Mulholland Drive Analysis

Creating a whirlwind of confusion and an intriguing storyline, David Lynch’s 2001 Mulholland Drive brings the whole audience to question the true meaning behind the movie. Many view this film as a psychological thriller, causing individuals to wonder what had just happened in multiple scenes involving the two main female characters, Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) and Rita Hayworth (Laura Harring). Throughout the film, it is clear that Betty/Diane attempts to assist Rita/Camilla in regaining her memory to figure out her true identity, which results in numerous obstacles and mysteries that both women need to endure to reach their goal. As their journey unfolds, their relationship begins to develop into something more and mysterious secrets

Mulholland Drive has various scenes that depict its emotional rollercoaster ride and the dream state the characters appear to be in, generating a sense of realization into the audience’s mind that many individuals in today’s society are in the exact same dream state as well. Aside from having false realities, this film primarily focuses on the false reality of the overrated vision of success in Hollywood. Near the beginning of the film, the director uses certain lighting and sounds as the scene of Betty opening the door to an elderly woman named Louise. At this point in the film, Betty has already decided to look after Rita and assist her in figuring out her true identity. As the scene starts with the camera facing Betty’s aunt’s apartment door opening, Betty is suddenly under a brighter light compared to before when she was obscured by the confines of her aunt’s apartment. Although the lighting varies throughout the scene, the type of lighting used is low key light because

Diane is first seen sitting silently on a worn-out couch in her house. The lighting all around is dim and gray, with no bright lights or colorful lights to liven up the mood as well as the background behind Diane that depicts a dead and dull house. Already, the audience is able to sense the foreshadowing outbreak that will possibly tie the entire story together. As the camera shoots Diane in a run-down, faded pink robe, sitting off to one side of the worn-out couch with her dull house as the background is behind her, this provides the mise-en-scene for this shot. There is still extremely subtle, haunting nondiegetic sound playing in the scene as it suddenly cuts straight to a close-up of Diane’s face, which is filled with dread and looks like she has not slept at all with ruined makeup under her eyes as well as her dirty hair. Suddenly, the scene cuts back and forth, a brief shot/reverse-shot, of Diane and the blue key on her coffee table as she looks at it in horror. In addition to the horror theme going on, someone knocks loudly on her door and she turns around as the camera shoots an old couple shown in the very beginning of the movie crawling under the front door as miniature people. Possibly the old couple’s, little laughing voices are heard in a diegetic sound as the scene cuts back to an extreme close-up of Diane’s eyes, emphasizing her horror. The loud knocks