Once upon a time, David Lynch gave us directions to unlock his work

If there is one thing that The passing of David Lynch on January 16, 2025 was revealedthe filmmaker and artist left a deep and massive impact on so many people. On paper, this is surprising given how esoteric and unusual his work was throughout his career, not to mention how unapologetic he was about that fact. As a brilliant artist, Lynch confounded and delighted so many because he was that rarest of creatures: a quintessentially American surrealist. Americans are somewhat used to European filmmakers using surrealism or symbolism; at least they can easily dismiss foreign directors because they come from a culture and tradition they don't know or understand. Lynch doesn't let people enjoy that answer, because even a cursory glance at his filmography reveals it to be pure Americana: the wind blowing through Douglas Firs, the smell of fresh, hot, black coffee and cherry pie. small town diner etc. These images, these elements, are so recognizable to Americans, and yet Lynch was happy to change their meaning ever so slightly, finding the sinister and menacing, repressed secrets behind every Hollywood facade and white picket fence.

One of the most popular memes surrounding Lynch comes from an interview he did with David Lean at BAFTAduring which he described “Eraserhead” as his “most spiritual film”. When Lin asked Lynch for more details, Lynch flatly refused. This meme succinctly sums up Lynch's usual approach to discussing his work, let alone deciphering it, with the filmmakers' determination to let audiences interpret his films in their own way. While this is not a new or unusual path for the director, Brady Corbett is currently avoiding all questions of interpretation on his press tour. “The Brutalist” Lynch's ethos, for example, is remarkable both for how wildly interpretable his work is, and for how unflinching he was throughout his career.

Never, that is, except in a few rare cases. The more one digs into the additional material that Lynch confirmed for official release, the more one finds (slightly) bigger hints about his mysterious process and creative ways of thinking. Materials such as his books (especially “Room to Dream”) and behind-the-scenes footage (especially those released on the home media of “Inland Empire” and “Twin Peaks: The Return”) shed some light on Lynch's mystery. Arguably the biggest key to deciphering Lynch, however, came from a flyer he personally wrote for inclusion in “Mulholland Dr.” DVD – A document that, level or not, is a great starting point when it comes to unlocking his work.

Of course, the initial questions when faced with this document are why Lynch chose to suddenly provide clues about the decoding of one of his films, and why “Mulholland's Dr. in particular. After all This clip is currently being nominated for the 74th Academy Awardsin which Roger Ebert spots Lynch in the press line and asks him a blunt question about how many characters Naomi Watts plays in “Mulholland Dr.”, Lynch refuses to answer Ebert's query with “How ya doin', Roger?” And then there's this other clipin which Lynch eloquently summarizes his love of cinema as an art form and why he believes that the many, individual interpretations of his films are more valuable than his own.

The simple answer to the question of why Lynch would write a flyer included in “Mulholland Dr.” The DVD (titled “Mulholland Drive: David Lynch's 10 Clues to Unlocking This Thriller”) suggests that Lynch's career was at a bit of a low point when “Mulholland Dr. was made. The film originally began life as a TV pilot for Touchstone Television and ABC, Lynch wanted to return to the small screen after that. his success with “Twin Peaks.” After that series phenomenon fizzled out, Lynch suffered a series of financial and critical failures, with the now-beloved Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and Lost Highway being shelved, and a sitcom called On the Air barely making the cut. . on air, and even his well-received film that proved he could branch out into the all-ages fare, The Straight Story, which failed to make back its budget at the box office.

After “Mulholland Dr.” Rejected by ABC, Lynch got a Hail Mary pass and decided to write and shoot additional material to make the pilot his own closed (sort of) feature. Fortunately, “Mulholland Dr.” received acclaim when it premiered at Cannes in 2001, and the buzz around it continued enough to turn a profit when it was released by Universal Pictures later that year. As such, Lynch may have been doubly shy about his work and its reception, which may have led to this DVD flyer and its cues.

Still, Lynch seemed to be largely in control of Mulholland Dr. release, going so far as to send instructions to screen it to all theaters showing the film and insisting that there be no departmental stops for the DVD release. on disc, meaning the film had to be watched in one continuous sitting. In this way, the reference document is not Lynch bowing to public demand, but another piece of the puzzle of the film and his work, which he clearly intended.

For those of you who haven't read “Mulholland Dr.” clues document, you might think that these clues are fairly simple hints to a larger one the film's layered narrative. Not so fast as you can see:

1. “Pay close attention at the beginning of the film: at least two clues are revealed before the credits roll.
2. Note the appearance of the red lampshade.
3. Do you hear the name of the movie where Adam Kesher calls the actresses? Has it been mentioned again?
4. An accident is a terrible event – observe the scene of the accident.
5. Who gives the key and why?
6. Notice the robe, ashtray, coffee mug.
7. What is felt, realized and collected in Club Silencio?
8. Was it just talent that helped Camilla?
9. Consider the events surrounding the man behind Winkie's.
10. Where's Aunt Ruth?”

These pointers are delivered in Lynch's inimitable style; they are at once completely simple and stunningly captivating. They are also very simple, questions formulated like public school quizzes. The directions feel less like the movie's Cliff's Notes guide and more like an extension of it, as phrases like “Note the appearance of the red lampshade” seem akin to the cowboy (Monty Montgomery) telling Adam (Justin Theroux) what will happen if he does “good ” or “bad”. There is an undeniable tension between the images, dialogue, and scenes that Lynch presents and their elusive meanings, as even the biggest Lynch hater can sense logic and intent at work in Lynch's films. These things all mean something, in other words, and they're not just arbitrary weirdness for weirdness' sake.

There was a lot of debate on message boards and other online forums about these clues and their actual answers, and a lot of people got frustrated because—big surprise—they had different opinions about the answers and the whole thing. The early 2000s was a kind of golden age for filmmakers who used the ability to discuss and package their films on physical media to enhance and expand the impact of a film; witness Christopher Nolan records multiple endings for his commentary track “Memento” ensuring that no two casual listeners will walk away with the same “definitive” explanation of the events of this film. These clues are Lynch's version of this idea in “Mulholland Dr.” — additional questions disguised as answers.

Ultimately, the guidance document was a huge gift to fans of David Lynch and his work. It just wasn't the gift it was definitely meant to be, because while these clues may or may not unlock “Mulholland Dr.,” they certainly encourage the audience to think and ask questions, which is the whole point. Yes, some such people see ambiguity as a kind of disadvantage, or at least a source of frustration. However, at the risk of humiliating them, these people simply do not understand the allure and power of mystery. They may frankly lack imagination, and that is their problem; neither the artist's nor ours. Fortunately, they have a wide variety of arts and entertainment, and there are certainly movies and television shows that only require a golf ball-sized awareness to understand.

Meanwhile, for those of us with enough adventure and imagination, The work of David Lynch will continue to provide an endless source of thoughts, desires, confusion, fearand above all, joy. Lynch was one of those artists who inherently understood that art is not a finite thing, that despite its completion and confinement to a specific canvas, time period, or something else ephemeral, it can also be infinite. Lynch's dreams have given me their dreams, as they have given countless others theirs. His Transcendentalist practice and philosophy permeated his work so much that he was able to overcome the usual effect that all cinema can produce, which is that almost any film can seem new with multiple viewings. Not only can you find new elements in Lynch's films, they have the power to unlock new depths in your soul and give you new clues to questions you may not have even asked before.

In other words, David Lynch's art is a living, breathing entity, and its availability and accessibility will ensure that it will continue to be immortal. David is sadly gone, but to so many of us – through his work and in our hearts – he will never die.

“Who gives the key, and why?” He gave it to us so that we could discover new dreams forever.