Inland Empire (2006)

Inland Empire (2006)
Written and Directed by David Lynch

Holy shit. David Lynch has made some weird movies, some that have absolutely no real meaning (Lost Highway), but he surely outdoes himself with this one.

Shot entirely in DV with a cheap ($2,000) camera, he composes the best digital images I've probably ever seen, and I'm comparing this shit to HD even. No, it's not the quality that is fantastic, it's the way in which he uses the medium, the lighting, the movement, and the way in which he chooses to shoot his subjects. Best digital cinematography I've seen so far.

The movie itself is a mind trip, not like Mulholland Dr, because that actually had a narrative plot (no matter how confusing or labyrinthical, it at least had a coherent, cohesive story) Inland Empire does not care to explain itself, it just is.

Here is the film that might be Lynch's masterwork, or at least the best representation of himself as an artist through the medium of film. Inland Empire isn't about things, it just shows you images, and leaves it completely up to you on how you interpret them. This is the painter in Lynch finally realized in the film medium. He puts something on the screen for you to look at, offers no explanation, and moves on to the next image.

This movie is by far the most un-mainstream thing he's ever done, if a regular moviegoer attempted to watch this, they would turn it off or leave right away, it offers nothing that a casual moviegoer expects. Yet, therein lies its brilliance. It is a subconscious minefield of ideas and situations. There's no use in explaining the plot or characters, it has to be seen and it's just as simple as that.

While I said there is no narrative cohesion, that doesn't mean there isn't any plot. The entire movie is plot, every scene is a different plot, it's just that in the end, none of it really adds up. That, however, is not the point. Lynch takes the mindset of a painter, which is what he did before he became a filmmaker, in putting thought and detail into every image he composes, and then leaving the explanations to the viewer of the image.

Many works of art are about duality, either of personality, society, or many other subjects, but this is the first I've ever seen or heard of that has to do with quadrality, telling four stories juxtaposed against each other, and leaving the similarities or differences between the characters and stories completely up to the viewer. This makes Inland Empire a visceral experience, and one that will really only be appreciated by Lynch's existing fans.

The actors are all top notch, but the acting comes in a far second to the actual format of the film, although I will say this is the first film I've actually noticed Laura Dern in and said to myself "Wow, she can act? I never noticed." The always great Justin Theroux and Jeremy Irons are both extensions of other characters they've played, but this is not what's important, as I've already mentioned. This is a visual, aural, and subconscious masterpiece. You don't have to know what it's about to enjoy looking at it, although that's what most critics have complained when reviewing it.

9.7/10