Research Paper – David Lynch
Today, many ways of life and beliefs in terms of culture and tradition have become old. They are no longer what people really live by. Further, in media especially in films released in the late 1900’s there are many things that are shown which at the time were considered a phenomenon. Additionally, these films are known as “Postmodernist films”. “Postmodernist film attempt to subvert the mainstream conventions of narrative structure, characterization and destroys (or, at least, toys with) the audience's suspension of disbelief. Typically, such films also break down the cultural divide between high and low art and often upend typical portrayals of gender, race, class, genre, and time with the goal of creating something different from traditional narrative expression.” (Wikipedia) I feel that postmodernism is largely portrayed in Lynch’s films and we see this a lot in “Mulholland Drive” and “Blue Velvet”. Therefore, in this paper I will research how David Lynch uses dominant and recurring themes and techniques such as sex, loss of personal identity and use of profanity in his films showing the postmodern culture in USA.
Sexual relationships are very dominant in both of Lynch’s films. In Mulholland Drive Lynch shows us a homosexual affair between the two characters Betty and Rita. Specifically with Rita’s character we can determine that she is bi-sexual as she has and affair with both sexes. Additionally, homosexuality was something that was not accepted in society in traditional times when Lynch made this movie. Therefore, when he released the movie sexual relationships between the same sexes was a cultural phenomenon. I feel this was a cultural phenomenon because according to the laws in USA “[s]ex...
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...urning over a new leaf” allowed for many people to freely do what they felt or desired. This was the losing of traditionalism thus what Lynch shows in his films was a cultural phenomenon at the time and many began to accept these changes in lifestyle as media influenced lives a lot and now I can safely say that many of the themes in Lynch’s films are considered to be normal with some exceptions such as violence.
Works Cited
Angier, Natalie. "Almost Before We Spoke, We Swore." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Sept. 2005. Web. 15 May 2014.
Bartyzel, Monika. "Cinematical Movie Club: Mulholland Drive." The Moviefone Blog. N.p., 27 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 May 2014.
"LGBT Rights in the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 05 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 May 2014.
"Postmodernist Film." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.
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The 2001 film Mulholland Drive directed by David Lynch is as thrilling as it is confusing to some people. As I watched it for the first time, I couldn't help but wonder the point that Lynch was trying to make was. To me, there was a comprehensible meaning to the story and it mainly involves the character Betty. Although, I later found out Betty was someone entirely different, Diane. Betty being a dream of Diane's is at the root of the story I believe Lynch was trying to tell. I see this film as a sort of cautionary tale. It is not so much a film about things not always appearing as they seem, as it is what happens when things do not turn out the way planned and a person gives up hope. By analyzing the character Betty/Diane at different points in the film it becomes a little more clear what the meaning behind Mulholland Drive is.
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