Lost Highway (1997)

Lost Highway (1997)

StarringBill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Loggia Director: Lynch

This was one of the most unusual films we have ever seen. I didn't understand it from start to finish but after walking away  and finding some reviews, it became apparent that Lynch did not intend to spell out the narrative clearly. We liked this film for the way it changed from scenes and used special effect to convey moods and changes in events. We particularly liked the layering of images and flashing of lights during hysterical scenes.  Fred Madison is a saxophonist who is married to brunette Renee (Patricia Arquette) They receive creepy footage form inside their own house of them sleeping on several tapes, they begin to worry phoning the police. Fred's fear is confirmed when he meets a mysterious man at a flamboyant party. The next day Fred wakes to find Renee murdered and he himself is taken to prison for it, however remembered nothing from the night before. Sitting in his sell he inexplicably changes into another person waking up as Pete Dayton a young mechanic. Pete Daytons parents come to collect him from prison leaving officers baffled. At the mechanics Pete meets a dangerous clients sexy girl friend, Alice Wakefield (a blonde Arquette) they have a passionate love affaire sneaking around at high risk. The ending finds the couple eloping with the Pete transforming back to Fred upon Alice informing him that she will never truly be his. You are left with the conclusion that Alice and Renee were in fact the same person, she was a prostitute involved in a gang and Pete/Fred a phenomenon Lynche does not need to explain, possibly split personalities of jealousy, lust, worry, violence and passion.

These to stills were inspirational in the process of Fred's transformation to Pete. Lynch layered many many images fading and flashing lighting. The second still above showed Fred tossing from side to side violently emitting steam/fog, bleeding and screaming, flashing up to the light above the sell fading to Pete's eyes. Complete confusion yet you can tell what has just happened. We would like to play with the idea of layering and creating an atmosphere of transformation in a melancholic way so it would be slower with music thats suited.