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This was David Lynch's final theatrical feature, and it saddens me to see he did not go further on screen, because it would be interesting to see just how far he might have gone.
Laura Dern plays Nikki Grace, a successful actress living in a gorgeous California mansion, and also Susan Blue, a character in a film she is shooting. But is she? Again, Lynch's distortion of space and time, referencing "The Wizard Of Oz," and the duality of personality are trademarks of his and used well here. Since "Blue Velvet," one could say his narrative schemes are sketchy, but this one questions the concept of narration or even the boundaries of it. The world that Laura as Nikki/ Susan wanders through is a disturbing one, recalling to me John Parker's 1955 film "Dementia," also known as "Daughter Of Horror." I would guess Lynch has seen this film, because if I were to show it to a group of people not knowing the credentials, I would guess some of them would say it is a David Lynch film.
The two are similar in that they involve a woman's downward trajectory into madness. But the question remains is it Nikki or Susan? Because when she dies on the streets of L.A. as a gutter whore, I was sure it was Nikki. But then one of the last shots in the film is Nikki smiling contentedly in her California mansion. So, what happens is anyone's guess.
But Lynch's work is so visually fascinating it almost does not matter. His colored shots of California catch the underbelly of life there, while the shots of Dern wandering an almost black and white world offer an almost noir look. "Inland Empire" challenges with its length, but it is exhilarating in its visual detail. And his ability to acquire interesting actors--Jeremy Irons, Diane Ladd, Justin Theroux-- is genius; but then who wouldn't wanted to have worked with David Lynch? I would have loved to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, darlings, this is where we leave our study of David Lynch, remembering a true genius and visionary, only to ask where are such today?
Even worse, will we ever get any?????????????????
4 comments:
I still can’t believe Diane Ladd is gone.
It’s been almost a year I think.
We recently rewatched “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”
Victoria, 'Alice' is one of my favorite movies. When in college, I interviewed for the college paper, Alfred Lutter, who plays her son.
I'm glad you got so much out of it upon a first screening at home, but when I saw it in a packed Manhattan theater on opening night it was absolute torture to endure. Endless, murky looking, with no apparent point or endgame whatsoever. As a huge fan of Lynch's work, I was bitterly disappointed: it was his most head-up-his-ass self indulgent mess since the excruciating Wild At Heart.
Lynch's ouvre is mostly phenomenal,, even the occasional misfires that don't quite work. But every now and then he'd take a big swing and miss it by a mile: Inland Empire struck many of his fans as his biggest miss. His disastrous 1982 adaptation of "Dune" is widely considered his worst moment, but I'd argue "Empire" makes "Dune" look like Citizen Kane.
Of course, tastes can differ! My favorite Lynch (aside from the unparalleled Mulholland Drive) is "Fire Walk With Me", a film that was utterly reviled by literally everyone in the world upon release except apparently me. I was so moved and gutted by "Fire" I dragged every poor soul I knew to see it over its brief run. None of them spoke to me for weeks after, yet to this day I will drop everything and run to any screening of "Fire" whenever it (rarely) turns up. While Inland Empire is something I have no desire to ever revisit, tho as a Lynch completist I do own it.
My Dear, You can drag me to a screening of "Fire Walk With Me" anytime. I think "Wild At Heart" is the worst of my assessment of the Lynch canon.
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