Review of Lost Highway (1997) by Sylvester K — 22 Aug 2012

I'm lost too.

I admire David Lynch's ability to confuse and make films by completely different standards than conventional filmmakers. This is what experimental and avant-garde directors do but Lynch is one of the few who actually became mainstream while doing so.

Lost Highway is violent and erotic and nightmarish enough that you can easily identify it as a Lynch film. It's cryptic, everything about it - the narrative, symbols, motives, characters.

Lynch's boldness never doing anything other than his thing is really impressive - and his films even make money (sometimes...).

I'm not going to interpret it. First, because I'm not good at it. Secondly, because there have been others who have more knowledge of Lynch's film and personality and lastly, because Lost Highway (like Mulholland Drive) has imo the purpose to make another impression on every viewer. I wouldn't be surprised if Lynch one day admits that he only made BS-films to make people try to find symbols and meanings that aren't or at least not intentionally placed there.

Interpreting a Lynch film can easily develop its own dynamic and (as he said himself) noone ever got it right - but that's just the fun with his films.

They go by their own rules and every viewer knows that and takes it into account, seldom has a filmmaker the freedom to play with surreal elements like he does and the final results are impressive and although I don't understand them (I actually don't think there is much to understand) I thoroughly appreciate them.