Blog #7

Both Drive and Mulholland Drive use cars as symbols used to represent the character’s ambition for freedom and escape from the cruelty of everyday life. In Drive, the character of the Driver surrounds himself with cars in every aspect of his life, throughout his career as a stuntman, mechanic and getaway driver. He drives in his freetime, exploring the city and freeing his mind from the stress of metropolitan life. Cars provide him a method to fulfill all his responsibilities, as well as escape from them at the same time. In one scene, the Driver takes a newfound relationships he has with Irene and Benicio to a personal level, accompanying them on a daytrip to a serene and natural spot near the end of the Los Angeles river. It is said that the industrial canals and the sprawl of the city damage area’s natural beauty, which is why a spot like this is so unique and why the driver has such a personal connection to it. The river also serves as a metaphor for the driver, who wants to live a life of simplicity and charm but is corrupted by the inescapable grab of the city and his responsibility to it. In contrast, the character of Irene in Mulholland Drive views the urban metropolis as the escape she needs, as she seeks liberation from simple life and achieve her dreams through show business. She wishes to start over, and achieve her happiness through fame, iconicism, riches, and the joy of living life throughout the fictional stories of others. We see this desire of hers through a dream about her ex-lover Rita, who arrives at a fancy Hollywood party in the backseat of a luxury vehicle, living out the fantasies of Irene. It is the car that takes Irene away from her life in a small town to become a star, and it is the car that brings the driver his escape from show business and the city altogether, While this method of transportation is used in complete opposite ways, it serves as a vehicle for retreat for both characters and shows the audience what they desire most.