Analysis of 10min Sequence in Mulholland Drive (Dir: David Lynch)

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Kimberley Thomson

Taking a sequence (of not more than 10 minutes) from ONE of the films listed below, analyse it in such a way as to show the film’s stylistic system.  Your answer should include mise en scène, use of camera, editing, and sound.  In your opinion, which of these elements is the MOST influential in establishing the overall mood of your extract?

Mulholland Drive (Dir: David Lynch, 2001)

Module No:  BAMN1

Module Leader:  Anthea Irwin

Matriculation Number: 200707989

Mulholland Drive (2001) was written and directed by David Lynch.  Throughout his film, Lynch uses a variety of surreal techniques through the mise en scene, use of the camera, editing and sound which all combine to create the film’s stylistic system and contribute to the mysterious, ambiguous narrative.  As author Wisker states in his novel, Horror Fiction: An Introduction, “Lynch’s Mulholland Drive makes a nearly seamless transition from the mundane to the weird to the horrific” (Wisker, 2005: 137).  All these elements of production are extremely significant in establishing the overall puzzling mood of the entire film, however, this is particularly prominent in the opening sequence.                                                                                      

In the opening sequence of the film, we are presented with a medium shot of couples dancing vigorously.  Lynch’s use of jazz and swing music here is synchronous with the images of the dancers, which together portray an atmosphere of celebration.  However, there is a change of mood as an elderly couple and a young Diane appear close up on screen.  Lynch uses somewhat grainy editing here, as the three appear white and hazy, and this is furthered by an eerie sound which clashes greatly with the upbeat music and therefore builds suspense, although we as a viewer only understand in hindsight why this is the case.   In his novel, American Independent Cinema, King states that the narrative of Mulholland Drive is “far from easy to resolve without sitting down and working through a great deal of detail in retrospect or on repeated viewing” (King, 2005: 100).  This is a main aspect of the film’s stylistic system: the audience is encouraged to actively decode the meaning.  This style of film is referred to as art cinema and “can be seen as an alternative that allowed art film-goers to distinguish themselves from "ordinary" filmgoers” (Wilinsky, 2001: 3), specifically mainstream Hollywood films.  

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The dancers in the opening scene are dressed fairly casually, which contrasts greatly with the costume of Diane, who later appears under a spotlight wearing an extremely fancy dress and a diamond necklace.  It has been said that “David Lynch has manifested an intense interest in the female performer” (Davidson and Sheen, 2004: 165).  The idea of the glamour and fame of Hollywood- Diane’s ideal world- hugely influences the film’s stylistic system.  This is the case because the directors of art house films take a very different approach to a narrative than those of classical Hollywood blockbusters, and consequently the ...

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