Mulholland Drive [Édition Collector-4K Ultra HD + Blu-Ray]

Product Information

It's not completely spelled out but you can piece it together. The sad thing is, despite it being a work of fiction, much of it is based on the reality of the movie industry in Hollywood.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE, which is not only known to be one of director David Lynch’s ( Twin Peaks, Inland Empire) essential films, but also one of the greatest films of the 21 st century, stars Naomi Watts ( 21 Grams, The Impossible) in her breakthrough double-role as Betty / Diane as well as Laura Harring ( Love in the Time of Cholera, The Punisher), Justin Theroux ( American Psycho, The Girl On The Train) and Melissa George ( Hunted, Triangle). MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a dreamlike journey, as well as a captivating commentary on Hollywood, receiving continued acclaim from critics and viewers alike since its initial release. But Rita does not know Betty's aunt. In fact, she does not know who she is -- she can't remember her name or where she lives. The only thing Rita seems to remember is that she was involved in a car accident somewhere on Mulholland Drive. Intrigued by Rita's story, Betty decides to help her. Badalamenti is a composer that has worked with David Lynch several times. In Mulholland Drive he also has a very memorable cameo. He talks about his process and how he ended up in front of the camera for once. Deming’s photography is essential to pulling off the narrative spell; for example, Betty’s apartment is dark, almost opulent in a cheap way, and yet tired and old-fashioned. The diner is bland, neutrally lit, suitable to the environment, which has a dry, washed out appearance. As if everything has had just a little too much sun. The level of detail is wonderful and tactile, with a perceptible depth even in the night-time moments. The UHD has given the film a gorgeous bloom. Contrast is boosted to a noticeable degree and this naturalistic film has the otherworldly quality that was always intended. The production was never straightforward, but arguably, this new transfer has done nothing but emphasise the consistency of a singular vision. Laura Harring is brilliant even though her portrayal of Rita is seen through an unreliable Betty’s eyes. Watt’s performance as Betty meanwhile, is a tour de force and extraordinarily nuanced. An audition scene stands out and is as clever a moment as any in the film, but it lives and dies in her jaw-dropping delivery.

When the film was selected for the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Mr. Lynch again reviewed the film’s grading and made some tweaks for the cinema version. He was delighted with the restorative work. Narrated in French, this is a brilliant dissection of the film, following David Lynch’s own “Ten Clues”, with fascinating demonstrations of where the scenes connect. It’s like a video game walkthrough. Maybe you want to know immediately, or give the film another run and see how much falls into place. Even then, there are intriguing omissions, but the last word is given to Lynch who has a beautiful explanation of where subjectivity ends in the creation of a feeling for the viewer and the role of intellect to appreciate the nuances. Criterion’s 4K Ultra HD release also comes with a Blu-ray of the film in 1080p. The following extras are included on the Blu-ray only: That all sounds too ordinary for a film with such a reputation. It really doesn’t scratch the surface considering that critics once voted Mulholland Drive the greatest film of this century so far in 2016. Rich in character, confidence and a weirdness that doesn’t feel at all out-of-place in LA, it’s hard to argue, even as you wonder, what on earth is going on?

This is the exact same disc as the Criterion release in the US; just in case anyone is in any doubt, the Criterion logo boots up before the film starts. Plain and simple, the version of Mulholland Drive that we ended up with was not the version that David Lynch had originally planned. Like Twin Peaks, the mystery was to remain open-ended for further exploration in a series. But when ABC passed on it and Studio Canal subsequently put up the money to finish the project by turning it into a feature film, Lynch had to figure out a way to end it. The result is a dual-minded but fascinating study into two women. It’s never one hundred percent clear what really happens between Betty and Rita, or which version of reality is the more truthful. Is the entire first section of the film simply a dream of Betty’s that comes undone when the blue box is finally opened, triggering her to wake up out of it, or is David Lynch desperately trying to find an ending for a story that initially didn’t have one? A little of both is closer to truth, but even so, the story morphed into a study of the psychological effects that an obsessive personality can have in a business where things don’t always end happily—only on the big screen. Criterion's Blu-ray edition has been a long time coming. The disc has nice picture and sound that should satisfy most fans. While I might wish for more substance from the supplemental features, what we get is reasonably interesting. I'm not sure if this can really be called the definitive edition of 'Mulholland Drive', but it's the closest we've ever seen or likely will see for a long time. The entire film looks a lot smoother now. However, this isn't the type of smoothness that you would encounter on older, digitally manipulated masters. It is the type of organic smoothness that is introduced by exceptionally strong density and equally impressive fluidity. Indeed, while on the 1080p presentation from the Blu-ray trained eyes can spot some minor density fluctuations, in native 4K the same fluctuations become virtually impossible to identify. Another small but notable improvement can be recognized in the manner in which the 4K presentation handles highlights. The visuals can appear slightly darker now, but there are expanded ranges of highlights. Shadow nuances are expanded as well. How much exactly? Enough to positively affect the perception of depth. I think that the darker footage where neon lighting is present, for instance, can look quite a bit better. Colors look outstanding. The primaries appear lush and very healthy, but the notable improvements are in the expanded supporting nuances. I think that this superior color balance positively impacts the perception of depth as well, especially during indoor and nighttime footage. Image stability is outstanding. Unsurprisingly, the entire film is spotless. Please note that the main menu of the 4K Blu-ray disc does not have chapter stops.So yes, some aspects could probably be better but on the whole I was very happy with this; it’s sharp, substantially cleaner with more detailcompared to the Blu-ray, and range is striking. I think it’s a solid first go. For the collector, this is a double-dip rather than an upgrade thanks to the inexplicably dropping of some extras, but an upgrade I still recommend without hesitation. Studiocanal’s presentation overall is phenomenal, with a striking piece of artwork on the cover. Detail is out of the world; Lynch uses lots of extreme close-ups and you can see everything in faces, from pores to hair lines, from reflections in eyes to make-up lines and powder. Indeed everything is absolutely gorgeous: the décor of Betty’s apartment, the grime in the diner, the leaves against the sky, overlooking Hollywood – everything is keen, clear and precise – even the intentional lens flares or softness! Laura Harring, Johanna Ray, Justin Theroux, and Naomi Watts - in this video program, casting director Johanna Ray discusses her professional relationship with David Lynch (which started with Blue Velvet), the casting choices that were made during the pre-production of Mulholland Drive (and how important head shots are for David Lynch), her interactions with Naomi Watts, etc. Justin Theroux and Naomi Watts also explain how they were cast for their respective roles and discuss David Lynch's directing methods. Laura Harring explains how various sequences from Mulholland Drive were shot (including the notorious lovemaking sequence), the film's screening at the Cannes Film Festival, etc. The interviews were conducted exclusively for Criterion. In English, not subtitled. (36 min, 1080p). The various elements, including love scenes with blatant nudity, were clearly not meant for an ABC audience either, but work surprisingly well in tandem, creating an interesting tableau. That said, there are definitely scenes wherein characters were meant to take part more in the proposed series than they eventually do, such as Joe the sloppy hitman (Mark Pellegrino), two detectives (Robert Forster and Brent Briscoe), Mr. Roque (Michael J. Anderson), the director’s unfaithful wife (Lori Heuring), and her lover (Billy Ray Cyrus). These characters add flavor and, in some cases, give much-needed comic relief to an otherwise dour tale. They could almost be lifted out of the main story without damaging it. Then again, who knows how much involvement a character like Cowboy (Monty Montgomery) would have had in the series.

Mulholland Drive' is also a very sloppy production, perhaps Lynch's most chaotic and unfocused since ' Wild at Heart'. It could stand to lose at least a half-hour or more off its beginning. It's filled with scenes and characters from the TV pilot that go nowhere and could easily be cut. Robert Forster's police detective was originally intended to be a recurring character and had two scenes in the pilot, but has here been reduced to a single non sequitur cameo. Why is he still in the movie? I find myself asking that about a lot of things in the film. I'm sure that Lynch may have planned for these storylines to better interact and play out over a season or more of television, but as the film stands, they don't lead to anything and serve no purpose. In fact, some of these scenes (including almost the entirety of the storyline involving Justin Theroux's movie director character) contradict the film's ultimate revelation. How could these events happen if a certain character never sees or knows about them? Major plot holes like this could be fixed with some judicious trimming, but Lynch was apparently too attached to the material to let it go. Stunning new 4K restoration of David Lynch's iconic surrealist mystery-drama. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, MULHOLLAND DRIVE is considered by many as one of the greatest films of the 21st century. As with the video, the surround mix is remastered from the original negative. The sound design of Mulholland Drive is superb and serves equally the demands the variety of styles in the film make. The core is drama, where characters are centred and clear. But listen in particular to the diner scene early in the film where environmental sounds and Angelo Badalamenti’s subtle, haunting score work together to create a palpable sense of unease. Later, there are opportunities for musical extravagance: a Spanish rendition of Roy Orbison’s Crying or film-within-a-film 60s style pop earworms. Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. The film is uncompromisingly hypnotic. Even if one does not understand the significance of everything that takes place on the screen, one feels an inexorable need to keep watching, and feeling, and speculating. It is a strange feeling for sure - like being awake in a bizarre dream.

Mulholland Drive Review

Mulholland Drive might make you want to tear your hair out, but throw yourself in anyway and float through it, because there are at least two solutions: one of them is David Lynch’s, and he’s tantalisingly obscured it such that it will be discussed ad infinitum; the other solution is yours.

What makes Mulholland Drive so compelling is the non-linear narrative and the interpretation therein. Despite director David Lynch’s ‘ten points’ to unravelling the plot, the basic idea is relatively simple. But the interpretation of the various elements and their meaning within the larger picture remains enigmatic and thus is largely left to the individual. Nice behind the scenes piece because David Lynch is so open about his approach. This is far less spoilerific than the first extra feature, but should still only watch after the film.Criterion then closes off the disc with a few other supplements. We first get a 2-minute deleted scenefeaturing the two detectives played by Robert Forster and Brent Briscoe at the station going over what they found at the accident scene. This is then followed by roughly 25-minutes of on-set footage, taken during shooting scenes at the diner and the various sets used for the dinner party scene at the end. This material, shot in standard def digital with no narration and little context, is fantastic for a few reasons. Firstly it’s certainly nice to see the atmosphere on set, which was very loose, but what’s also great is you get to see Lynch at work: there’s a sample of the director and Badalamenti talking on location about how the music will work for that particular scene, and then you get to see trial-and-error attempts [around the] use of the steadi-cam for the sequence where Camilla is leading Diane up the hill to the house.