Review of Mulholland Drive (2001) by Brandon S — 04 Oct 2012

This isnt a review so much as a theory about the movie. So big time SPOILER ALERT.

The Theory:

Betty(Diane) and Rita(Camilla) are dead when the movie starts. They are in some dream like, afterlife that is created, at least mostly created, my Diane's subconscious. Camilla's soul is drawn into this world by her guilt and by the power of Diane's desire. Its possible that, since their deaths, a similar series of events have played out a number of times before. Camilla is basically Diane's prisoner in this dream world.

Camilla's amnesia is probably part of Diane's desire to have Camilla dependent on her and to have power over her identity. The false identities of Betty and Rita are probably in place because Diane kind of hates Diane and Camilla, and wants the two of them to be somewhat different people. Remember the line Betty(Diane) rehearses with Rita(Camilla): "I hate us both!".

At Club Silencio the pair are given a big clue to the true nature of their world. In the club they discover a blue box that fits Camilla's blue key. After leaving the club they rush home to open the box. At this point Diane checks out, she goes back to "that sleep of death", she is not ready to face the truth. Camilla opens the box and learns the truth.

After the opening of the box we, and probably Camilla as well, see what really happened before Diane and Camilla died. This second part of the movie does not show events in chronological order. What happened, in chronological order, was Diane and Camilla met in Hollywood and began a love affair. Diane fell head over heels in love, but Camilla soon lost interest in a monogamous relationship with Diane. Camilla fell for Adam, the director she was working with. Camilla was probably having sex with one or more women as well because she is seen kissing another woman.

Diane took the break up very badly. She was already emotionally unstable, and that dinner party Camilla dragged her too pushed her over the line. Diane hired a hit man to kill Camilla. After the murder Diane couldnt live with herself. She lost her mind and killed herself.

After that I suspect its back to the airport for Diane, where she arrives in Hollywood, and back to Mulholland Drive for Camilla, where she loses her memory, and the scenario starts again. Perhaps these two will have to live out this drama again and again until Diane opens the box and learns the truth.

I think the old, blue haired woman sitting in the balcony of Club Silencio is a version of Camilla, a version who knows the truth. She sits in the balcony and watches these events play out. Perhaps she has already seen it several times. Im not sure how much of Camilla's behavior in life was due to sadism and how much was due to foolishness. But I do think Camilla's guilt is what makes it possible for Diane to hold her soul prisoner.

Characters and Loose Ends:

I believe characters like the Cowboy, the Castigliani Brothers, and the dwarf represent other worldly forces who are behind the scenes, pulling strings in the dream-afterlife-world. What I dont know is whether they are parts of Diane's subconscious or if they are something else. I cant figure out their nature because I cant figure out what they are trying to accomplish. Are they trying to rescue Camilla from Diane? Are they trying to keep the phantom world running in accord with Diane's desires? Or are they trying to do something else?

I think most or all of the other people in the first part of the movie are phantoms created by Diane's subconscious. One possible exception is Adam. Perhaps he was killed when Camilla was killed. Alternatively, since Diane found him intimidating in life, perhaps the phantom Adam created by her mind is powerful enough to challenge order of her world, at least until the other worldly powers put great pressure on him. Also there were a few other people in the audience at Club Silencio, maybe they are also ghosts living in that phantom Hollywood.