What the Hell is Going on in Mulholland Drive?

Spoiler Warning!and lofty dreams. She meets and falls in love with
Mulholland Drive (2001)is a surrealistic vision ofpretty but needy Rita and wows studio
Hollywood directed b y David Lynch and starringexecutives with her fabulous acting skills.
Naomi Watts and Laura Helena Harring. Lynch wonHowever, when Diane awakens from her dream,
the Prix de la mise en scene (Best Directorwe realise that her real life is far from rosy - she
Award) at the Cannes Festival and was lateris reeling from the break-up of her relationship to
nominated for an Oscar for the movie. Manythe successful actress Camilla and is at the
critics rank Mulholland Drive as one of Lynch’sbeginnings of a mental breakdown. Diane hires a
greatest movies alongside Eraserhead (1977) andhit-man to do away with Camilla as we are shown
Blue Velvet (1986). The movie’s meaning isthe course of their relationship through a series of
open to interpretation with Lynch refusing tonon-linear flashbacks. Lynch wanted people to
offer any explanation of his intentions for thederive their own interpretations of what the
narrative. The basic plot - Diane Selwyn is amovie meant, but with the movie becoming a
struggling actress in Hollywood but excepting thefinancial disaster he was forced by the production
first shots of the movie the first half of the filmcompany to release ten clues to the public as to
is shot from the perspective of Diane’swhat the plot was about. He provided them but
dreaming. She dreams that she is Betty, athere is some debate as to whether the clues are
charming, idealistic but heady young woman whocompletely honest or slightly misleading.
is just arriving to Hollywood with a pounding heart