Thoughts on Lost Highway?

From the comments and quotes from Lynch in the past, I believe this is his preferred approach when viewing his films. He has given clues in the past to help people figure out his films, but only begrudgingly, and also with the caveat that his films work best when the viewer leaved room to dream. I am paraphrasing here, and I used to have his exact quote on leaving room to dream in my sig here on MoFo, but I believe that is the general thrust of the idea. I have certainly seen him become annoyed in interviews when pushed too hard to explain things.

For the record: I like Lost Highway, but unlike some of the others in this thread, and since they fired the first volley (all in good fun, of course), I consider Mulholland Drive to be the superior film.

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Fair point. My guess is that if you have a high need for closure (i.e., the need for a single correct answer that really pulls things together), then the exercise is likely to prove frustrating, as Lost Highway is a long road that probably has no end. On the other hand, if you're less concerned with the destination itself and just want to enjoy the trip, Lost Highway is a veritable Route 66 for playing with the possible (e.g., we shall find ourselves like Lenny in Memento, enjoying the puzzle precisely because it can never be solved).

If the end of the movie was shown in the middle before the second main character makes an appearance, keeping Bill Pullman's scenes together, it would be much easier for the audience to catch on.

Emerging comments appear to suggest that there is a "there" there.



I vaguely remember something about one reality being an escapist dream. That is, the boy is the dream of the man on death row. Thus, we have a primary reality (the man) and a secondary reality (the boy). But even within this frame there is a lot of weird stuff to account for in the primary reality (sequencing of events, identity of characters, motivations).



I dunno, LavidDynch's invitation to conventional interpretation feels like that moment when kitty rolls over on its back in apparent invitation to rub its tummy. Experience warns that this is a bad idea, even though the initial proposition seems inviting.

I personally liked the one with the monkey.

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"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel

"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel

"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear

I believe I've seen this one twice in my life. Both times, just a few years out of high school in the late 90s on VHS. My friend, Nigel, had a copy at the time. I think? much of the imagery still haunts me and, while I cannot remember specific details, I remember feeling it was a stream of consciousness type of experience and has affected my sense of aesthetics and narrative more than perhaps any other movie that I can recall. Off the top of my head, this set me up for The Doom Generation (meh), Slipstream (2007) and maybe The House that Jack Built.

Not to derail this thread, but if anyone has suggestions of similar flicks, I'll happily add them to my list. Instead, send me a PM or randomly drop them into the Shouter! I check that box pretty regular enough.

I don't know that one can really derail a Lynch Thread.

I always enjoyed Lost Highway for its visceral tone and dark, almost operatic movements, but it always came across to me as much less of a complex puzzle box, ala Mulholland Drive, and more so a direct plunge into psychosis, as the viewer is placed smack dab in the middle of the main character's psychotic break, resulting in a communal psychogenic fugue. Both films have nightmarish sequences, with perhaps Mulholland Drive Being more on-the-nose in its presentation as a fever dream.

As far as the reactions of others are concerned, I have sat down with many different people to watch Lynch films, and I have found that Lost Highway was clearly the more impenetrable of the two as far as the other viewers were concerned. These people ranged from other fans of dark/surreal film, to normie viewers who have never seen anything even remotely akin to a Lynch picture. On the whole, no matter what their cinematic background, people seemed to have a bit easier time parsing Mulholland Drive. There is a certain elegance to Mulholland Drive, and once a few scenes click, it all sort of falls into place, with of course some of Lynch's room to dream still present. Lost Highway, on the other hand, tends to be stubbornly obtuse and cryptic no matter the angle of analytical approach - perhaps it really is the more dream-like after all.

Oh, I get it now....
lol.