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Lost Highway
Sitting on Death Row, awaiting execution for the murder of his wife, Fred Madison experiences a shattering headache. The next day, a dazed and confused Pete Dayton is found in Madison's cell. Dayton has no memory of how he came to be there. Madison has gone missing. What follows may be reality or it may be part of a highly organized hallucination that Fred Madison is undergoing. Lost Highway refuses to yield its secrets readily. It communicates, not just through words, but through images and - most of all - through the mental states these words and images conjure up.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 17, 2013
Someone remind me why I’d want to read the shooting script of a film I have seen more times than any other film. Why? I saw it on the shelf next to another book and grabbed it on a whim. I finished but the law of diminishing returns was definitely in effect.
Takeaways / Fissures:
1)
I remember there was some buzz around the publication of this script because of a revealing (at least by Lynch standards) interview with David Lynch serving as front matter. At the time, everyone just wanted to know “what the f**k happened?!” Well, the interview and script don’t explicate the plot much more than the final film, but there is definitely an implication in the descriptive passages that Fred and Pete are the same person. Though how / why this can be, the time loop, and the doubling of Renee / Alice are never explained. What Lynch didn’t shoot makes sense but the film still suffers from the pacing issues typical of his work. You love it or you hate it. The one element Lynch did add that was not present in the script is the backwards exploding cabin. An image that, in an oeuvre of unforgettable images, is unforgettable and thematically relevant to the narrative.
2)
Years ago, I watched a grainy VHS copy of this film over and over again in a darkened basement room on a 13” CRT television. Then I saw it in a theatre with a proper sound system. I knew then, God loved me.. I think this is the sort of revelation people were expecting from the script.
3)
After a period of voracious cinephilia in my teens, I let the pedal off the gas a bit and was pleasantly surprised by the whimsy of Big Fish. The next film I saw was Mulholland Drive. I realized Big Fish (which in my head was floating around in the “an example of what a good studio movie could be” pond) was nothing but a capitalist pop tart made by a lazy, cowardly child -- a coloring book for idiots filled with saccharine clichés. Every instance of Mulholland Drive was an intentional gesture, every word of dialogue a pregnant shroom, equal parts fascination and annoyance, horror and wonderment. All this from a film that was basically a more user friendly rehash of Lost Highway.* Mulholland Drive helped me remember what cinema could be. Lost Highway tought me that lesson in the first place.
4)
All this praise for a Mr. D. Lynch who is basically a teenage pervert caught in his own power fantasy loop. A “great artist” who can’t even end his own self-destructive, persona-defining addictions to caffeine, nicotine, and voyeuristically debasing women on camera while spouting a spiritual get-out-of-jail-free card made available by a pay-for-play guru. He seems kind of stuck. He makes the same movie and over. His only creative growth being forced upon him by external, objective technological shifts; namely, analog to digital. And while this fatuous pervert eats his own aesthetic poop, his inversion directly proportional to his influence, we forget that Lost Highway was co-written by novelist, poet, and cultural historian Barry Gifford.
5)
Poet Barry Gifford co-wrote Lost Highway.
6)
I realize now the reason I didn’t first understand Lost Highway was because I was completely ignorant of its theme of male sexual insecurity. The first act of the movie, all those scenes between Fred and Renee, those were blank to me. I watched this movie over and over trying to figure out the stupid, obvious body switch parlour trick, and never understood that it was about Fred being jealous of Renee. How could I be so ignorant? How could I understand so little about (other peoples’) sexuality? How could I understand so little about (other) men? Now, I realize I am just not a jealous person. What my partners do with their bodies is their business. God bless America. But then, then I was just ignorant. It was like watching Casablanca and not knowing Rick and Ilsa are supposed to get together. It just didn’t make sense.
7)
I realize now.
============================
*They are same movie except one features a lesbian relationship and the other a straight one. “The other a straight one” is great phrase. The fake tit lesbian relationship gone haywire in MD is actually far more palatable to patriarchy than the straight jazz cat wife mutilation in LH because in MD the women are crazy or pretending to be a lesbians until a man high in the symbolic order comes along; while in LH the actual consequences of domestic violence, gun fetishization and pornography production are full frontal. In short, men come off looking real bad in LH; therefore, it is not tolerable.
Takeaways / Fissures:
1)
I remember there was some buzz around the publication of this script because of a revealing (at least by Lynch standards) interview with David Lynch serving as front matter. At the time, everyone just wanted to know “what the f**k happened?!” Well, the interview and script don’t explicate the plot much more than the final film, but there is definitely an implication in the descriptive passages that Fred and Pete are the same person. Though how / why this can be, the time loop, and the doubling of Renee / Alice are never explained. What Lynch didn’t shoot makes sense but the film still suffers from the pacing issues typical of his work. You love it or you hate it. The one element Lynch did add that was not present in the script is the backwards exploding cabin. An image that, in an oeuvre of unforgettable images, is unforgettable and thematically relevant to the narrative.
2)
Years ago, I watched a grainy VHS copy of this film over and over again in a darkened basement room on a 13” CRT television. Then I saw it in a theatre with a proper sound system. I knew then, God loved me.. I think this is the sort of revelation people were expecting from the script.
3)
After a period of voracious cinephilia in my teens, I let the pedal off the gas a bit and was pleasantly surprised by the whimsy of Big Fish. The next film I saw was Mulholland Drive. I realized Big Fish (which in my head was floating around in the “an example of what a good studio movie could be” pond) was nothing but a capitalist pop tart made by a lazy, cowardly child -- a coloring book for idiots filled with saccharine clichés. Every instance of Mulholland Drive was an intentional gesture, every word of dialogue a pregnant shroom, equal parts fascination and annoyance, horror and wonderment. All this from a film that was basically a more user friendly rehash of Lost Highway.* Mulholland Drive helped me remember what cinema could be. Lost Highway tought me that lesson in the first place.
4)
All this praise for a Mr. D. Lynch who is basically a teenage pervert caught in his own power fantasy loop. A “great artist” who can’t even end his own self-destructive, persona-defining addictions to caffeine, nicotine, and voyeuristically debasing women on camera while spouting a spiritual get-out-of-jail-free card made available by a pay-for-play guru. He seems kind of stuck. He makes the same movie and over. His only creative growth being forced upon him by external, objective technological shifts; namely, analog to digital. And while this fatuous pervert eats his own aesthetic poop, his inversion directly proportional to his influence, we forget that Lost Highway was co-written by novelist, poet, and cultural historian Barry Gifford.
5)
Poet Barry Gifford co-wrote Lost Highway.
6)
I realize now the reason I didn’t first understand Lost Highway was because I was completely ignorant of its theme of male sexual insecurity. The first act of the movie, all those scenes between Fred and Renee, those were blank to me. I watched this movie over and over trying to figure out the stupid, obvious body switch parlour trick, and never understood that it was about Fred being jealous of Renee. How could I be so ignorant? How could I understand so little about (other peoples’) sexuality? How could I understand so little about (other) men? Now, I realize I am just not a jealous person. What my partners do with their bodies is their business. God bless America. But then, then I was just ignorant. It was like watching Casablanca and not knowing Rick and Ilsa are supposed to get together. It just didn’t make sense.
7)
I realize now.
============================
*They are same movie except one features a lesbian relationship and the other a straight one. “The other a straight one” is great phrase. The fake tit lesbian relationship gone haywire in MD is actually far more palatable to patriarchy than the straight jazz cat wife mutilation in LH because in MD the women are crazy or pretending to be a lesbians until a man high in the symbolic order comes along; while in LH the actual consequences of domestic violence, gun fetishization and pornography production are full frontal. In short, men come off looking real bad in LH; therefore, it is not tolerable.
July 13, 2015
Dick Laurent is dead.
March 29, 2013
fascinating to read. always been one of my favorite movies. i was kinda scared to read it for fear of having another miserable 2001: A Space Odyssey experience. but it wasn't like that; nothing is ruined or over-explained. it does add some definition here and there but it's all welcome and interesting. it also points up what a great director lynch is; it's not lifeless on the page but it's clearly just a blueprint... have to watch the movie again sometime soon.
July 9, 2025
در دل تاریکی و ابهام، جایی که واقعیت و خیال در هم میآمیزند و مرزها بهناگهان فرو میریزند، «بزرگراه گمشده» نقشی است بر پردهای که از زندگی مدرن به سختی میتوان تصویرش را گرفت. فیلمی که دیوید لینچ با قلمی سرد و سرشار از رمز و راز، روایتی پیچیده و چندلایه را از گمگشتگی هویت و سردرگمی روانی در جهان معاصر پیش چشم میگذارد.
در این فیلم، ما وارد جهانی میشویم که هر گاماش توأم با سردرگمیست؛ جایی که شخصیتها بهطرزی مرموز در چرخهای از خاطره، فراموشی و بازگشت به گذشته گرفتار شدهاند. کارگردان با بهرهگیری از فضاهای تاریک، موسیقی نامأنوس و تصویرسازیهای گنگ و مبهم، مخاطب را در دریای مهآلود ذهن انسان رها میکند؛ ذهنی که به طور بیوقفه در تلاش برای پیدا کردن هویت خود است و در عین حال، خود را در آینه شکستهای میبیند که هیچ تصویری روشن از آن به دست نمیآید.
موضوع هویت، خودآگاهی و ترس از انزوا در «بزرگراه گمشده» بازتابی است از بحرانهای انسان مدرن. دوگانگی شخصیتها، جابهجایی نقشها و تداخل واقعیت و توهم، نمایانگر آن است که زندگی شاید چیزی جز مجموعهای از خاطرات و تصورات نیست؛ خاطراتی که به سختی قابل اطمیناناند و تصاویری که مدام در حال تغییرند.
ساختار فیلم به شکلی طراحی شده که نه تنها تماشاگر را در کشمکش روایت داستانی میکشاند، بلکه به نوعی تجربهای ذهنی از سردرگمی را به او منتقل میکند. هر صحنه، هر نما و هر قطعه موسیقی به مثابه قطعهای از پازل ناتمام، بخشی از یک کل است که هیچگاه به طور کامل آشکار نمیشود.
«بزرگراه گمشده» محصول نبوغیست که گاه میتواند مخاطب را از دنیای روزمره جدا کند و به اعماق تاریک و پیچیده روان آدمی ببرد. فیلمی که فهم آن آسان نیست، اما در همان پیچیدگیاش، جلوهای از رازهای وجود و فقدان معنا را به نمایش میگذارد. اثری که شاید بتوان آن را نمونهای تمامعیار از سینمای تجربی و سوررئال دانست، جایی که داستان، بیشتر از آنکه روایت شود، حس میشود و پرسشی بیپاسخ از هویت و هستی را در ذهن بیننده میکارد.
در این فیلم، ما وارد جهانی میشویم که هر گاماش توأم با سردرگمیست؛ جایی که شخصیتها بهطرزی مرموز در چرخهای از خاطره، فراموشی و بازگشت به گذشته گرفتار شدهاند. کارگردان با بهرهگیری از فضاهای تاریک، موسیقی نامأنوس و تصویرسازیهای گنگ و مبهم، مخاطب را در دریای مهآلود ذهن انسان رها میکند؛ ذهنی که به طور بیوقفه در تلاش برای پیدا کردن هویت خود است و در عین حال، خود را در آینه شکستهای میبیند که هیچ تصویری روشن از آن به دست نمیآید.
موضوع هویت، خودآگاهی و ترس از انزوا در «بزرگراه گمشده» بازتابی است از بحرانهای انسان مدرن. دوگانگی شخصیتها، جابهجایی نقشها و تداخل واقعیت و توهم، نمایانگر آن است که زندگی شاید چیزی جز مجموعهای از خاطرات و تصورات نیست؛ خاطراتی که به سختی قابل اطمیناناند و تصاویری که مدام در حال تغییرند.
ساختار فیلم به شکلی طراحی شده که نه تنها تماشاگر را در کشمکش روایت داستانی میکشاند، بلکه به نوعی تجربهای ذهنی از سردرگمی را به او منتقل میکند. هر صحنه، هر نما و هر قطعه موسیقی به مثابه قطعهای از پازل ناتمام، بخشی از یک کل است که هیچگاه به طور کامل آشکار نمیشود.
«بزرگراه گمشده» محصول نبوغیست که گاه میتواند مخاطب را از دنیای روزمره جدا کند و به اعماق تاریک و پیچیده روان آدمی ببرد. فیلمی که فهم آن آسان نیست، اما در همان پیچیدگیاش، جلوهای از رازهای وجود و فقدان معنا را به نمایش میگذارد. اثری که شاید بتوان آن را نمونهای تمامعیار از سینمای تجربی و سوررئال دانست، جایی که داستان، بیشتر از آنکه روایت شود، حس میشود و پرسشی بیپاسخ از هویت و هستی را در ذهن بیننده میکارد.
May 3, 2008
Trippy and great...
November 1, 2015
Another brilliant David Lynch script that completely turns around half way through.
May 29, 2018
Read and saw movie at its premiere, which was attended by Barry Gifford. When asked to explain the script, he would only say it was a mobius strip, and did not illuminate further.
April 26, 2015
Having watched the movie about a million times and only having my own interpretation of what it's about, I was hoping reading the script would clear things up a bit; it didn't. There are a few scenes that got cut from the movie that don't really add to the story or explain anything more, but they are interesting nonetheless. This movie continues to be my favorite David Lynch film and reading the original script further cements my love for it.
September 28, 2015
Before a brilliant movie, Lost Highway was a brilliant screenplay written by David Lynch and Barry Gifford.
October 3, 2018
Like a dark surreal nightmare on acid, and them some!
April 11, 2007
...بر شاخساران درخت غار دو کبوتر عریان دیدم
یکی دیگری بود و دیگری هیچ کس نبود
یکی دیگری بود و دیگری هیچ کس نبود
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September 23, 2023Quite a few scenes are in the screenplay that didn't make it into the film. Renee's autopsy, the execution of someone named Sam, a scene in a lingerie store with two women and Andy, Pete has a brawl with a guy who seems to want to make a move on Sheila, and more exposition with the warden when Fred disappears/ Pete appears in the prison cell.
August 19, 2017
Ani náhradný život ti nepomôže utiecť pred sebou.
July 12, 2024
Awesome for getting a fresh perspective on the film. It's interesting how reading a script helps to open a new dimensions even for scenes seen more than 10 times.
January 16, 2025
R.I.P. David Lynch
August 1, 2025
Dick Laurent is dead.
October 7, 2025
Review wird meine 15-seitige Seminararbeit.
Dieser Letterboxd/Goodreads Grind ist nicht für jeden.
Dieser Letterboxd/Goodreads Grind ist nicht für jeden.
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February 12, 2026review text for 828
July 27, 2018
فیلم با صحنه های مالیخولیایی و فضای تو در تو لحظه هایی به یاد ماندنی می سازه. شاید سه چهار بار این کتاب رو خوندم و هر بار لذت بردم.
May 6, 2019
فقط میتونم بگم دنیای دیوید لینچ خیلی عجیبتر از اون چیزی هست که بتونم به راحتی باهاش ارتباط بگیرم ....
فیلمنامه تقریباً به ۳ قسمت تقسیم شده بود و میشه حتی گفت که هر بخش ، داستان مستقل خودش را روایت میکرد ، به شخصه بخش اول رو بیشتر دوست داشتم
به نظرم اگه واقعا مخاطب دیوید لینچ هستید و قصد دارید با مفاهیم فکری کارگردان ارتباط بگیرید ، حداقل باید چندبار فیلمنامه رو بخونید و ساعتها فکر کنید تا شاید در پایان ، مطلبی دستگیرتان شد :))
فیلمنامه تقریباً به ۳ قسمت تقسیم شده بود و میشه حتی گفت که هر بخش ، داستان مستقل خودش را روایت میکرد ، به شخصه بخش اول رو بیشتر دوست داشتم
به نظرم اگه واقعا مخاطب دیوید لینچ هستید و قصد دارید با مفاهیم فکری کارگردان ارتباط بگیرید ، حداقل باید چندبار فیلمنامه رو بخونید و ساعتها فکر کنید تا شاید در پایان ، مطلبی دستگیرتان شد :))
August 23, 2007
This film is so confusing!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews