Classic Movies on Sky Arts - Series 5 Episode 4 - The Story of Mulholland Drive

 

This is one film that I have seen quite recently, so it was interesting to see what the team thought about Mulholland Drive. (See my review 23rd December 2022). There was so much discussion about writer and director David Lynch all the way through this episode. Ian Nathan started this off with the fact that he is "one of a kind" and that this is his "greatest" movie. Steven Armstrong added that he was a "surrealist filmmaker" and a very successful one. 

Christina Newland and Bonnie Greer refer back to Lynch's Twin Peaks (See my posy of 1st November 2025). Steven talks about how Lynch loved the light of Hollywood, and we hear from the director. Neil Norman thinks he is a "surrealist" and a wonderful artist. His films are "great to look at even if sometimes hard to understand". We hear about his early films, including Eraserhead and Lost Highway. The team talks about the location for Mulholland Drive and that now-famous road.  

It was interesting that the film started off as a TV programme and only later extended to become a feature film. We hear about the casting of Naomi Watts (now her greatest role) as Betty and Diane and especially the "audition" with the director. The team discusses the other lead actress, Laura Harring, as Rita, and all about her background. An ex-Miss USA. Cast as the director, Justin Theroux was maybe a reflection of Lynch's own woes of Hollywood. "A surreal depiction of the Hollywood scene." 

Neil Norman says Lynch is "an incredibly generous filmmaker", as he inserts us into his films as we bring our own interpretation of the story. Ian Nathan adds how Hollywood is inserted into the movie. He adds "a sense of dread is inescapable." I just love the haunting music by Angelo Badalamenti, even if this was never mentioned.  

The film became a huge success, much to the surprise of a bewildered Hollywood. Lynch won best director at Cannes but was only nominated for an Oscar. Naomi Watts was surprisingly completely overlooked. Steven Armstrong tells us, "Don't understand it; just feel it." Ian Nathan concludes it "unfolds like a dream", and Neil Norman believes it is a "drop-dead masterpiece".