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Mullholland Dr Analysis

In: Film and Music

Submitted By MRSteffani
Words 936
Pages 4
The film that was chosen was “Mulholland Dr”. The film starts off with a female (Rita) being driven in a limousine, she

realizes that the driver is not going where they need to be going. The limo stops and the driver orders her to get out, and then pulls a

gun on her to attempt to murder her. At the same moment the car is hit head on by another car. Rita escapes death and stumbles into an

apartment complex where she sneaks into one of the apartments. Later the niece (Betty) of the apartment’s resident comes to stay

there, where she finds Rita. It is there where we find out that she has amnesia and does not know who she is. Betty befriends Rita to

help her find out who she is. There are other stories that are intertwined as well, there is a scene where there is a man and who appears

to be his shrink in a diner. The man tells the other about his dream about a man in the alley that is scary. The doctor takes the man to

the spot where they come to the scary individual, and then the man passes out. This scene does not reveal if the man died or not.

The way the film was shot, it felt like it was meant to be shot from the earlier times, and not the times when the film was

actually shot. There were a lot of extreme close-ups to give a more serious feel to it. Other shots that I felt were used to help the

viewer feel more part of the film, was a lot of point of view shots. The view has the chance to see what the character sees, from how

they see or feel what is going on. During the opening scene with Rita escaping, there was a lot of low-key lighting. This helped create

a very serious feeling about her trying to survive. Another use of the low-key lighting was the scene was Rita and Betty was making

love. It showed the intimacy of the two exploring they’re sexuality where it seems that it was new to the both of them. With the

lighting it made it feel more taboo. Also the scene where Rita and Betty are at the music bar where the singer was singing what seem

to be a Spanish opera, the sound also set the tone for a sinister and dangerous scene. The scene where the director was sent up to see

the “cowboy” had another dark, unknowing feel about it as well. The director goes to a dark ranch where a light comes on, but not

just comes on with no problem, but flickers on. This shows that things might be all fine and dandy with this meeting, as it turns out it

is not. There was some witty banter back and forth but the mood was not a very light mood.

The sounds of the film allowed the viewer to feel like they were there, for example the scene where the director comes home to

find his wife in bed with another man. There was no type of build up with sound or music; there were just normal everyday sounds to

one coming home. It was just much of a surprise to the viewer as it was for the man to catch his wife. Other uses of everyday sounds

come when Betty and Rita are walking to an apartment looking for another woman, it was just normal outside noises. Same as for

when Betty comes out of the airport of LAX, there were just normal sounds you would hear if you were coming out of the airport,

nothing exciting or scary.

In the beginning of the film I had no idea what I was watching, it felt that very random scenes were thrown together with no

type of connection to each other. I had no idea what the genre or theme of the movie was. I feel that’s what the maker of the film was

wanting. So with the way it all came together this film would be a hybrid of a “Mystery and Thriller”. When it comes to the theme of

this film I am not sure what that might be. This movie was just all over the place with the different little stories throughout the movie,

I would have to say the theme had to be “live the life you were dealt”. That’s what I felt I got from this film.

If I was the actual critic of this film that has the final word if this film was successful I would honestly say no. I found the film

hard to pay attention to; it felt the acting was unreal. The scenes were I felt the acting was the best was when Betty had the audition for

the movie part with the older gentlemen and the other people in the room. Other than that one scene I felt that this film was boring

and not exciting. Of course I am not the one to say yes or no. This film by other critics said this movie was a great film and it was

nominated for an Oscar. Just shows that either A) I know nothing about film, or B) They no nothing about film, either way is wrong

or right. I know what I enjoy and what I do not enjoy and I did not enjoy this film. I feel that this film leaves me with anything other

than the fact I wasted two hours and some change of my life.

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