Tuesday 6 March 2018

Thought 603: A Note on Mulholland Drive


COWBOY
A man's attitude... 
a man's attitude goes some ways 
toward how a man's life will be. 
Is that something you agree with?

ADAM
Sure.

COWBOY
Now... 
did you answer cause you thought 
that's what I wanted to hear 
or did you think about what I said 
and answer cause you truly 
believe that to be right?

ADAM
I agree with 
what you said... 
truly.

COWBOY
What did I say?

ADAM
That a man's attitude 
determines to a 
large extent how 
his life will be.

COWBOY
So since you agree 
I guess you could be a 
person who does not 
care about the good life.

ADAM
How's that?

COWBOY
Well, just stop for a little 
second and think about it. 
Will ya do that for me?

ADAM
Okay, I'm thinking.

COWBOY
No. You're too busy being 
a smart aleck to be thinkin'. 
Now I want you to think and 
quit bein' such a smart aleck. 
Can you do that for me?

ADAM
Look... Where's this going? 
What do you want me to do?

COWBOY
There's sometimes a buggy. 
How many drivers 
does a buggy have?

ADAM
One.

COWBOY
So let's just say I'm driving this buggy 
and you fix your attitude and 
you can ride along with me.

***

The Cowboy can be 
read as being David Lynch 
telling the audience in the
form of the smart-aleck 
director Adam to fix their
attitude as to the film 
and to ride with 
the buggy-driver,
the Director, on the
journey of Mulholland
Drive.