places these often hackneyed characters in dire situations, creating dream-like qualities. By using these characters in scenarios that have components and references to dreams, fantasies, and nightmares, viewers are left to decide, between the extremes, what is reality. One film analyst wrote of him, "Like most surrealists, Lynch's language of the unexplained is the fluid language of dreams."<ref name="hudson"/> David Lynch uses various methods of deception in ''Mulholland Drive''. A shadowy figure named Mr. Roque, who seems to control film studios, is portrayed by [[dwarfism|dwarf]] actor [[Michael J. Anderson]] (also from ''[[Twin Peaks]]''). Anderson, who has only two lines and is seated in an enormous wooden wheelchair, was fitted with oversized foam [[prosthesis|prosthetic]] arms and legs in order to portray his head as abnormally small.<ref>Woods, p.&nbsp;209.</ref> During Adam and Camilla's party, Diane watches Camilla (played by Harring) with Adam on one arm, lean over and deeply kiss Camilla (played by Melissa George), after which both turn to Diane and smile, George with Harring's deep red lipstick smeared over her lips. In another example of an illusion, in a scene immediately after Betty's audition, the film cuts to a woman singing without apparent accompaniment, but as the camera pulls backwards, the audience sees that it is a recording studio. In actuality, it is a sound stage where Betty has just arrived to meet Adam Kesher, that the audience realizes as the camera pulls back further. Film critic Franklin Ridgway insists that such deception through artful camera work sets the viewer full of doubt about what is being presented: "It is as if the camera, in its graceful fluidity of motion, reassures us that it (thinks it) sees everything, has everything under control, even if we (and Betty) do not."<ref name="ridgway">Ridgway, Franklin (Fall 2006). "You Came Back!; Or Mulholland Treib", ''Post Script: Essays in Film and the Humanities'', '''26''' (1), p.&nbsp;43–61.</ref> [[Image:FightMulholland.jpg|thumb|left|300px|An emotionally wrenched Diane ([[Naomi Watts]]) exchanges words with Camilla ([[Laura Harring|Laura Elena Harring]]). Diane's scenes were characterized by different lighting to symbolize her physical and spiritual impoverishment.]] The first portion of the film that establishes the characters of Betty, Rita, and Adam, presents some of Lynch's most logical filmmaking of his career.<ref name="hudson"/><ref name="mccarthy"/> The later part of the film that represents reality to many viewers, however, exhibits a marked change in cinematic effect that gives it a quality just as surreal as the first part. Diane's scenes feature choppier editing and dirtier lighting symbolizing her physical and spiritual impoverishment,<ref name="nochimson"/> that contrasts with the first portion of the film where "even the plainest decor seems to sparkle", Betty and Rita glow with light, and transitions between scenes are smooth.<ref name="mcgowan">McGowan, Todd (2004). "Lost on Mulholland Drive: Navigating David Lynch's Panegyric to Hollywood", ''Cinema Journal'' 43 (2), p.&nbsp;67–89.</ref> Lynch moves between scenes in the first portion of the film using panoramic shots of the mountains, palm trees, and buildings in Los Angeles. In the darker part of the film, sound transitions to the next scene without a visual reference where it is taking place. At Camilla's party, when Diane is most humiliated, the sound of crashing dishes is heard that carries immediately to the scene where dishes have been dropped in the diner, and Diane is speaking with the hit man. Another recurring element in Lynch's films is his experimentation with sound. He stated in an interview, "you look at the image and the scene silent, it's doing the job it's supposed to do, but the work isn't done. When you start working on the sound, keep working until it feels correct. There's so many wrong sounds and instantly you know it. Sometimes it's really magical."<ref name="divine">Divine, Christine (November–December 2001). "David Lynch", ''Creative Screenwriting'', '''8''' (6), p.&nbsp;8–12.</ref> In the opening scene of the film, the dark-haired woman stumbles off Mulholland Drive, silently it suggests she is clumsy. After Lynch added "a hint of the steam [from the wreck] and the screaming kids", however, it transformed Laura Elena Harring from clumsy to terrified.<ref>Woods, p.&nbsp;206.</ref> Lynch also infused subtle rumblings throughout portions of the film that reviewers noted added unsettling and creepy effects.<ref name="horan"/> ==Soundtrack== The soundtrack of ''Mulholland Drive'' was supervised by [[Angelo Badalamenti]], who collaborated with Lynch on previous projects that include ''Blue Velvet'' and ''Twin Peaks''.<ref name="jolin">Jolin, Dan (February 2002). "Angelo Badalamenti", ''Total Film'', 61, p.&nbsp;113.</ref> Badalamenti, who was nominated for awards from the [[American Film Institute]] (AFI) and the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] (BAFTA) for his work on the film,<ref name="afi"> {{cite web | title = AFI Awards for Motion Pictures 2001 | publisher = [[American Film Institute]] | date = 2001 | url = http://www.afi.com/tvevents/afiawards01/mpawards.aspx | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref><ref name="bafta"> {{cite web | title = Film Anthony Asquith Award for the achievement in Film Music, The 2001 | publisher = [[BAFTA]] | date = 2001 | url = http://www.bafta.org/search.html?q=angelo%20badalamenti&w=true | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> also has a cameo as an espresso aficionado and mobster. Reviewers noted Badalamenti's ominous score contributed to the sense of mystery as the film opens on the dark-haired woman's limousine,<ref>McGowan, p.&nbsp;197.</ref> that contrasted with the bright, hopeful tones of Betty's first arrival in Los Angeles.<ref name="jolin"/> Lynch uses two pop songs from the 1960s directly after one another, playing as two actresses are auditioning by [[lip-synch]]ing them. According to an analyst of music used in Lynch films, Lynch's female characters are often unable to communicate through normal channels and are reduced to lip-synching or being otherwise stifled.<ref name="mazullo"/> [[Connie Stevens]]' "Sixteen Reasons" is the song being sung while the camera pans backwards to reveal several illusions, and [[Linda Scott]]'s version of "[[I've Told Ev'ry Little Star]]" is the audition for the first Camilla Rhodes, that film scholar Eric Gans considers a song of empowerment for Betty.<ref name="gans"> {{cite web | last = Gans | first = Eric | title = Chronicles of Love and Resentment: Mulholland Drive | work = | publisher = University of California Los Angeles | date = [[August 31]], [[2002]] | url = http://www.anthropoetics.ucla.edu/views/vw269.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-05}}</ref> Originally written by [[Jerome Kern]] as a duet, sung by Linda Scott in this rendition by herself, Gans suggests it takes on a homosexual overtone in ''Mulholland Drive''.<ref name="gans"/> Unlike "Sixteen Reasons," however, portions of "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" are distorted to suggest "a sonic split-identity" for Camilla.<ref name="mazullo">Mazullo, Mark (Winter, 2005). "Remembering Pop: David Lynch and the Sound of the '60s", ''American Music'', '''23''' (4) p.&nbsp;493–513.</ref> When the song plays, Betty has just entered the sound stage where Adam is auditioning actresses for his film, and she sees Adam, locks eyes with him and abruptly flees after Adam has declared "This is the girl", about Camilla, thereby avoiding his inevitable rejection. At the hinge of the film is a scene in an unusual late night theater called Club Silencio were a performer announces "''No hay banda,''" (There is no band) "But yet we hear a band", variated between English, Spanish, and French. Described as "the most original and stunning sequence in an original and stunning film",<ref name="nochimson"/> [[Rebekah del Rio]]'s Spanish [[a cappella]] rendition of "[[Crying (song)|Crying]]", named "''Llorando''", is praised as "show-stopping&nbsp;...except that there's no show to stop" in the sparsely attended Club Silencio.<ref name="taubin"/> Lynch wanted to use [[Roy Orbison]]'s version of "Crying" in ''Blue Velvet'', but changed his mind when he heard Orbison's "[[In Dreams (song)|In Dreams]]".<ref name="macaulay"/> Del Rio, who popularized the Spanish version and who received her first recording contract on the basis of the song, stated that Lynch flew to [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] where she was living, and she sang the song for him once and did not know he was recording her. Lynch wrote a part for her in the film and used the version she sang for him in Nashville.<ref> {{cite web | title=The story behind Llorando | date = | publisher = Rebekah del Rio's website | url=http://www.rebekahdelrio.com/llorando.html | accessdate=2008-04-03}}</ref> In the Club Silencio scene, before the song ends, del Rio collapses onstage although her powerful voice continues to ring throughout the theater. The song tragically serenades the lovers Betty and Rita, who sit spellbound and weeping, moments before their relationship disappears and is replaced by Diane and Camilla's dysfunction. According to one film scholar, the song and the entire theater scene marks the disintegration of Betty's and Rita's personalities, as well as their relationship.<ref name="nochimson"/> With the use of multiple languages and a song to portray such primal emotions, one film analyst states that Lynch exhibits his distrust of intellectual discourse and chooses to make sense through images and sounds.<ref name="hudson"/> == Release and reaction == === Performance === [[Image:Mulholland drive(lynch)--.jpg|thumb|right|Naomi Watts, David Lynch, Laura Elena Harring and Justin Theroux at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival]] ''Mulholland Drive'' premiered at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in May 2001 to major critical acclaim. Lynch was awarded the [[Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Director prize]] at the festival, sharing it with co-winner [[Joel Coen]] for ''[[The Man Who Wasn't There]]''.<ref name="cannes"> {{cite web | title = Awards Edition 2001 | publisher = Festival de Cannes | date = 2001 | url = http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/archives/2001/awardCompetition.html | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> It drew positive reviews from many critics and some of the strongest audience reactions of Lynch's career. [[Universal Pictures]] released ''Mulholland Drive'' theatrically in sixty-six&nbsp;theaters in the [[United States]] on [[October 12]] [[2001]], grossing $587,591 over its opening weekend. It eventually expanded to its widest release of 247&nbsp;theaters, ultimately grossing $7,220,243 in the [[United States]] box office. [[TVA Films]] released this film in [[Canada]] theatrically on [[October 26]] [[2001]]. In other territories outside the [[United States]], the film grossed $12,892,096 for a worldwide total of $20,112,339.<ref> {{cite web | title = Mulholland Drive (2001) | date = | publisher = Box Office Mojo | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=mulhollanddrive.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> Lynch was nominated for a [[Academy Award for Directing|Best Directing]] [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for the film.<ref name="oscars">{{cite web | title = Mulholland Drive | publisher = Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | date = 2001 | url = http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1207000254237 | accessdate = 2008-03-31}}</ref> From the [[Hollywood Foreign Press]], the film received four [[Golden Globe]] nominations, including Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, and Best Screenplay.<ref name="goldenglobes"> {{cite web | title = The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards | work = | publisher = Golden Globes Online | date = 2001 | url = http://thegoldenglobes.com/welcome.html?yearz/G-2001.html | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> It was named Best Picture by the [[New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle]] and [[Online Film Critics Society]].<ref name="nyfcc"> {{cite web | title = 2001 Awards | publisher = New York Film Critics Circle | date = 2001 | url = http://www.nyfcc.com/awards.php?year=2001 | accessdate = 2008-04-05}}</ref><ref name="ofcs"/> === Critical reception === [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' awarded the film four stars and commented, "David Lynch has been working toward ''Mulholland Drive'' all of his career, and now that he's arrived there I forgive him ''[[Wild at Heart (film)|Wild at Heart]]'' (1990) and even ''[[Lost Highway]]'' (1997). At last his experiment doesn't shatter the test tubes. The movie is a surrealist dreamscape in the form of a Hollywood [[film noir]], and the less sense it makes, the more we can't stop watching it."<ref name="ebert"> {{cite web | last = Ebert | first = Roger | title = Mulholland Dr. | publisher = ''Chicago Sun-Times'' | date = June 2001 | url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20011012/REVIEWS/110120304/1023 | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> In ''[[The New York Times]]'', Stephen Holden said the film "ranks alongside [[Fellini]]'s ''[[8½]]'' and other auteurist fantasias as a monumental self-reflection" and added, "Looked at lightly, it is the grandest and silliest cinematic carnival to come along in quite some time: a lurching journey through one filmmaker's personal fun house. On a more serious level, its investigation into the power of movies pierces a void from which you can hear the screams of a ravenous demon whose appetites can never be slaked."<ref name="holden"/> Edward Guthmann of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' called it "exhilarating&nbsp;... for its dreamlike images and fierce, frequently reckless imagination" and added, "(t)here's a mesmerizing quality to its languid pace, its sense of foreboding and its lost-in-time atmosphere&nbsp;... it holds us, spellbound and amused, for all of its loony and luscious, exasperating 146&nbsp;minutes [and] proves that Lynch is in solid form—and still an expert at pricking our nerves."<ref>{{cite news | last = Guthmann | first = Edward | title = Lynch's Hollyweird: 'Mulholland Drive' fantasia shows director's bizarre humor, originality | publisher = ''[[The San Francisco Chronicle]]'' | date = [[October 12]], [[2001]] | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/10/12/DD230587.DTL | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> In ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Peter Travers]] observed, "''Mulholland Drive'' makes movies feel alive again. This sinful pleasure is a fresh triumph for Lynch, and one of the best films of a sorry-ass year. For visionary daring, swooning eroticism and colors that pop like a whore's lip gloss, there's nothing like this baby anywhere."<ref> {{cite news | last = Travers | first = Peter | title = Mulholland Drive | publisher = ''Rolling Stone'' | date = [[October 11]], [[2001]] | url = http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/5947635/review/5947636/mulholland_drive | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> J. Hoberman of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' stated, "This voluptuous phantasmagoria&nbsp;... is certainly Lynch's strongest movie since ''Blue Velvet'' and maybe ''Eraserhead''. The very things that failed him in the bad-boy rockabilly debacle of ''Lost Highway''—the atmosphere of free-floating menace, pointless transmigration of souls, provocatively dropped plot stitches, gimcrack alternate universes—are here brilliantly rehabilitated."<ref name="hoberman"/> While reviews of the film were mostly positive (receiving an 81% rating on [[Rotten Tomatoes]]),<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mulholland_dr/ |title=Mulholland Dr. (2001) |accessdate=2008-04-02 |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> ''Mulholland Drive'' was not without its detractors. [[Rex Reed]] of ''[[The New York Observer]]'' said it was the worst film he had seen in 2001, calling it "a load of moronic and incoherent garbage."<ref>{{cite news | first=Rex | last=Reed | title=A Festival of Flops | date=[[2001-10-14]] | url =http://www.observer.com/node/45088 | work =[[The New York Observer]] | accessdate = 2008-04-02}}</ref> In ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'', Peter Rainer observed, "Although I like it more than some of his other dreamtime freakfests, it's still a pretty moribund ride&nbsp;... Lynch needs to renew himself with an influx of the deep feeling he has for people, for outcasts, and lay off the cretins and hobgoblins and zombies for a while."<ref> {{cite web | last = Ranier | first = Peter | title = You Don't Know Jack | publisher = ''New York'' (magazine) | date = 2001-10-15 | url = http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/5277/ | accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref> In the ''[[Washington Post]]'', Desson Howe called it "an extended mood opera, if you want to put an arty label on incoherence."<ref>Howe, Desson ([[October 12]], [[2001]]). "'Mulholland': A Dead-End Street", ''The Washington Post'', p.&nbsp;T43.</ref> Todd McCarthy of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' found much to praise—"Lynch cranks up the levels of bizarre humor, dramatic incident and genuine mystery with a succession of memorable scenes, some of which rank with his best"—but also noted, "(t)he film jumps off the solid ground of relative narrative coherence into Lynchian fantasyland&nbsp;... for the final 45&nbsp;minutes, Lynch is in mind-twisting mode that presents a form of alternate reality with no apparent meaning or logical connection to what came before. Although such tactics are familiar from ''[[Twin Peaks]]'' and elsewhere, the sudden switcheroo to head games is disappointing because, up to this point, Lynch had so wonderfully succeeded in creating genuine involvement."<ref name="mccarthy"> {{cite news | last=McCarthy | first=Todd | title=''Mulholland Drive'' | date=[[2001-05-16]] | url = http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117798101.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&query=Mulholland+Drive | work =[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | accessdate = 2008-04-08}}</ref> Since its release, the film has been ranked #38 on the [[Channel 4]] program ''[[50 Films to See Before You Die]]'',<ref> {{cite web | title = Film4's 50 Films To See Before You Die | date = | publisher = Film 4 | url = http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=161521&page=2 | accessdate = 2008-04-11}}</ref> and it appeared in [[The Guardian|''The Guardian'']]'s 1000 Films to See Before You Die.<ref> {{cite web | title = Films beginning with M (part 2) | date = 2008-06-28 | url = http://film.guardian.co.uk/1000films/story/0,,2111887,00.html | publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]'' | accessdate = 2008-04-07}}</ref> Despite Naomi Watts' experience in twenty&nbsp;film roles prior to ''Mulholland Drive'', she stated that the material she was able to choose from after its release was "elevated by about 1000 per cent&nbsp;... I'm definitely being showcased out there with a great film and work that I'm proud of."<ref>Fischer, Paul. "Naomi's drive to Hollywood," ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' (Sydney, Australia), [[January 5]], [[2002]], p.&nbsp;27.</ref> === Home video === A DVD version of ''Mulholland Drive'' was released in April 2002 in the United States and Canada, with few special features. It was released without chapter stops, a feature that Lynch objects to on the grounds that it "demystifies" the film.<ref> {{cite web | last = Rafferty| first = Terrence | authorlink = Terrence Rafferty | title = Everybody Gets a Cut | date = 2003-05-04 | publisher = ''The New York Times'' | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E5D9133DF937A35756C0A9659C8B63&pagewanted=4 | quote = [Lynch] has in recent years refused to allow voice-over commentary or scene access on the DVD's of his movies. "The film is the thing," he tells me. "For me, the world you go into in a film is so delicate &mdash; it can be broken so easily. It's so tender. And it's essential to hold that world together, to keep it safe." He says he thinks "it's crazy to go in and fiddle with the film," considers [[audio commentary|voice-overs]] "theater of the absurd" and is concerned that too many DVD extras can "demystify" a film. "Do not demystify," he declares, with ardor. "When you know too much, you can never see the film the same way again. It's ruined for you for good. All the magic leaks out, and it's putrefied." | accessdate = 2008-07-01}}</ref> In spite of Lynch's concerns, the DVD release included a cover insert that provides "David Lynch's 10 Clues to Unlocking This Thriller", although one DVD reviewer noted, the clues may be "big obnoxious red herrings"<ref name="horan">, {{cite web | last = Horan | first = Anthony | title = Mulholland Drive | publisher = dvd.net.au | url = http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=1526 | accessdate = 2008-04-11}}</ref> and another described them as "vague and cryptic, and frankly a little condescending".<ref> {{cite web | last = Zyber | first = Joshua | title = Mulholland Drive | date = [[April 9]], [[2002]] | publisher = DVDFILE.com | url = http://www.dvdfile.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1905&Itemid=3 | accessdate 2008-04-11}}</ref> Special features included in later versions and overseas versions of the DVD included a Lynch interview at the Cannes Film Festival and highlights of the debut of the film at Cannes. == Awards == {| align="center" width=94% style="text-align:center; font-size:87%; clear:both" | &nbsp; ! style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;" | <span style="font-size: 12px;">'''Category — Recipient(s)'''</span><br/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Cannes Film Festival]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | Best Director &ndash; David Lynch (shared)<ref name="cannes"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[New York Film Critics Circle Award]]s |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | Best Film &ndash; ''Mulholland Drive''<ref name="nyfcc"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | Best Director &ndash; David Lynch<ref> {{cite web | title = 27th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | date = 2001 | publisher = Los Angeles Film Critics Association | url = http://www.lafca.net/2001.html | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Chicago Film Critics Awards]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | Best Picture &ndash; ''Mulholland Drive''<br /> Best Director &ndash; David Lynch<br /> Best Actress &ndash; Naomi Watts<ref> {{cite web | title = 14th Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards | date = 2001 | publisher = Chicago Film Critics Association | url = http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=58 | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Online Film Critics Society]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] &ndash; ''Mulholland Drive''<br /> [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director|Best Director]] &ndash; David Lynch <br /> [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] &ndash; Naomi Watts <br /> [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]] &ndash; David Lynch <br /> [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] &ndash; Angelo Badalamenti <br /> [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance|Best Breakthrough Performance]] &ndash; Naomi Watts<ref name="ofcs"> {{cite web | title = Online Film Critics Society Awards for 2001 | date = 2001 | publisher = Online Film Critics Society | url = http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com/pages/awards/2001awards | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[ALMA Award]]s |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture &ndash; Laura Elena Harring<ref name="alma">([[May 20]], [[2002]]). "'Pinero,' Rodriguez Receive ALMA Awards", ''Los Angeles Times'', p.&nbsp;F.7.</ref> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[BAFTA Award]]s |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]] &ndash; Mary Sweeney<ref name="bafta"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Independent Spirit Awards]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] &ndash; Peter Deming<ref> {{cite web | title = Search Past Nominees &ndash; Results 2002 | date = 2002 | publisher = Independent Spirit Awards | url= http://filmindependent.org/spiritawards/past_nominees_filmbyyear.php | accessdate = 2008-04-10}}</ref> |} {| align="center" width=94% style="text-align:center; font-size:87%; clear:both" | &nbsp; ! style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;" | <span style="font-size: 12px;">'''Category &ndash; Nominee(s)'''</span><br/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[74th Academy Awards]] |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[Academy Award for Directing|Achievement in Directing]] &ndash; David Lynch<ref name="oscars"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[American Film Institute|AFI]] Awards |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | AFI Actor of the Year (Female): Movies &ndash; Naomi Watts <br /> AFI Composer of the Year &ndash; Angelo Badalamenti <br /> AFI Director of the Year &ndash; David Lynch <br /> AFI Movie of the Year<ref name="afi"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[BAFTA]] Awards |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[BAFTA Award for Best Film Music|Best Film Music]] &ndash; Angelo Badalamenti<ref name="bafta"/> |- !style="background-color: #DBDABA; font-size: 11px;"|[[Golden Globe]] Awards |style="background-color: #F5F5EC;" | [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama|Best Motion Picture (Drama)]] <br /> [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture|Best Director (Motion Picture)]] — David Lynch <br /> [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] &ndash; Angelo Badalamenti <br /> [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]] &ndash; David Lynch<ref name="goldenglobes"/> |} ==References== ===Notes=== {{reflist|2}} ===Bibliography=== * Johnson, Jeff. ''Pervert in the Pulpit: Morality in the works of David Lynch''. McFarland & Company, Inc., 2004. ISBN 0786417536 * McGowan, Todd. ''The Impossible David Lynch''. Columbia University Press, 2007. ISBN 0231139551 * Sheen, Erica, Davison, A. (eds.) ''The Cinema of David Lynch: American Dreams, Nightmare Visions''. Wallflower Press, 2004. ISBN 190336485X * Woods, Paul (ed.). ''Weirdsville USA: The Obsessive Universe of David Lynch''. Plexus Publishing Limited, 2000. ISBN 0859652912 ==External links== * [http://www.mulhollanddrive.com/ Official site], with [http://www.mulhollanddrive.com/trailer.html trailer] * {{imdb title|id=0166924|title=Mulholland Dr.}} * [http://www.mulholland-drive.net Lost on Mulholland Dr.], comprehensive analysis and resource center *[http://www.themodernword.com/mulholland_drive.html 'No hay banda': A Long, Strange Trip Down David Lynch's ''Mulholland Drive''] * [http://www.awardspeculation.com/mulhollanddrive.html Deciphering David Lynch's 10 Clues], found within the DVD * [http://www.lynchnet.com/mdrive/ Mulholland Drive / lynchnet.com], includes interviews, press kit, film clips <br />{{David Lynch's films}} [[Category:2001 films]] [[Category:American films]] [[Category:French films]] [[Category:Films directed by David Lynch]] [[Category:Avant-garde and experimental films]] [[Category:English-language films]] [[Category:Independent films]] [[Category:Lesbian-related films]] [[Category:Los Angeles in fiction]] [[Category:Mystery films]] [[Category:Neo-noir]] [[Category:Surrealist films]] [[Category:Psychological thriller films]] [[Category:Films about actresses]] [[Category:Films about filmmaking]] [[Category:Universal Pictures films]] [[bn:মুলহল্যান্ড ড্রাইভ (চলচ্চিত্র)]] [[cs:Mulholland Drive (film)]] [[de:Mulholland Drive – Straße der Finsternis]] [[es:Mulholland Drive]] [[eo:Mulholland Drive]] [[fa:جاده مالهالند]] [[fr:Mulholland Drive (film)]] [[it:Mulholland Dr.]] [[nl:Mulholland Drive (film)]] [[ja:マルホランド・ドライブ]] [[pl:Mulholland Drive]] [[pt:Mulholland Drive (filme)]] [[ro:Mulholland Drive]] [[ru:Малхолланд Драйв]] [[fi:Mulholland Drive]] [[sv:Mulholland Drive]] [[tr:Mulholland Çıkmazı]] [[zh:穆赫兰大道]]