David Lynch’s Inland Empire was a highly unconventional film that left even the cast and crew unsure about its plot. The movie was a mix of Hollywood critique and postmodern surrealism, heavily influenced by Lynch’s Old Hollywood reverence. Drawing a parallel to Sunset Boulevard, Inland Empire offered a confusing, nightmare-inducing narrative of Hollywood’s impact.
After a successful breakthrough with Mulholland Drive, director David Lynch seemed to find a way to communicate his avant-garde approach to a mainstream audience. However, this all came crashing down with his next and most recent film, Inland Empire. Taking the non-linear style to new heights, it was beyond anything Lynch had done before. So much so, the cast found themselves unable to articulate the full scope of Lynch’s characters in interviews.
Inland Empire was effectively an expansion of the Old Hollywood tropes with postmodern surrealism added to it. All of this was arguably over the heads of actors and fans alike. However, a retrospective look at Inland Empire proved to be a journey through a 50s film and a new step into Lynch’s style.
Like most Lynch projects, Inland Empire creates a distinct distance between the viewer and the director. Another demographic that also shared that distance was the cast themselves. Despite the widespread approval of Lynch’s unconventional style, Inland Empire was miles away from his previous films in terms of style and scope. The non-linear format in Mulholland Drive was difficult to follow, but mostly vivid with distinctive personalities between the actresses. Lynch’s last full-length film, however, blurs the lines as the characters staggering through the nightmarish journey of Hollywood. The audience is caught as collateral damage, struggling to articulate where reality seems to stop and the dream depiction begins.
A Still From David Lynch’s Inland Empire (Photo: Inland Empire)
As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal. One of the biggest obstacles for Inland Empire is the identity of the characters. The opening of the film overwhelms viewers with scenes that appear disconnected, yet eventually fall into place with later context. It doesn’t help that the introduction includes a living room with anthropomorphic rabbits. Despite this bizarre first impression, it’s quickly abandoned and swapped with Nikki’s story.
The influence of Old Hollywood is evident throughout the film, particularly in its nods to Sunset Boulevard. Lynch’s reverence for Old Hollywood provided more clues into what he was getting at. He embraced both critiques against the industry and a dream-like vibe in terms of style. These were on display when Nikki assimilated into the business and encountered its woes.
Inland Empire is by far Lynch’s weirdest, most “Lynchian” films to date, but that is precisely what makes it a must-watch for both Lynch fans and general movie lovers alike. Despite its confusing narrative, the film provides a journey through a 50s film and a new step into Lynch’s style.
