u/InspectorOwl909

A few days ago, I posted a theory here about how Diane and Rita are not actually lovers but instead both vying for the affections of the director character.

I interpret the film as Rita being the dream version of Camilla, and Betty being the dream version of Diane. Camilla is the real Rita, but I am referring to her as Rita in the theory.

I'm only repeating the theory in case others missed the first post. This is sort of an addition to the original theory.

The theory goes like this:

I agree with most of the commonly accepted theory of the film that the first 2/3rds are a dream, and the final third is reality where Diane has hallucinations. An aspiring actress Diane falls in love with a director while trying out for a part, but the director chooses Rita over her both as his romantic partner and lead in his film. Diane's jealousy over this prompts her to murder Rita, and the dream that takes up most of the film is her way of pretending none of the events happened. The role that Diane is competing for is in a film set in what appears to be the 1940's/50's.

When Diane first sees the director on the set, it resembles a love at first sight moment, and a song is being heard sung on stage with these lyrics: "Friends ask me, 'Am I in love?" I always answer yes. Might as well confess. If the answer's yes. Maybe you may love me too. Oh, my darling, if you do. Why havent't you told me?" The lyrics are from a 1961 teen pop song.

While Archie Comics began to take hold during the 1940's/50s, David Lynch grew up around when it was at its peak popularity in the 1960's. He also seemed pretty interested in comics in general.

Is it possible that Archie Comics inspired Mulholland Drive?

Diane and Camilla are possible archetypes for Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge.

Diane is portrayed as the innocent/girl-next-door type just like Betty.

Diane has blonde hair with a similar red sweater to the one often worn by Betty Cooper. Both charaters also share the same first name Betty.

Rita is alluring, sassy, and demanding just like Veronica.

Rita has dark hair, a voluptuous figure, and wears sleek seductive clothing like Veronica Lodge often does.

According to the theory, both Diane and Rita are pining for the same man, Adam.

In Archie Comics, Betty and Veronica both obsess over the same man, Archie.

A running theme through the comics is Archie having to choose between Betty or Veronica.

Adam, the director, is saddled with having to make an important choice in the film.

Diane and Rita investigate a mystery, just like how Betty and Veronica often do in the comics.

Did David Lynch make his own twisted adaptation of Archie Comics?

One where Archie chooses Veronica over Betty?

And Betty goes bonkers and murderers Veronica out of revenge?

EDIT: Made a typo. Title should say Muholland Drive.

Doctor Bill Harford is in the closet.

I agree with most of the commonly accepted theory of the film that the first 2/3rds are a dream, and the final third is reality where Diane has hallucinations. Diane moves to Hollywood, falls in love with another actress named Rita, but in the end loses Rita to a director, and misses out on an acting career which culminates in Diane having a hitman murder Rita. Most of the film is a dream where Diane imagines that the events of her life in Hollywood have turned out differently.

While I mostly agree with this interpretation of the film, it is too surface-level. What is really happening is that this aspiring actress Diane falls in love with a director while auditioning for his movie, and the director chooses Rita over her both as his romantic partner and lead in his film. A casting couch type situation, where the seductress wins over the director. Diane's jealousy over this prompts her to murder Rita, and out of guilt, dreams up a world where none of the tragic events happened.

There are several clues that reveal this. When Diane first sees the director on the set, it resembles a love at first sight moment, and a song is being sung on stage during with these lyrics:

"Friends ask me, 'Am I in love?" I always answer yes. Might as well confess. If the answer's yes. Maybe you may love me too. Oh, my darling, if you do. Why haven't you told me?"

Diane is dreaming that the director also has fallen in love with her at first sight.

It also explains why in Diane's dream, the director catches his wife with another man. It is representative of his foolishness for choosing Rita, since she will eventually cheat on him, as she's just using him for her own career gain, whereas Diane is genuinely in love with him

Diane tells Coco at the dinner that she met Rita on the set of the movie, suggesting that they did not know each other prior, and were not in a relationship together at the time

Diane dreaming that the mob forced the director to cast Camilla is her way of suppressing that he chose Rita over her to be his lover.

So then why are there intimate scenes between Diane and Rita? Well these scenes only occur inside a dream or hallucination. In Diane's dream, she gets what she desires, and Rita's sensuality and physicality are part of that, because it was for those reasons that the director chose Rita instead. As the dream progresses, Rita starts morphing into Diane physically, as if Diane is absorbing Rita's beauty. A transference that will give Diane what the director sexually desired, and make her wanted by him.

It also makes sense why she had Rita killed. If Diane was in love with Rita, then why would she have her murdered? Wouldn't it make more sense for Diane to have the person who stole away her love interest murdered? Diane was jealous of Rita for stealing the director from her, so she had her killed. Rita also taunts Diane because she knows Diane is truly in love with the director.

The relationship between Diane and Rita may have been misread. They aren't lovers but rather competing for the same man in an industry where shallowness and superficiality reign supreme.

The popular interpretation of the film seems mostly consistent, but the actual love affair in the film is not between Betty and Rita but Betty and the director. Lynch just sort of hid this in the film.

One last thing. Bill Harford is in the closet.

Kubrick supposedly admired some of James Cameron's films.

He even included dialogue from Cameron's film True Lies in Eyes Wide Shut.

Both films share a paradoxical title. It seems possible that Kubrick was inspired when formulating the title Eyes Wide Shut.

True Lies tells the story of a top-secret agent living a double life that he hides from his wife.

Could Bill also be living some kind of double life that he his hiding from his wife?

How far does the connection go between these two films?

Does anyone else find it rare to find rational and reasoned discussion regarding this film? It's not just an issue across reddit; it's arguably even worse on other social media sites.

I have checked out multiple subreddits where this film is discussed, and many people are so shackled by their interpretations or opinions that any in-depth conversation is not allowed to happen. On the unlikely chance that serious discourse does begin to unravel itself, somebody will almost always resort to ad hominem assaults and cut the cord.

It's such a shame, because it's such an enigmatic and enrapturing film. Ultimately, nobody can ever know what Kubrick intended, therefore debate should be welcome over the film's meaning.

You seemingly can't have much of a rational discussion about this film online. I don't understand why it has to be this way, as all interpretations or theories should be subjected to the same measure of scrutiny and inquiry.