King of Hollywood
Chapter 506 - 227: Chaos

Chapter 506: Chapter 227: Chaos

"This is the Miracle Director’s first foray into the thriller, suspense, and crime genres and, frankly, no one understood what he was trying to express in the film. Yet, there’s suspense everywhere, connections everywhere. Adrian didn’t just pick up what he had once lost; he kept deepening it, making people feel uneasy while still wanting to pursue further," —— Le Figaro

"It is a film that requires the abandonment of one’s ego, composed of countless fragments. Adrian wanted to use his once brilliantly successful multiple narrative technique to snag another Palme d’Or for himself. But it seems he hadn’t used it for too long and went overboard in the end, resulting in a piece that feels incredibly boring," —— The Guardian

"It’s hard to believe that this film is full of low-intelligence, disjointed trash segments. Looking for logic? Sorry, you’ve come to the wrong place. It seems the Miracle Director’s luster might fade because of this," —— The New York Times

As the most anticipated work at the Cannes Film Festival, Mulholland Drive received a lot of reviews immediately after its release. Surprisingly, most of these reviews were not very good. Critics from various countries seemed to have conspired, unanimously agreeing that the film’s logical flaws were a significant blunder. Even though many people — mostly French and Italians — thought it was not bad, citing the composition of shots, the use of color, the creation of atmosphere, and the segmented short stories, as well as the exceptional performances of the two female actors, they still couldn’t avoid the fact when it came to the logic of the film.

"It’s a very strange thing. As the world-renowned Miracle Director, Adrian couldn’t possibly direct such a meaningless film. So why couldn’t he clearly express what he wanted to say?" a critic questioned. This was also the doubt of many who attended the premiere. Although the applause after the premiere was warm, it did not dispel their confusion. Moreover, Adrian’s equivocal response afterwards only added to this doubt.

However, there were quite a few who were secretly pleased with the schadenfreude, as this was the scenario they had been waiting to see for so long. So, in the following two days, the reviews of Mulholland Drive became even more fierce. Phrases like "the Miracle Director has run out of talent" and "this is a disastrous Waterloo" appeared in newspapers incessantly, which made many fans of the Miracle Director very dissatisfied. Yet, they didn’t know how to refute these claims. Although Adrian had made movies of various genres, the style of Mulholland Drive was just too different from his previous works. The only resemblance was to Eyes Wide Shut, but that was Kubrick’s work.

Adrian, facing such a situation, made no response. Reporters had been waiting outside the hotel for two days, encountering Nicole and Naomi several times, but they couldn’t catch a glimpse of the Miracle Director. While they were frustrated, they also reveled quietly, almost all of them thinking that the Miracle Director couldn’t accept the fact, so he stayed in his room and didn’t come out. Naturally, they took this opportunity to run wild with their speculations.

However, this situation didn’t last long, as Roger Ebert’s review came out quickly.

"This is a surprising work, and I had to spend a few days reminiscing and making time to go to the cinema again to watch it. Undoubtedly, Adrian is a director who loves to trick people. Just when you think you’ve gotten familiar with his style, he pulls out something completely unexpected that always maintains an extraordinary vitality and meaning, especially those low-budget films. Yes, films like Mulholland Drive.

Many believe that the biggest blunder of Mulholland Drive is that it has a completely illogical story. But I think that is the most interesting part of the entire film. Even the most critical people cannot deny that the two distinctly separated parts of the film are clearly connected. To give the simplest example, in the first half, the actress from Canada is named Betty, but later, she is called Diane, while the amnesiac woman is called Rita — clearly derivative from Rita Hayworth — and later called Betty. It’s clear that there is an indissoluble close relationship between them, which is also proved in the film. So what is the connection with the name Diane? Simple, in the first half of the film, the waitress in the café is called Diane, and in the second half, her name changes to Betty. (Note)"

Interesting, right? If you observe carefully, you’ll find that the characters who appear in the first half also show up in the second half, but they undergo tremendous changes in their personas. It’s up to the viewers themselves to find whatever connections exist. Just imagine the pleasure you feel when, out of a tangled mess, you find the end of a thread and unravel the whole clue.

This is a non-typical movie. Its purpose is not to tell a story but to let viewers find their own story—just like Adrian said after the premiere, there is no standard answer to this film; a thousand people have a thousand Hamlets. "Mulholland Drive" provides plenty of clues for the audience to find, which is splendid and not inferior to any of Adrian’s previous works. I think I might watch it again sometimes, and as for what kind of story I find, well, sorry, but that’s my business.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the performances of the two actresses add a lot of color to the film. Nicole Kidman perfectly captures the initial confusion, fear, and bewilderment, as well as the sexuality and allure that emerge later. It’s probably her best role in years. Naomi Watts outdoes even that, nailing the innocence and confidence of a newcomer at the start, along with the desperation of losing a lover later on. There’s also a scene within a scene at an audition, which she handles with great conviction. You could almost see it as representing the varying fortunes of Hollywood actresses at different stages, which is truly exceptional. I’m going to give her a big thumbs up!"

—Roger Ebert

This review turned the tide of opinion in the entire critique community. Ebert is a top-notch critic in Hollywood, and even those pompous Europeans can’t find much fault when discussing his reviews. Since he’s said his piece, "Mulholland Drive" must have its merits. So, what exactly makes this movie so captivating?

The theaters that had started to see fewer patrons after the premiere suddenly experienced a second boom in attendance, with curious onlookers, those wanting to watch again for deeper understanding, and those aiming to prove they are smarter than Roger Ebert, among others. Then new reviews began to be published.

In fact, it wouldn’t be right to say that these reviews were entirely new, as many of them came from critics who stayed silent after the premiere. These are truly renowned critics, who, like Ebert, prefer to watch a few more times rather than rush to conclusions. Of course, another reason is that this is a work by the Miracle Director.

Ever since he started directing, each time someone looked down on him, only to mock him later, Adrian smashed their skepticism with facts, once, twice, and even thrice or four times. If every dismissal was met with a slap in the face and yet they continued to scorn tirelessly, that’s not personality—that’s sheer stupidity and masochism.

Critics write reviews for readers, not directors or producers. If a reader takes the critic’s side and ends up embarrassed every time, unless they’re just as idiotic and masochistic, no one will want to join their ranks. Therefore, unless they have specific reasons—like a grudge against Adrian or a particular mission—these well-known critics are very cautious.

"This is certainly a bizarre film, especially the second half, with the story of a despairing actress that cuts deep into our nerves and will continue to do so." —Los Angeles Times

"From an acting perspective alone, Naomi’s role is probably one of the most challenging of the year so far." —The Times

"The absurd and illogical story contains a cruel theme, deeply showcasing another side of Hollywood, and this is also one of the intentions behind the Miracle Director’s painstaking effort." —— Liberation

Mulholland Drive is after all a movie filled with fragmented logic, devoid of hints, and Roger Ebert was also ambiguous, making it quite difficult to piece together an overview at once. However, this does not mean that film reviews cannot be written. While the overall plot is hard to grasp, the actors’ performances are available for evaluation. Moreover, the two stories before and after are basically complete; it’s quite easy to pick out something to talk about.

The criticism industry, though busy because of this, was not the busiest among ordinary movie fans who were also discussing the movie extensively. On the AC Media official website, in the subsection dedicated to movies, many fans who specially visited Cannes to sightsee were exchanging ideas in the forums. But the busiest of all was not them, but David Lynch, who had been dragged into this by a single statement from Adrian.

For David Lynch, this must have been the worst May of his life because last year’s Lost Highway suffered an unprecedented defeat. He had no plans this year and simply stayed at home, not going anywhere. But when he woke up, his house was surrounded by reporters. As soon as he opened the door, they snapped photos wildly and then thrust microphones and recording pens in his face, frantically asking about his connection with the Miracle Director Adrian.

God as my witness, although he is a fairly well-known director in Hollywood, his directing style was too bizarre. Despite having the famous cult TV series Twin Peaks, his audience was always very small. Apart from various film festivals, he had never been treated so grandly in private. It was really absurd.

"Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no connection with Mr. Adrian Cowell," Lynch could only repeatedly say this in the face of the journalists’ barrage. But why would the journalists believe him, especially since Adrian himself had openly admitted that this was not his work, but "a David Lynch work"?

With no other option, Lynch had to retreat back into his house, his whole day ruined. He couldn’t leave his home for the next few days either, but he finally understood the cause of the events. Although he didn’t know why that Miracle Director with whom he had no connection would say such a thing, he quickly notified family, friends, and his agent, and issued a statement through his agent that he had not provided any help for Mr. Adrian’s work and had no association with Mr. Adrian. As for why Mr. Adrian said that, it would be better to ask him directly. Of course, he expressed great respect for such a young director as Mr. Adrian and also hoped for the opportunity to collaborate—uttering a great deal of such polite platitudes.

After Lynch’s firm statement, the reporters became confused again. In fact, if there was no connection between the two, then why would Adrian say such a thing? As they pondered without finding an answer, Roger Ebert’s film review was published, and another weighty critique appeared in the Los Angeles Times, written by a somewhat well-known critic, but its content was too significant to be ignored, for its title was: Simply Just a Dream.

"I don’t know how many people noticed this detail, but when the two stories split, that is, when Rita opens the blue box and after the smoke drifts away, Betty—or shall we say Diane—is lying in bed asleep. Then the cowboy who threatened director Adam enters, the camera cuts, and on the bed is not Betty or Diane, but the decaying corpse from earlier. Then, the cowboy smiles, turns, and exits, the camera cuts again, and still, it is Betty or Diane lying in bed. Then the second story starts.

It is important to note that the position in which Betty or Diane lies on the bed is identical to that of the decaying corpse, and when she shoots herself, her position collapsing onto the bed is still identical to that of the corpse. By analyzing the various details displayed in the second story, we can be certain that Diane loved Betty very much, but although Betty had feelings for her, they were not as intense. So when Betty announced her marriage to director Adam, a love-turned-hate Diane found a hitman to kill Betty. But upon discovering Betty’s actual death—the blue box—the torment of conscience made her desire to die, ultimately leading to her suicide by gun."

The entire article meticulously analyzed the emotional relationships between Betty/Diane and Rita/Betty and then matched the characters from the latter part of the movie with those from the beginning. For example, the director in the latter part has power and influence, so in the dream of the first part, he is not only threatened by the mob, but his wife also sleeps with the painter, and in the end, he goes bankrupt and has to submit. Or the way the names Betty, Diane, and Rita are interchanged, as well as Diane’s beautification of Betty in her mind, and the different atmospheres portrayed in Rita’s lines and during the audition stages etc. It has to be said, this critic was quite meticulous.

The report quickly sparked a heated response. Both ordinary viewers and critics of varying prominence began to discuss it, with many in support and quite a few in opposition. The most significant point of contention among the detractors was, if it was all a dream and if the awakening led to a suicide by gun swallow, then why would someone dream of a decaying female corpse?

Those in favor naturally defended the "dream" explanation, as it was a hard-won interpretation that seemed to match the logic of the narrative. Thus, various reasons were proposed, such as the idea that it is normal for dreams to have illogical aspects, and perhaps the Miracle Director intended to use this method to guide everyone’s thinking. As for the oddness of seeking logic while at the same time saying that illogical elements are normal, that was not something for them to worry about.

In any case, the fervent debate resumed. In less than a week, "Mulholland Drive" saw its reputation at Cannes rise markedly, soaring to become the hottest movie of the festival. It became almost embarrassing for festival-goers not to catch a screening at the theatre and then chat with others about it.

Then, to fan the flames even further, a film enthusiast posted an online article suggesting that "the Miracle Director is paying homage to David Lynch."

"Anyone who has seen all of David Lynch’s works would notice the many typical ’Lynchian’ styles in Adrian’s new piece: flickering lights that intermittently buzz, neurotic narrators, grotesque mystery figures, a singer collapses on stage yet their powerful voice continues to resonate, as well as noir-like plot elements: amnesiac seductive women, tall and robust Caucasian men in trench coats and sunglasses, among others. Adrian proclaimed after the premiere that it was in fact a work of David Lynch simply because it is a tribute film!"

That was a small excerpt from the fan’s post, which went on to analyze in detail the similarities between "Mulholland Drive" and Lynch’s other works. The emergence of this viewpoint stemmed from the poster’s original fandom for Adrian, an aficionado of niche cinema whose tastes were perfectly suited to the uncanny movies of Lynch, leading him to travel to European film festivals.

He had initially become a fan of Adrian due to "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Pulp Fiction," but had drifted away as Adrian moved into mainstream direction. Hearing of Adrian’s new entry in Cannes, he took the time to watch a screening. Naturally, he very much enjoyed this kind of movie and immediately began to wildly speculate about the plot. Having read Adrian’s comments after the premiere, he started drawing comparisons, which led to that post.

Of course, many people criticized the analysis, especially Adrian’s die-hard fans, who found the analysis to be completely unfounded and far-fetched, asserting that the Miracle Director didn’t need to pay tribute to anyone. Yet, the film enthusiast also had some supporters, similar to the newspaper debates on how to interpret "Mulholland Drive," which led to another round of arguments until some quick-witted individual republished it in the newspapers.

It can be imagined that the publication of such news would astonish many, as David Lynch’s peculiar style is highly regarded for its artistic sense among Europeans, thus receiving far more attention than in Hollywood. Naturally, there were people familiar with his style, and after the post was republished, others came forward agreeing on the unmistakable similarities.

"It’s unbelievable, but ’Mulholland Drive’ indeed displays a very obvious ’Lynchian’ style," commented a well-known French film critic.

As a result, the multitude of stories around the film became even more tangled. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote at Qidian (qidian.com) with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)