zpostcode
Mulholland Drive
Apr 5, 2025 12:43 PM

  

Mulholland Drive1

  Naomi Watts (left) and Laura HarringPublicity still from the 2001 film Mulholland Drive, featuring Naomi Watts (Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn) and Laura Harring (Rita/Camilla Rhodes).(more)Mulholland Drive, American surrealist thriller and neo-noir film, released in 2001, that is considered one of director David Lynch’s finest works. The movie is noted for its dreamlike, nonlinear structure and its exploration of the dark side of the so-called Hollywood dream factory. Mulholland Drive, which stars Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, and Justin Theroux, received widespread critical acclaim and was named the best film of the 21st century in a poll of critics commissioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2015. In 2022 it was ranked eighth in the Greatest Films of All Time, a poll of film critics published every 10 years by the British Film Institute’s Sight and Sound magazine. The film’s striking images, narrative complexity, and mysterious, menacing atmosphere has sparked many different interpretations of the movie’s meaning among critics and viewers.

  Original format and production Production notes and creditsStudios: StudioCanal, Les Films Alain Sarde, Asymmetrical Productions, Babbo Inc., ABC StudiosDirector: David LynchProducers: Mary Sweeney, Alain Sarde, Neal Edelstein, Michael Polaire, Tony KrantzScreenplay: David LynchMusic: Angelo BadalamentiRunning time: 146 minutes Lynch had originally conceived of Mulholland Drive as a television series. He presented his idea to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the television network that had aired his surreal drama Twin Peaks in 1990–91. After Lynch shot the pilot episode, ABC declined to develop the series that he had envisioned. Lynch then worked with the French production company Le Studio Canal+ (later known as StudioCanal) to shoot additional scenes and reedit the footage. The feature film thus created, also called Mulholland Drive, premiered at the 2001 Cannes film festival, where Lynch was nominated for the best director award and the film was nominated for the Palme d’Or, the festival’s highest honor. Lynch shared best director with Joel Coen (for The Man Who Wasn’t There).

  Plot and characters CastNaomi Watts (Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn)Laura Harring (Rita/Camilla Rhodes)Justin Theroux (Adam)Ann Miller (Coco)Robert Forster (Detective McKnight)Brent Briscoe (Detective Domgaard)Dan Hedaya (Vincenzo Castigliane)Mark Pellegrino (Joe Messing)Patrick Fischler (Dan)Michael Cooke (Herb) The nonlinear, dreamlike structure of Mulholland Drive is apparent from the beginning of the film. The viewer sees couples jitterbugging, overlaid with an image of a smiling blonde woman, then a rumpled bed and a street sign marking Mulholland Drive. The camera follows a limousine on a winding road at night. There is an accident, and a brunette woman (Laura Harring) stumbles from the wreck. Injured and confused, she hides in an empty apartment. The previously seen blonde woman, named Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), arrives in Los Angeles. She is wide-eyed and earnest, with dreams of Hollywood stardom. In the city for an audition arranged by her aunt, Betty is surprised to find the brunette woman in her absent aunt’s upscale apartment. The woman explains that she was in a car accident and has amnesia. All she has is a purse containing a blue key and a wad of cash. Spying a poster of Rita Hayworth, she tells Betty to call her Rita. Betty decides to help Rita figure out her true identity.

  In this first part of Mulholland Drive, vivid scenes come and go—as they do in dreams or nightmares—seemingly unconnected to each other, and new characters are introduced: two detectives investigate a car accident; a director named Adam (Justin Theroux), who is being strong-armed by mobsters into casting a certain woman in his upcoming film, discovers that his wife is cheating on him; an inept hit man humorously fumbles an assigned murder; and, in a scene famous for the dread it induces in viewers, a man investigates his dreams of something terrifying living behind a diner.

  Meanwhile, Betty shows herself to be an accomplished actor at her film audition. Later, in search of clues to Rita’s identity, Betty and Rita sneak into a different apartment, find a decaying corpse on a bed, and flee, sickened and horrified. After a sexual encounter in which Betty professes her love for Rita, the two women travel to Club Silencio, a mysterious nightclub. In this iconic scene, a woman passionately sings about heartbreak. When she faints, the song continues, revealing that everything about the nightclub is false: it is just an imitation of life. Betty finds a blue box in her purse. She and Rita return to their apartment, where Betty disappears and Rita uses her blue key to unlock the box. The camera travels into the darkness inside the box, an image that some critics see as a transition between dream and reality.

  In the second part of Mulholland Drive, the blonde woman is now a failed actor named Diane Selwyn. She was once in a film with the brunette woman, now named Camilla Rhodes, and the two once had a romantic relationship. However, Camilla left Diane and is now engaged to Adam—a fact that Diane discovers, to her humiliation, at what turns out to be Camilla and Adam’s engagement party. Angry and jealous, Diane hires a hit man to kill Camilla. Overcome by guilt, longing, and despair, Diane experiences terrifying hallucinations and kills herself. The film ends with images of the Los Angeles skyline at night, overlaid with happy images of Betty and Rita.

  Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now Critical interpretation Academy Award nominationBest director: David Lynch Critics and viewers alike have interpreted images and scenes in Mulholland Drive in many ways, and some have questioned the film’s overall coherence. Some critics see the first part of the film as Diane’s dream about her ideal life in Los Angeles, in which she is a successful actress in a romantic relationship with Rita/Camilla, who depends on her. The second part of the film, these critics think, is the reality of Diane’s life in the city, where she has failed both personally and professionally. Many critics see Mulholland Drive as a critique of the Hollywood dream factory, which withers so many artists’ hopes and aspirations.

Comments
Welcome to zpostcode comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Recommend >
Deb Haaland
  Deb Haaland United States public official Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Deb-Haaland Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Deb-Haaland Also known as: Debra Anne Haaland Written by Mindy Johnston Mindy Spitzer Johnston is Managing Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica. Mindy Johnston Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject...
Timeline of Women Leaders
  Timeline of Women Leaders Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Timeline-of-Women-Leaders Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Timeline-of-Women-Leaders Written by Amy Tikkanen Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Amy Tikkanen Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from...
Dak Prescott
  Dak Prescott American football player Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dak-Prescott Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Dak-Prescott Also known as: Rayne Dakota Prescott Written by Fred Frommer Fred Frommer is a sports historian, author, and writer who has written for a host of national publications. Fred Frommer Fact-checked by The Editors...
coleslaw
  coleslaw dish Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/coleslaw Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/coleslaw Also known as: cole slaw Written by Emily Goldstein Emily Goldstein is a Creative Producer and Media editor for Encyclopædia Britannica. Emily Goldstein Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in...
Information Recommendation
Real estate sector: Investing in stocks to keep you grounded
     There’s an old saying that goes, “Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” But purchasing real estate often requires a lot of money, tying up capital in an asset that might not be easy to sell. Plus, there’s the hassle of maintaining a physical asset and being a landlord if you rent or lease it.   There are other ways...
Preparing your will: How an attorney can help
     The proliferation of legal services and software available on the Web makes creating your will quick and easy—and some experts argue that creating a will online is better than having no will at all. But much like going to the doctor for treatment instead of diagnosing yourself online, hiring an attorney to draw up your will can give you...
Mary Cartwright
  Mary Cartwright British mathematician Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Cartwright Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Cartwright Also known as: Mary Lucy Cartwright Written by Adam Volle Adam Volle is a freelance writer and editor based in Atlanta, Georgia. Adam Volle Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee...
How defined benefit pension plans manage risk and returns
     In a defined benefit pension plan, funds are set aside by the employer today to pay workers later, in retirement. But the money doesn’t just sit there; it’s invested, with an eye toward earning outsize returns. Those invested funds need to grow to meet future needs, although estimating just how much the plan will require can be difficult.    There...
Muscular Christianity
  Muscular Christianity Christian ideology Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muscular-Christianity Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Muscular-Christianity Written by Roland Martin Roland Martin is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Roland Martin Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge,...
Charlie Sheen
  Charlie Sheen American actor Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlie-Sheen Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charlie-Sheen Also known as: Carlos Irwin Estévez Written by René Ostberg René Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. René Ostberg Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in...
The Hunger Games
  The Hunger Games trilogy by Collins Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Hunger-Games-trilogy Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Hunger-Games-trilogy Written by Karen Sottosanti Karen Sottosanti is a writer and editor who works in educational publishing. Karen Sottosanti Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which...
Sailor Moon
  Sailor Moon manga series Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sailor-Moon Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sailor-Moon Written by Stuart Hicar Stuart Hicar Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that...