I just wanted to direct everybody's attention to some interesting discussion going on at the message board for David Lynch's latest chick-flick, INLAND EMPIRE.
Numerous parallels between IE and LYiM are discussed: shifting points of view, cameos by (Lil) Bow Wow, even Wild at Heart!
Really great stuff.
I couldn't find this discussion on the IMDB Inland Empire board. Do you mean another one? Could you give a link or an address for it?
Thanks.
It was pretty obvious to me that Lynch "borrowed" a lot from "Marienbad" in making his "Inland Empire." Same basic plot (wife cheats on husband, *beep* happens) and a lot of the same motifs used are used in each film (Rococo architecture, doubling of characters, weird emphasis on lamps in the bedroom, etc.). I had just rewatched "Inland Empire" before seeing "Marienbad" for the first time and it was all pretty obvious.
shareYup, MARIENBAND was definitely an influence on INLAND EMPIRE. Althougb IE ultimately has a much more straight-ahead plot, there are many, many plot threads that only the viewer can connect via his or her own intellect/imagination.
"FUNNY HOW SECRETS TRAVEL..."
When the first frames of the film appeared with the shot of the hotel ceiling moving along I was immediately reminded of the similar opening to Wild at Heart. But I haven't watched either this or IE enough yet to see more similarities there.
shareBtw, anyone who thinks IE is a "chick-flick" is in desperate, desperate need of a clue.
"FUNNY HOW SECRETS TRAVEL..."
While i can see the comparison with INLAND EMPIRE, i would say Fellini's 8 1/2 is a better comparison...
all the same, i dont think you can criticise Lynch for having influences, his films are as influenced by Kubrick as they are by Francis Bacon....
also im interested if fans of Lynch's work and this film have read much of Robbe-Grillet's fiction....
this is the closest experience i can think of in literature to watching these films
also im interested if fans of Lynch's work and this film have read much of Robbe-Grillet's fiction....
this is the closest experience i can think of in literature to watching these films
I have read Robbe-Grillet (and seen MARIENBAND, of course) and I feel certain that he's an influence on Lynch...especially INLAND EMPIRE.
My guess is that Lynch is familiar with MARIENBAND, if not any of the books. He isn't a big reader.
"FUNNY HOW SECRETS TRAVEL..."
There´s also the similar head turning scene during which the time frame and circumstance magically changes. Nikki Grace at least remained in the same room though while the woman in Marienbad didn´t.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
I don't see much similarity at all except for the fact that neither film has a conventional narrative and both have female leads. I can see more similarity between Marienbad and The Shining. Could someone please give some examples because the similarities mentioned in this thread are extremely vague.
Also for fun you could imagine that India Song is a direct sequel to Marienbad.
First of all, I don't think that INLAND EMPIRE tries to imitate Marienbad or something like that. But I have strong feeling that without this film Lynch's world wouldn't be the same.
They both have looplike qualities and they show seemingly similar happenings in different scenes, again and again. They both ary very mysterious while at the same time give you the feeling of almost getting it, the answer waits just around next corner.
Infidelity and acts of violence (crimes of passion) are hinted strongly in both. Well IE goes even further than that. They also seem to have subjective world around the characters that doesn't follow the logic and reason, or rather, reality.
Sense of time and place are important. Both films play with them a lot. Scene where the woman goes to the balcony and sees that she actually is in that same place (scene with painted shadows) is very "lynchian" (or rather other way round, of course).
Architecture and set design play a big part in both.
In both of them the protagonist tries to understand what is going on.
Of course if this kind of style would be seen more often, the similarities wouldn't mean so much. But because they are both very unique and still go to same waters so to speak, the similarity feels stronger.
The shining definitely shares some corridor-crawling and feeling with Marienbad. But it is not a mysteryfilm like these two. It deals with mysteries, but isn't itself one.
"zoom back camera"
Your basically describing every movie ever made.
shareYour basically describing every movie ever made.
Stinky comments, dude.
Get a grip, please.
"FUNNY HOW SECRETS TRAVEL..."
Characters wondering what yesterday was all about. How it went. And it has laid a mindf-ck on them. Inland Empire in deed.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
On a related note - there´s one scene where the camera closes in on the female lead who throws up her hands, face contorted with terror which is very similar to a scene in Lost Highway where Fred closes in (from the first person view) on Renee who reacts just like the woman here. And since we can surmise that was a dream/premonition of the murder of Renee, I guess we can draw some conclusions of what was happening there in Marienbad. Pretty sure that´s an intentional homage by Lynch.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Nice catch!
BTW is it just me or does that line he says in that scene in LH sound awful lot like Mystery man?
"You got to bleed for the dancer!"
-Ronnie James Dio
Rest in Peace, my Hero.
I actually mentioned that thing with Fred´s voice when he says: "it looked like you, but it wasn´t you" once on the LH board... and I´m almost certain it´s Robert Blake´s.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
"Do you know what I just heard? At this time last year it was so cold that the lakes froze. /-/ One night I came to your chamber. You were alone. /-/It was almost summer. You´re right... ice would have been quite impossible./-/ This story is already over. A few seconds more and it will finally be frozen. Forever, a past in marble, like the garden carved in stone".
How can this be?
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan