In the two selected David Lynch movies a shared motif becomes apparent: the question of identity. Therefore I define border crossing as the crossing of a psychological border within a person making possible to live out different (part-) identities. Jeffrey in Blue Velvet as well as Betty/Diane in Mulholland Drive have two different identities, i.e. they are presented to us in two different roles, a psychological border crossing takes place. In either case the concepts of identity and identity construction which were current at the date of the movies’ origin are represented. Framing these concepts in relation to the time they were made it becomes clear that we are dealing with innovative groundbreaking ideas. Thus I compare the films relating to how they express identity construction and the therewith combined border crossing. Hereupon I will relate this analysis to the history of identity to make clear in which sense the dealing with the identity discourse is innovative in both of the films.
Finally I will discuss the question if the presented border crossings are still border crossings today or if they have already become habits. To find an answer I will classify the movies within the film history and explain how the film socialization determines the spectators’ readings. I suggest that both films despite all their differences actually tell the same story, only that there are sixteen years of (film-) history between them causing the different ways of narrating. A second border crossing becomes apparent, a border crossing between the two films.
Table of Contents
It’ll be just like in the movies – we’ll pretend we were someone else. Identity construction in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive
1. Introduction
2. Identity construction in Blue Velvet
3. Identity construction in Mulholland Drive
4. Film history as a history of meaning circulation
5. Conclusion
6. Bibliography
7. Attachment 1: Sequence record “Blue Velvet”
8. Attachment 2: Sequence record “Mulholland Drive”
Research Objectives and Topics
This study aims to analyze how David Lynch’s films "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive" utilize the motif of identity construction and psychological border crossing to represent changing social and film-historical contexts. By comparing the two films, the work explores how shifting narrative strategies reflect the evolution of identity concepts from the modern to the postmodern era.
- Identity discourse and the construction of self-narratives.
- Psychological border crossings and fragmented identities in Lynch's cinema.
- The evolution of film meaning and narrative complexity (from "Blue Velvet" to "Mulholland Drive").
- The role of postmodern culture and social reality in identity formation.
- Comparative analysis of narrative structures, recurring motifs, and genre hybridity.
Excerpt from the Book
Mulholland Drive: “And now I’m in this dream place.”
As she notices herself, Betty’s life is unbelievable. She personifies the ideal of a hollywood star: the young good-looking blond girl in pink clothes, full of hopes and dreams, optimistic, enthusiastic and full of beans, a kind of barbie figure: Further she has a good character, is always happy and friendly, selfless, warmhearted and considerate. She wants to help everybody what makes her quite naive. Nevertheless she represents the pure and perfect girl. Having lost her memory Rita appears as an unknown quantity. Being an amnesiac who has survived a car accident she is tired, hurt, helpless and desperate. She is often naked or half naked and crying what shows her neediness. As she does not remember anything up to the accident, Betty is her only attachment figure. She trusts Betty because of being treated well and gently by her. But it also means that she is kind of dependent on her. Within their relationship Betty plays the active part. She is the dominant one who talks and takes the decisions. Rita however is her counterpart.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Defines the core motif of identity and the concept of psychological border crossing, setting the stage for a comparative analysis of the two films.
2. Identity construction in Blue Velvet: Analyzes how the protagonist Jeffrey Beaumont oscillates between two distinct worlds, representing a modern identity concept grounded in traditional binary oppositions.
3. Identity construction in Mulholland Drive: Examines the postmodern fragmentation of identity in the protagonists Betty and Diane, focusing on the failure of self-narrated myths in an unstable reality.
4. Film history as a history of meaning circulation: Uses Lorenz Engell’s three-phase model to categorize the narrative stylistic developments of the films within the broader history of media and meaning production.
5. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis, arguing that both films tell the same story of love and desire but through different narrative styles that reflect their respective historical periods.
6. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources and literature used for the analysis of Lynch’s cinema and identity theories.
7. Attachment 1: Sequence record “Blue Velvet”: Provides a detailed chronological overview of the narrative progression and key scenes in the movie.
8. Attachment 2: Sequence record “Mulholland Drive”: Offers a structural breakdown of the plot and the complex narrative levels in the film.
Keywords
David Lynch, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Identity Construction, Border Crossing, Postmodernism, Film Theory, Stuart Hall, Meaning Circulation, Self-Narration, Identity Politics, Narrative Complexity, Film History, Subjectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic work?
The work examines the shared motif of identity construction in David Lynch’s films "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Drive," analyzing how these films represent psychological border crossings within the protagonists.
What are the central themes explored in the analysis?
The study investigates the shift in identity concepts, the role of self-narration, the impact of film history on narrative styles, and the relationship between reality, dreams, and fiction.
What is the primary research goal of the thesis?
The goal is to compare how both films express identity construction and to understand the historical evolution in their narrative strategies, placing them within the context of changing modern and postmodern discourses.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses film-analytical methods combined with identity theory, specifically referencing Stuart Hall’s concepts of the subject, and Lorenz Engell’s film-historical framework regarding meaning circulation.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section provides an in-depth reading of the protagonists in both films, discusses identity concepts in the light of social history, and analyzes specific cinematic techniques like camera usage and genre hybridity.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key concepts include Identity Construction, Border Crossing, Postmodernism, Meaning Circulation, and the films' specific narrative structures.
How does the author define “border crossing”?
The author defines border crossing as the crossing of a psychological boundary within an individual, which enables them to experience or live out different part-identities.
Why is "Mulholland Drive" considered more complex than "Blue Velvet" in terms of identity?
Unlike the more binary and "clear" world of "Blue Velvet," "Mulholland Drive" explores the risks of postmodern identity construction, where the subject faces fragmentation, instability, and the potential failure of their self-narrated myths.
What is the significance of the "blue box" in "Mulholland Drive"?
The blue box acts as a crucial narrative pivot that signifies the darkness and the inevitable deconstruction of Diane’s dream world, representing the emptiness behind the Hollywood myth.
- Quote paper
- Ina Brauckhoff (Author), 2008, Identity construction in David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/92183
