HALFBORN: An Inland Empire Analysis

Started by Jeremy Blackman, May 18, 2009, 09:03:10 PM

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Jeremy Blackman

So... I wrote a little interpretation of INLAND EMPIRE. It has pictures and stuff.

Read there and discuss here!

http://xixax.com/halfborn

SiliasRuby

The Beatles know Jesus Christ has returned to Earth and is in Los Angeles.

When you are getting fucked by the big corporations remember to use a condom.

There was a FISH in the perkalater!!!

My Collection

sinovit

looks like it's gone :( I can only read it in google cache and without pictures but it was available couple of weeks ago

Jeremy Blackman

Hmm, I thought I copied it over when we switched servers. I'll take a look soon and get it back up.


chalfont

Watched the movie first time in 2007. Didn't understand a lot. Read some analysis on the internet and looked forward to see it again Watched it again yesterday and was overwhelmed....Fantastic....Lynch has done it again - and really took it to a different level this time. Still, I was certainly confused over a lot of thibgs in the film, so I got back to analysises on the net. They helped some but after reading yours, I don't see any point of reading any more...... :yabbse-grin: Fantastic work.....

Jeremy Blackman

Excellent, thanks. I started out by reading the official Lynch forum, and that answered a few questions, but even there people would get obsessed with all the wrong things, as if every random Lynchism much be completely explained before we can understand anything. With this movie you really have to separate that stuff from all the plot/character/spiritual mechanisms that are meaningful and interconnected in this complex and surprisingly coherent way.

A lot of the Lynchisms add beauty to the film and even meaning, but they aren't prerequisites to understanding the movie. The rabbits are a good example.

chalfont

What I've learned during my 20+ years as Lynch-fan is when watching his films I try not to understand - just feel. I try just to let the visio/audio sink in as much as possible when watching, and then analyse afterwards. And what IE did was; first 1/4: disturbing - 2 and 3/4 confusing and last quarter of the movie: sad/beautiful - (same as MD ending). And I think you've definitly nailed it on that he's trying to give us an understanding of what this enlightenment thing really is. But I'm not sure if he is trying to explain it to us or actually trying to transfeer the experience to us...;-)

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: chalfont on March 27, 2013, 07:11:42 PMwhen watching his films I try not to understand - just feel. I try just to let the visio/audio sink in as much as possible when watching, and then analyse afterwards.

Definitely agree. Seeing Mulholland Drive in the theater was almost as transformative for me as seeing Magnolia. Being assaulted by that movie was so overwhelming, and I fell in love with that. It only works because you know, even on the first viewing, that the meaning is there. So you find yourself in this state exactly between confusion and epiphany. I don't know of another filmmaker who can produce that feeling.

polkablues

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on March 27, 2013, 07:51:34 PM
It only works because you know, even on the first viewing, that the meaning is there. So you find yourself in this state exactly between confusion and epiphany. I don't know of another filmmaker who can produce that feeling.

I can think of two out there now that fit that description, in very different ways (from each other and from Lynch):
My house, my rules, my coffee

Jeremy Blackman

Yeah I guess I was being too generic. The particular way Lynch does it... I'm not sure how to put that into words.

chalfont

I need to see it again to be able to challenge your theories.....

chalfont

Quote from: chalfont on March 31, 2013, 02:44:53 PM
I need to see it again to be able to challenge your theories.....
Ok - read through your analysis again, and noted a few things:

I remember when I saw the movie the first time, I actually found one thing of interest (I say actually, because I rarely understand any of these things on my first viewing... :yabbse-grin: )
Kingsley: "Well, I thought since we're here and Smithy's set's been started, we might go through some of those scenes that take place there. Not the love scene, of course, but some of the earlier scenes that indicate so beautifully your characters. Let's take, for instance, scene 35—the scene where, Devon, you arrive, Billy, at Smithy's house to find Sue, Nikki, looking out of the window."
The "not the love scene, of course" for me indicates that it is probably too early for Sue to face this tragedy of her life which caused to all other things. Too early in the cleansing-process.

Axxon n: There is some more here I just can't completely grab it. For me it refeers to: "A little boy went out to play. When he opened his door, he saw the world. As he passed through the doorway, a ghost—a reflection—evil—was born. Evil was born and followed the boy . . . And, the variation. A little girl went out to play. Lost in the marketplace as if half-born. Then, not through the marketplace—you see that, don't you?—but through the alley behind the marketplace. This is the way to the palace. But... it isn't something you remember."
For me, these "Axxon n" signs on the doors represent a director saying "Action" in starting recording a scene - as if Sue is starting to enter another step to her enlightment...

The Old-Poland scene where Lost Girl meets husband/The Phantom on the street - him telling about a murder. The first time I saw this there were things here that for some reason reminded me of Leland/Laura Palmer. The conversation, the looks.Something he said: "You are usually home at this time" or "I usually see you at home". I just got this Father/daughter abuse feeling during this scene. Allthough it doesn't add up in your analysis - I just suspect Lynch for sometimes putting several meanings in some scenes, even though they don't fit to the story...

I often wonder about Lynch' sometimes weird actor/actress choices: David Bowie, William H Stacey, Chris Isak, Kiefer Sutherland,Willem Defoe, even Bill Pullman.
Some of these just don't "fit" :yabbse-grin:
Allthough the David Bowie-sequence is one of my Lynch-favourites...:-)

....and I think it's more correct to say that IE can be understood in different levels, more than different ways....

...so I guess I am more confirming your views rather than challenge them.... :yabbse-undecided:

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: chalfont on March 31, 2013, 06:07:02 PMThe "not the love scene, of course" for me indicates that it is probably too early for Sue to face this tragedy of her life which caused to all other things. Too early in the cleansing-process.

Personally, I figured Kingsley was sidestepping the love scene simply because it would be awkward going through that with everyone at the table. But there could be more meaning to it.

Quote from: chalfont on March 31, 2013, 06:07:02 PMAxxon n: There is some more here I just can't completely grab it. For me it refeers to: "A little boy went out to play. When he opened his door, he saw the world. As he passed through the doorway, a ghost—a reflection—evil—was born. Evil was born and followed the boy . . . And, the variation. A little girl went out to play. Lost in the marketplace as if half-born. Then, not through the marketplace—you see that, don't you?—but through the alley behind the marketplace. This is the way to the palace. But... it isn't something you remember."
For me, these "Axxon n" signs on the doors represent a director saying "Action" in starting recording a scene - as if Sue is starting to enter another step to her enlightment...

Well, this is my best guess about Axxon N. It's the name of the radio play in which Lost Girl "appears." (We know that.) As such, Axxon N is useful (within the movie's mechanics) to connect Sue to Lost Girl. I think this is why the phrase "Axxon N" keeps appearing to Sue as she gets closer to Lost Girl. It's a signifier of their connection. Quoting from my analysis: And so, throughout her post-life journey, Sue finds Axxon N written on doors as clues. Each time Sue opens an Axxon N door, she is brought closer to the truth, closer to Room 47, and closer to Lost Girl. (Axxon N represents Lost Girl for Sue, so it makes sense.)

As for why Lynch likes the phrase "Axxon N," I have no clue. It could be a homophone for "action" like you suggest. That would fit. Or it could be something random from his brain that he thought looked/sounded enigmatic.

Also, read this: http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=9404.msg314182#msg314182

DBeyond

Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on May 18, 2009, 09:03:10 PM
So... I wrote a little interpretation of INLAND EMPIRE. It has pictures and stuff.

Read there and discuss here!

http://xixax.com/halfborn

Just sent you an email. Please let me know if you received it. Thanks