A Psychoanalysis Approach to Mulholland Drive

Clark Teng Derrick Wei

Michelle Wang Nanch Chen

Paul Chen Roy Chiu

Introduction

Thesis:This film ventures into Diane’s state of mind via dreams and memories. Functioning as an act of wish fulfillment in aspects of love, guilt, and career, Diane’s conflicts as well reveal Lynch’s criticisms toward Hollywood Film Industry.

A. Plot & Structure:

1. Interweaving of Dream and Reality: Jitterbug dancing…1

2. Reality: Diane sleeping with heavy breathing…3

3. Dream: Car accident on Mulholland Dr.…4

4. Reality: Diane awakening…5

5. Reality (with Imagination): Camilla coming back…6

6. Reality (memories of the past): Camilla’s betrayal…2

7. Reality (with imagination): Old couple’s chasing…7

8. Interweaving of Dream and Reality: Ugly man…8

II. Desire for Love

A. Dissatisfaction: BetrayalB. Wish-fulfillment

1. Adam– being revenged (e.g. being a cuckold, frustrated in career,

bankrupt, and so on).2. Camilla (Rita)– being incompetent (e.g.

losing memory, awkward as little pussy, depending on Betty/Diane).

3.Aunt Ruth– died in reality but was alive in Diane’s dream (went far away and left Betty/Diane a awesome apartment).

4. Coco/Adam’s mother– being considerate for Betty/Diane in the dream.

C. Question to Ponder upon

Who does Diane love the most? Camilla or herself?

Guilt Complex in Dream

1. Witness death2. Ugly man scapegoat, the displacement of Dian

e’s guilt, condensation3. Clumsy killer Diane didn’t want him to succee

d in reality4. Jitterbug dance, 50s rest., Anne’s apart. memor

y of good old days5. warnings: telephone, doorbell, siren, detect fear

& uneasiness

IV. Ambition for career• A. Diane’s dissatisfaction: unsuccess in H

ollywood • B. Wish-fulfillment

1. Auntie figures: (elder figures) a. Self expectation=>expectation

from others=>help from the elders b. Success in Hollywood c. Examples: the old couple met in airport/ aunt Ruth/ the audition (Betty

’s)

2.The excuse for unsuccessa. Uglify Hollywood: (1) A man hiding back of the place=>

everything is already ordered. (2) Examples: the audition (Betty’s)/ th

e audition (for Adam’s Film)/ the club silencio

b. Incompetence of Adam (1) Cowboy, the man who drank Expresso=> the ones who direct Adam

(2) The extramarital relation of Adam’s wife

V. Symbol

A. Key: passage to the cruel reality 1. In the dream, Rita and Betty get together happily. 2. In reality, Camilla is dead, and Diane does not

succeed in her career. B. Box: reality-- After opening it, Diane woke upC. Party: the end of Camilla’s love D. Club: sarcasm against Hollywood 1. It’s all recorded 2. As fake as the audition in Hollywood

1

VI. Filming Techniques

Uneasiness created in Mulholland Drive

1. Switch of perspective

2. Surprises

3. Exaggeration

VII. Conclusion

Themes in Mulholland Drive

1. Identity

2. Reality and illusion

3. Criticism on Hollywood