Inland Empire (2006)

Directed by: David Lynch | 172 minutes | drama, thriller | Actors: Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Harry Dean Stanton, Freddie Howard, Peter J. Lucas, Jan Hencz, Grace Zabriskie, Diane Ladd, Julia Ormond, Ian Abercrombie

Five years after ‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001), David Lynch is back with a film that is at least as alienating as its predecessor. The title, “Inland Empire,” refers to an area east of Los Angeles County, where — Laura Dern said in an interview — her husband is from. “I like the word inland. And I like the word empire” said David Lynch and this was reason enough for him to call his film that. This indicates that Lynch is a sensitive person. He has a thing for words, with sounds, with letters, with textures. He is interested in the structure of things, what they are built from. In ‘Inland Empire’ his love for texture and structure is reflected in the use of digital video. Previously, all his feature films were shot on 35mm. This time, however, Lynch has opted for video, which means that as a viewer you need some time to get used to what you are presented with. The quality is, for a cinema film, substandard. The image is grainy and frequently out of focus. When zoomed in, it jerks, and the use of handheld cameras does not improve the quality of the film either. Moreover, there is a lot to notice about the lighting and the sound quality of, among other things, the dialogue. However, when you look at it from Lynch’s perspective – and you don’t mind the above elements, but can – like Lynch – see the beauty in it, then this adds an extra dimension to the viewing experience. Speaking of extra dimensions, Lynch is a master at creating different, parallel worlds and he proves it here with verve.

The line between the world in the film and the world of the film in the film is beginning to blur. And then we haven’t even mentioned the woman who watches TV with tearful eyes and Nikki (Laura Dern) who sees herself live on the silver screen when she walks into an empty cinema. Are you still following it? Probably not, and therein lies the beauty or rather the characteristic of Lynch’s oeuvre. Not everything is explained and this is not necessary. Since the first Hollywood films, the viewer has become accustomed to everything being chewed up and also used to thinking for themselves. Lynch is one of the filmmakers who opposes the mindless, only entertaining cinema.

“You start thinking about articulating a certain thing, and then you suddenly see it for what it is and the magic goes away a little bit. It’s tricky. When you talk about things – unless you’re a poet – a big thing becomes smaller.” This quote clearly shows why Lynch doesn’t want to go into depth about his own films and inversely this may also be reason enough for people not to delve too deeply into his films. ‘Inland Empire’ is a film about film(making) and refers time and again to the medium. It is a film that encourages self-reflection. As a viewer you become very aware of the fact that you are watching a film in a dark room, a construct. The alienating effect of ‘Inland Empire’ does not leave you in the dark and can be found in all aspects of the film. From the bizarre characters, ominous, layered soundtracks, the play with light and dark and the fragmentary narrative to the miscommunication and the merging of dream and reality. All these elements contribute to the unreal, eerie atmosphere that his films evoke. With ‘Inland Empire’ Lynch has perhaps more than ever succeeded in emotionally disturbing the viewer. He shows that he is a master of alienation, as Hitchcock was of suspense.

‘Inland Empire’ is a must for fans of alienating, self-reflective cinema. Let yourself be carried away in the wonderful world that Lynch has constructed with this film and enjoy, but above all experience, the wonderful world that this author has created among American filmmakers. Only when you open yourself up to this film will you realize that ‘Inland Empire’ is one of the most intense cinema experiences you have ever experienced.