What I like about Mullholand Dr. and Lynch's other films, besides those visual, formal qualities that CunningStunt mentioned, is that themes in this film are not so obvious and in your face, they're not told, but you rather feel them on the intuitive level. That's not to say that you can't tell what this film is about. I thought that was clear by the end of the film. SPOILER: It's about the horrors of a lost soul trying to escape from facing the guilt. The first part of the film shows the ways she (Betty/Diane) is trying to do that through a perfect dreamworld. But eventually the cruel reality creeps in and she's forced to face it. It doesn't really matter whether this dream is taken literally or on a metaphysical level, the point is she's struggling to escape the reality.
Many people have understood this film as a puzzle that needs to be solved. But it's more than that, it's not even about the puzzle, that's just the narrative structure of the film. We're not really meant to solve it like some mathematicians or detectives, because it works on the level of dreams - it's loosely knit, associative and intuitive. That is not the same as something arbitrary with no meaning beneath all the artsy sh
it. In fact, with all the abstraction and spontaneity, Mullholand Dr. is a very consistent film all the way through. I guess part
real in the word
surreal actually means something.
For those who found this film confusing I suggest to watch it again. It can be very rewarding.
Sorry for the long post, I was inspired.
