i went to see ‘inland empire’ again.
it’s just as good the 2nd time, and watching it a 2nd time actually gives it, in some ways, a more cohesive narrative.
blue velvet and twin peaks and wild at heart(sort of) and lost highway(sort of) involve themes of relatively innocent women encountering and being persecuted by profoundly evil(oftentimes otherworldly)men.
not to give too much away, but that is also one of the central themes of ‘inland empire’.
very early on in ‘inland empire’ one of the characters is looking for a doorway, that’s a hint.
the movie’s also about redemption, in an idiosyncratic way, which isn’t surprising, as blue velvet and twin peaks and wild at heart also involve redemption and an idyllic world view as revealed after great horror.
ok, maybe i’m giving too much away.
maybe if you go see ‘inland empire’ and think about the following:
archetypal male evil, ethical ruptures, doorways, and the blurry distinction between dreaming & waking, it’ll make more sense to you.
i don’t know, if david lynch were to read this he’d probably say that i have no idea what i’m talking about.
well, i’m writing, actually, not talking.
in any case he’d probably say i have no idea what i’m writing about.
it’s a remarkable movie. maybe it will somehow compel other filmmakers to cast off the shackles of time-worn and conventional narrative form.
shouldn’t the narrative follow the art, and not vice versa?
ok, now i sound like a grad student.
g’night.
moby
p.s-my only 2 criticisms of ‘inland empire’ are the 2 choreographed scenes. the movie’d be stronger without them.