etc... | Mulholland Drive (2001) - my notes
Written by and updated by: Chuck Miller on September 14, 2013
I collected all this information from other sites. So, I don't take credit for all the notes. I organized it to contrast reality with the dream.
Reality
Diane Selwyn
Won a jitterbug contest that to lead interest in acting Aspiring actress (but may not be very good) Hollywood aunt died and left her $50,000 Lives at apt #17 2590 Sierra Bonita Possibly a prostitute and or drug addicted? Loved Camilla so much she wanted to be with her in death too? May have been a waitress at Winkie's
Betty - waitress at Winkie's
Doppelganger for Diane Diane used waitresses name (Betty) for her character in the dream
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Dream
Betty Elms
Diane Selwyn's fantasy/idealized self Lives in Aunt Ruth's apartment 1612 Havenhurst Perky, confident, pretty and a great actress Clothes don’t quite fit her right (a little too small) Wears subdued, pale (pink) muted colors Has a sexual relationship with Rita Protagonist of the dream Disappears just before Rita uses the key to open the blue box
Diane - waitress at Winkie's
Doppelganger for Diane Rita saw the name Diane (thinking it was her name) in the dream
Laney
Doppelganger for Diane Prostitute Not pretty or smart Diane’s negative projection of herself. Maybe Diane was a prostitute too. Gets into a blue van after conversation with Joe the hit man
Lorraine Kesher
Doppelganger for Diane Adam's cheating wife Is mad at Adam for getting caught cheating on him |
Reality
Dream
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Camilla Rhodes
Brunette Camilla Rhodes in real life Femme fatale Glamorous movie star Wears red and black Engaged to director Adam Kesher She really got the lead role in "The Sylvia North Story" Gets the lead roles in films, but helps Diane get small roles May be a good actress Protagonist of the movie in reality? Seems confident and content
Blonde Camilla Rhodes
The woman who kissed Camilla at Adam’s party Makes Diane jealous
DeRosa
Diane’s real lover? Looks like brunette Camilla Lives at apt #12 2590 Sierra Bonita Was Diane's roommate but moved out Mostly unchanged from dream & reality Somewhat manly looking |
Rita
Brunette Camilla in Diane’s dream Before the accident she was appears annoyed and pompous After the accident she tumbles and is meek and somewhat demure She's a blank slate for Diane to project onto because of amnesia Takes her identity from Rita (Hayworth) "Gilda" from a movie poster Glinda is the name of the good witch in The Wizard of Oz Survived a car accident (emotionally tragic event) Diane's idealized lover Wears red and black May also represent Diane’s subconscious? We see her sleep multiple times in the movie
Blonde Camilla Rhodes
Blonde Camilla in the photo resume handed to Adam at the meeting “This is the girl” Got the lead role in "The Sylvia North Story", but not because of talent Represents Adam's humiliation by Hollywood executives Wears pearl ear rings and pink clothes
DeRosa
Receives a phone call she can't miss Seems irritated
Carol
Good singer auditioning for role in “The Sylvia North Story” Pressures Adam for the lead role, but doesn't get it Looks like brunette Camilla May represent Diane's desire to be a movie star
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Reality
Dream
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Adam Kesher
A movie director Represents David Lynch? His name is unchanged in the dream Pulls Camilla away from Diane His mother is Coco
Bob Brooker - director Really directed "The Sylvia North Story" |
Adam Kesher
Has lots of misfortune in Diane's dream Wears black Covers the family jewels and his clothes with pink paint (emasculated) Auditions actresses for "The Sylvia North Story" Represents directors that didn't hire Diane
Bob Brooker - director
Doppelganger for Adam? The only one who doesn't think much of Betty's acting Is a washed up old director making low grade movies in Diane's dream |
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Coco
Adam Kesher's mother Eats nuts Shows passive aggression at Camilla during the party Shows sympathy for Diane at the party
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Coco Lenoix
Landlady of aunt Ruth's apartment in the dream Gives Betty a key Warns Betty, "If there's trouble, get rid of it." Coco = Cuckoo?
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Cowboy
Wears the same clothes in reality and the dream
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Cowboy
Diane’s conscience? He wakes her up after the dream He tells Adam what the right thing to do is Cryptic enforcer of rules God (he talks to Adam)? Mr. Roque’s opposite? Speaks in the dream to both Diane & Adam
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Joe Messing - hit man
Diane pays him money to have Camilla "This is the girl" killed Can represent Diane? Laughs about what the key opens when Diane asks
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Joe Messing - hitman
Inept killer Kills Ed, and another man and woman in Ed's office Steals black book from Ed Has a conversation with prostitute outside of Pink's.
Ed
Is shot dead by Joe Doppelganger for Camilla? Keeper of the black book
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Dan
The name Dan sounds like Diane Was seen at Winkie's when Diane ordered the hit on Camilla |
Dan
Had the same dream twice but they were exactly the same Says Herb was in both dreams Dan represents Diane Dies after seeing the bum behind Winkie's Quote, "I hope that I never see that face outside of a dream." Quote, "I had a dream about this place." referring to Winkie's
Herb
A therapist or friend to Dan Can also represent Camilla or hit man Joe He is dismissive of Dan's dream Coaxes Dan to his death behind Winkie's |
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Blue key
Means Camilla is dead
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Blue key
Unlocks the blue box Betty disappears before Rita uses the key to open the blue box
Blue Box
Rita opens the box and disappears Awareness of reality? Diane’s heart? Betty’s un-doing Contains the truth about Camilla’s death? Smaller version of Club Silencio Repressed memories?
Club Silencio
Home for broken hearts and insomniacs Highlights the difference between reality and perception "No Hay Banda" - There is no band Exposes pretense Represents the blue box but larger Transitory place between life and death? Has a red curtain Is where the blue-haired lady resides Where Betty and Rita are close together and look the same
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Winkie's
Diane arranges for Camilla to be killed by Joe She sits where Rita/Herb sat and he sits where Diane/Dan sat The point of no return for Diane Diane may have been a waitress here at one time? Diane says, "This is the girl" when handing the photo resume to Joe Diane sees waitress name tag Betty and adopts that name in the dream Diane hands money over to Joe |
Winkie's
Herb & Dan meet Dan mentions half-night light (Sunset...) Dan sees Herb standing, just as Diane sees Joe standing near cashier Dan dies/faints behind Winkie's after seeing the bum Dan doesn't eat his meal
Betty uses the phone outside the restaurant to call police Rita & Betty meet here to figure out Rita's identity Betty sits where the dreamer Dan sat earlier Rita sits where Herb sat earlier Rita sees waitress with name tag Diane and it sparks a memory
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Dream |
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Mr. Roque
Diane's brain? Works behind the scenes Represents the top Hollywood executives? Listens in on the meeting with Adam at Ryan Entertainment May have ordered the hit on Rita and or the actress change in the movie May represent the wizard of Oz
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Old couple
Diane’s grandparents (according to the script) Judges from the jitterbug contest that set her on her quest to be a star? They are not looking out for Diane’s Best interest Chase her to her bedroom and death at the end Represent Adam and Camilla in the future? Diane’s judgmental super-ego?
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Detectives McKnight and Domgaard
Doppelgangers for Rita and Betty? Required characters for a noir film? (odd stilted conversation)
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Aunt Ruth Elms Is dead Left a sum of money to Diane when she died Lived in Hollywood and was involved in the movie industry |
Aunt Ruth Elms
Is in Canada making a movie Just out of reach for Betty (she departs just before Betty arrives) Doppelganger for casting agent Linney James Is not very observant (doesn't see Rita under kitchen table) Walks in to see nothing after the opened blue box makes Rita disappear
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Blue-haired lady
Her left side earring sparkles at the very end of the movie Represents aunt Ruth? Doppelganger for Camilla? A patron or owner of club Silencio? Rita also spoke Spanish and also said Silencio in the dream Quote, "Silencio." is the last word spoken in the movie |
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Louise Bonner
Fortune teller/ messenger Symbolizes Diane's remorse? Cloaked in black Resembles the bum behind Winkie's
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Bum/monster
Monster or bum behind Winkie's appears to be burned not just dirty? Is the last holder of the blue box Diane’s ID? Blue haired lady? Louise Bonner doppelganger?
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Corpse
Camilla doppelganger? (black clothes & red pillow) A combination of both Diane and Camilla? Resembles the bum behind Winkie's too
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Random observations and ideas:
Wizard of Oz parallels
Betty - Yellow cab = Dorothy - yellow brick road
L. A. (Hollywood) = Oz (Dorothy opens her door to the full color land of Oz = Betty walks out of the airport to see L. A.)
Winkie's has lots of green inside like the Emerald city
Smoke as Oz appears = smoke as Camilla appears after the car crash = smoke in Diane's bedroom at her death
Ruth Elms = Auntie Em
The cowardly lion faints at the site of Oz behind the curtain. Dan dies or faints when seeing the bum behind the wall at Winkie's
Does Diane have a dream within a dream? Dorothy falls asleep in the field of poppies on the way to Oz
Diane kills the antagonist Camilla = Dorothy's house lands on the wicked witch killing her
Mr. Rogue (wheel-chair bound = The tin man bound by the metal he is made of)
Castigliane bothers - like the cowardly lion are full of bluster, but without much to back it up
The Cowboy = the scare crow who is concerned with intelligence and earthiness
Winkie's diner
Where Diane orders the hit on Camilla with Joe
Where Rita gets the name Diane (Selwyn) for their investigation
Where Dan and Herb talk and Dan is very afraid
Dan dies behind Winkie's after seeing the bum/monster (point of no return for Diane and Dan)
The Silvia North Story
May also be the Diane Selwyn story
A masterpiece movie
Where Diane and Camilla met
Brunette Camilla really got the lead part
Actually directed by Bob Brooker
Biblical theory
Adam = Adam
Cowboy = god?
Diane = Judas
Aunt Ruth is an angel?
Blue-haired lady = might be god or an angel?
Adams house = Eden
Havenhurst = Heaven
Sierra Bonita = hell or purgatory?
Adams pool = the gene pool (Gene the pool man with snake t-shirt)
Rita = Jesus Christ (comes out alive after the assassination in he dream)
Phone call chain = spread the word of god
Vincenzo Castigliane = the Devil (shirt has an X’ed out cross on it)
Physical life = a dream
Jewelry = divinity
Color Symbolism:
Pink/red = lies, fantasies
- Pink is Betty and blonde Camilla's color in the dream
- Adam covers himself and the (family) jewels with pink paint
- Pink's (where we see Joe and Laney outside) = sexual reference and phallic image
- Red curtains in Club Silencio from which the actors/musicians come and go
- Pink = vagina
- Aunt Ruth's hair color is red
Blue = truth, reality
- Blue key opens the blue box (reality)
- Blue Box holds reality
- Club Silencio (reveals that it's all an illusion)
- Blue haired woman
Green
- Winkies
Gene the (gene) pool man is there to clean Adam's pool
The movie starts with loud jitterbug music and ends with loud music and a gun shot.
The older couple send Betty off in L. A. in the beginning and chase Diane to her death at the end.
The whole first part of the movie may be a dream “Rita” had before breaking into Aunt Ruth’s bungalow?
Because we see Aunt Ruth come in at the end dressed as she was when she left.
Aunt Ruth has several doppelgangers (woman getting into cabs with suitcases) in the movie.
Scene with Laney & the hit man leaving Pink’s is like the scene with hit man and Diane at Winkie’s? He gives Laney a cigarette in the dream and shows Diane the blue key at Winkie's.
Diane's dream starts with Diane’s head on the pillow and ends with the Cowboy saying, “Wake up pretty girl.”
Rita sleeps multiple times in the movie
- outside before going into Aunt Ruth's apartment
- under the kitchen table in the apartment of Aunt Ruth's apartment
- on Ruth's bed after meeting Betty
- after consummating the sexual relationship with Betty
Some of the big dream may be Rita's dream too!
Some say they can see the blue box briefly in the drawer that Diane pulls the gun out of at the end of the film.
Diane is apparently happily re-united with Camilla at the end of the movie.
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