DVD Talk Forum

DVD Talk Forum (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/)
-   Movie Talk (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk-17/)
-   -   Lost Highway - WTF?!?!? (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/448147-lost-highway-wtf.html)

modfather 12-08-05 01:20 PM

Lost Highway - WTF?!?!?
 
Ok, I have to shamefully admit that I lost my David Lynch Virginity last night. I watched Lost Highway last night. When I finished it, my first thought was: "WTF?!?!?" Then I thought, "Ok, I can piece this together". Then I thought about everything I'd seen for awhile, looking quite intelligent, I might add. And then I figured it all out! What did I figure out?

That I have NO F***ING idea what the hell happened in that movie!

I don't even know what questions to ask! Am I a moron or are his films really that weird? For openers:
Spoiler:
Are the main two characters one-in-the-same? Were there two girls, twins?


I hope there's someone smarter than me out there who can explain what the hell that movie's about! :)

Rival11 12-08-05 01:23 PM


Originally Posted by modfather
What did I figure out?

That I have NO F***ING idea what the hell happened in that movie!

I don't even know what questions to ask! Am I a moron or are his films really that weird? For openers:
Spoiler:
Are the main two characters one-in-the-same?

:lol: I'm in the same boat as you are - I only saw it once and while I have no clue as to what the hell I just saw after watching it.......I still really liked it.

As for the question in your spoiler tags.....from what I remember in trying to figure it out...........yes but don't even depend on me for a second!!!

riley_dude 12-08-05 01:30 PM

This boat is going to get crowded. :)
I felt the same way.
So you going to watch Mulhulland Drive tonight???

Rival11 12-08-05 01:32 PM

I cheated with Mulhulland Drive and actually found out exactly what was going on......needless to say, I was very blown away with what I found out.

modfather 12-08-05 01:45 PM

I think the funniest thing to me is: I don't even know what the hell questions to ask! In many ways, I loved the movie, and in some ways, it's frustrating as hell and annoying. For instance:
Spoiler:
When Bill Pullman is replaced (how the hell did THAT happen?!!?) in his cell, are we led to believe that the cops are following the teenager because he might be "connected" to Bill Pullman's character? And when he changes back to Bill Pullman at the end - what the hell?!?!?


Like I said, I'm so lost. And yet, I've been thinking about the movie ever since it ended...

Filmmaker 12-08-05 01:51 PM

Your answer lies in the following term: psychogenic fugue.

Cygnet74 12-08-05 01:53 PM

the key to Lost Highway is to...
Spoiler:
watch it with the understanding that you're seeing someone go through multiple personalities that have arisen to disassociate himself from the crime he commited. and that you're viewing these transitions from his perspective, all while the "truth" of what he did (symbolized by videotape and videocameras) slowly penetrates his false reality.

Rival11 12-08-05 01:58 PM


Originally Posted by Cygnet74
the key to Lost Highway is to...
Spoiler:
watch it with the understanding that you're seeing someone go through multiple personalities that have arisen to disassociate himself from the crime he commited. and that you're viewing these transitions from his perspective, all while the "truth" of what he did (symbolized by videotape and videocameras) slowly penetrates his false reality.

Ahhhhhhhhh, thanks. I'm going to have to watch this again and I'm glad the modfather posted this thread.

brainee 12-08-05 02:21 PM

Modfather, Don't feel too bad (or stupid). At least for me, LH was Lynch's most confusing movie. But like you said, it gets you thinking, talking with other people, thinking some more, reading some more, thinking some more, watching again ... all said, despite the confusion, I'd say you have to give Lynch major props for making such a provocative piece of filmmaking.

LH is a tough Lynch movie to lose the cherry to (but it sounds like the OP handled it admirably). Even though "Eraserhead" is weirder, its more consistent in its weirdness -- you know right off the bat that you're dealing with a world run by dream/nightmare logic (and symbolism) and can adjust to that. LH lulls you into thinking its a straightforward story, then pulls the rug out from under you.

Drop 12-08-05 03:01 PM

Well I think it is worth mentioning there are no right or wrong answers here. Lynch has never, and will never explain his films. So it's really up to the viewer to make of his films what they will.

paradicelost 12-08-05 04:13 PM

I thought the same thing when i saw it. Actually one of the first posts that i read on this board was someone explaining the psycholgical aspects of the film. It actually made a lot of sense. Still one of my favorite films though.

GoldenJCJ 12-08-05 09:46 PM


Originally Posted by Drop
Lynch has never, and will never explain his films.

So you're saying not even Lynch himself knows what the hell is going on in his films? :)

BTW, I liked LH but it certainly is hard to understand (if not impossible) what makes some scenes even more creepy is that Robert Blake is in them playing a freaky character.

the action 12-08-05 10:41 PM

After watching Lost Highways and Mulholland Drive, I will never watch another Lynch movie. I don't think they were over my head, I think its more of David Lynch being out of his mind.

calhoun07 12-08-05 11:07 PM


Originally Posted by GoldenJCJ
So you're saying not even Lynch himself knows what the hell is going on in his films? :)

I have actually heard that said about Lost Highway.

RichC2 12-08-05 11:16 PM


Originally Posted by the action
After watching Lost Highways and Mulholland Drive, I will never watch another Lynch movie. I don't think they were over my head, I think its more of David Lynch being out of his mind.

I could see that for Lost Highway... Mulholland Drive actually made pretty clear sense imho, albeit, my brain almost exploded immediately after my first viewing.

Drop 12-09-05 12:17 AM


Originally Posted by the action
After watching Lost Highways and Mulholland Drive, I will never watch another Lynch movie. I don't think they were over my head, I think its more of David Lynch being out of his mind.

Don't give up on him. The Elephant Man, The Straight Story, and to a lesser extent Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart are not as confusing or crazy as those films.

bdshort 12-09-05 01:04 AM

The Straight Story is excellent, and as the title says, totally straightforward. Plus, it's even a great family movie, being that it's G rated and has a timeless story.

lawyer goodwill 12-09-05 01:19 AM


Originally Posted by bdshort
The Straight Story is excellent, and as the title says, totally straightforward. Plus, it's even a great family movie, being that it's G rated and has a timeless story.

Yup, I love The Straight Story, too. Although it is very family-friendly, it still has plenty of the weird Lynchisms goin' ... especially visually. Folks appearing out of the darkness, oddly-paced dialogue exchanges, etc.

Numanoid 12-09-05 08:20 AM


Originally Posted by Cygnet74
the key to Lost Highway is to...
Spoiler:
watch it with the understanding that you're seeing someone go through multiple personalities that have arisen to disassociate himself from the crime he commited. and that you're viewing these transitions from his perspective, all while the "truth" of what he did (symbolized by videotape and videocameras) slowly penetrates his false reality.

The key piece of dialogue in Lost Highway is when Bill Pullman tells the cops, "I like to remember things my own way...not necessarily the way they happened". That's exactly what is happening in the second half of the film. Pretty simple, really.

modfather 12-09-05 10:18 AM


Originally Posted by Numanoid
The key piece of dialogue in Lost Highway is when Bill Pullman tells the cops, "I like to remember things my own way...not necessarily the way they happened". That's exactly what is happening in the second half of the film. Pretty simple, really.

First of all, another :thumbsup: for The Straight Story. I really loved that movie (so I guess I wasn't a Lynch virgin after all). A sweet movie and the main actor (name escapes me) was very loveable on Anne of Green Gables too (sorry, but I liked the show - I have three daughters - sue me).

As far as your quote and some of the replies here, here's what I'm thinking and a few questions:

Spoiler:
Bill Pullman did indeed murder his girlfriend/wife. But he's videotaping it? If so, how was he videotaping himself crying over her corpse? I'm guessing the second half of the movie is him imagining that he's the younger kid with the bump on his head. He kind of "escapes" to that "reality". That's why Patricia Arquette comes back and wants him - and of course, he wants her. Of course, there's a hundred other questions that I don't know the answers to: Who is Robert Blake? What's the deal with the pencil-thin mustache guy? Why were the cops following the second character? Did Bill Pullman imagine that he just switched places with the younger, second character? If Bill Pullman's character doesn't own a video camera, who was taping the house? Was it Robert Blake "doing it for him"?


I understand that many of these questions are for the viewer to figure out, but damn, give me a break!

CheapBastid 12-09-05 11:57 AM


Originally Posted by modfather
Spoiler:
Bill Pullman did indeed murder his girlfriend/wife. But he's videotaping it? If so, how was he videotaping himself crying over her corpse? I'm guessing the second half of the movie is him imagining that he's the younger kid with the bump on his head. He kind of "escapes" to that "reality". That's why Patricia Arquette comes back and wants him - and of course, he wants her. Of course, there's a hundred other questions that I don't know the answers to: Who is Robert Blake? What's the deal with the pencil-thin mustache guy? Why were the cops following the second character? Did Bill Pullman imagine that he just switched places with the younger, second character? If Bill Pullman's character doesn't own a video camera, who was taping the house? Was it Robert Blake "doing it for him"?

Spoiler:
Again, you need to approach many of the items and characters in the film from a dream logic state. There may or may not have been a videotape of the murder, but in the story the video is one fragment of the 'reality' creeping in on the main character's fantasies. Those fantasies keep breaking down as the 'reality' of the murder presses on him. You see it over and over again - videotapes, music on the radio, entrances of duplicate characters, etc. One other helpful thing is to think of this whole movie as a failed escaptist fantasy by a man who murdered his wife.

modfather 12-09-05 12:11 PM


Originally Posted by CheapBastid
Spoiler:
Again, you need to approach many of the items and characters in the film from a dream logic state. There may or may not have been a videotape of the murder, but in the story the video is one fragment of the 'reality' creeping in on the main character's fantasies. Those fantasies keep breaking down as the 'reality' of the murder presses on him. You see it over and over again - videotapes, music on the radio, entrances of duplicate characters, etc. One other helpful thing is to think of this whole movie as a failed escaptist fantasy by a man who murdered his wife.

That helps quite a bit - thanks!

lamphorn 12-09-05 12:23 PM

Yeah, saw Mulholland Drive and just don't get it. It brings to mind the quote about poets who muddy their waters to appear deep. I thing Lynch just makes things unintelligible so people will say "wow, he's brilliant".

Numanoid 12-09-05 01:53 PM


Originally Posted by lamphorn
Yeah, saw Mulholland Drive and just don't get it. It brings to mind the quote about poets who muddy their waters to appear deep. I thing Lynch just makes things unintelligible so people will say "wow, he's brilliant".

Mulholland Dr. is actually pretty straightforward. Like a reverse Lost Highway, the first half of the film is a dream/fantasy and the last half is the reality. Watch it in reverse order and you'll see that it is the fantasy of a girl that went to Hollywood with stars in her eyes and ended up jobless, broke, broken-hearted and strung out and couldn't bring herself to accept it so she concocted this fantasy existence using characters from real life in idealized roles.

It should be noted that Lynch's favorite film is The Wizard of Oz, which operates on the same formula.

Hollowgen 12-09-05 02:15 PM


Originally Posted by calhoun07
I have actually heard that said about Lost Highway.

Ditto with Twin Peaks. Although, I don't totally believe it.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:18 PM.


Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.