Lost Highway
“I like to remember things my own way”
“What do you mean by that?”
“[I like to remember things] how I remembered them. Not exactly the way they happen”
That quote, very unsubtly placed into the first 20minutes of this film, perfectly represents how this film presents its narrative. Getting to the end, I really couldn’t tell whether Fred and Pete were the same person or not. Am I being shown the full picture? Have I even remembered what I’ve seen correctly or is it distorted? Have previously shown events already happened or are we now in the past?
Structurally, it’s so purposefully chaotic that knowing if what you’re shown, is in chronological order or not, is impossible to know. I really thought they were two separate people for most of the film. It felt like the story was missing key information that would be revealed at the end, however now I don’t think that. Despite not getting a conclusive ending, I feel like I have seen the whole story. But what is most weird is I still don’t know whether Fred and Pete are the same being. Or if Alice and Renee are the same being. Or whether Alice existed at all. It reveals everything and hides everything simultaneously. It’s paradoxical but it works (in the words of Oppenheimer). What is the undeniable truth?
It undoubtedly needs a rewatch but I think this debate is the whole point of the film. It is physically impossible to get a factual conclusion. You just have to piece together what you’ve been shown in the way you see fit. To make a film conclude in that manner, without giving the viewer an incontestable conclusion, but it still be incredibly enjoyable and not feeling like a waste of time, is a testament to David Lynch (RIP) as a writer and director.
I have been putting off watching a David Lynch film for a while now, mainly because of how little I knew about him. I had heard from many that he is one of THE great directors of our time and this film 100% lived up to that. How it deals with identity, sexual relationships, desire, the deniability of reality, and guilt, is just astonishing. An absolutely revolutionary film and one that will grow in stature over time I’m sure. 100% recommended.