This is largely a matter of personal taste, but I wanted to see if anyone shares the same feelings. (No spoilers ahead.)
Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, for me, hits a “mystery sweet spot” like no other film. It emanates a sense of neo-noir mystery in its purest and most beautiful form.
During the most of the film, you don’t even know what the real mystery is about. Of course, you have the central plot (searching for Rita’s identity etc.), but you sense that there’s something odd about the whole thing, something deeper. It’s not just another adventure/crime story. Strange details keep appearing, bizarre scenes are intertwined with normal ones. Something’s off, but you just can’t put your finger on it.
With most other mystery movies, you know the “object” of the mystery from the start. For example, in detective movies, you know that there is a murderer, the mystery is just about finding him. The standard context is familiar, while the specifics of the story are yet to be revealed. But with Mulholland Drive, there is a larger mystery surrounding the central plot – you can feel it, but you have no clue what it is about.
The ending will probably make you search for the explanation on YT or Reddit. Then, you will be mesmerized into going through film analyses, and you’ll retroactively appreciate the true beauty of the film. This film doesn’t end with the last scene, it continues playing in your head, while you are figuring out how all bizarre details now make perfect sense.
Mulholland drive keeps a fine balance between all the elements needed for a perfect mystery. The overall atmosphere is not too light, but not too dark either (most of the scenes have a daylight brightness, there are some comedic moments etc.). When a mystery film has overly dark or creepy atmosphere (Lost Highway, The Machinist), or slips into horror, the raw terror is overshadowing the delicate sense of pure mystery.
Mystery movies often blend with other genres. However, when a plot has fantasy or sci-fi elements (e.g. Inception), it relativizes the mysteriousness, because then you have a presupposed world where you already know virtually anything is possible (due to ancient magic, alien technology, time travel etc.). The same goes for movies like The Holy Mountain – the plot is too surreal, too detached from the ordinary world.
The plot twist in the Mulholland drive is not stated too explicitly, and there are different interpretations about it, which leaves the permanent aftertaste of mysteriousness. When the mystery is 100% solved, it satisfies the audience, but ends the gentle life of an enigma.
To conclude, if you didn’t watch this film, I envy you, because you have the opportunity of watching it for the first time. Truly beautiful mind-fuck neo-noir thriller mystery, a masterpiece.
Submitted November 12, 2020 at 05:11AM by Purple_griffin https://ift.tt/38upBMu