<P>Beloved by film and art aficionados and fans of neo-noir cinema, <I>Mulholland Drive</I> is one of the most important and enigmatic films of recent years. It occupies a central and controversial position in the work of its director, David Lynch, who won the best director award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for the movie.</P><I>
<P>Mulholland Drive</I> in the Routledge <I>Philosophers on Film</I> series is the first full philosophical appraisal of Lynch's film. Beginning with an introduction by the editor, the volume explores the following topics:</P>
<UL>
<LI>the identity of the self and its persistence through time</LI>
<LI>the central, dual roles played by fantasy and reality throughout the film</LI>
<LI>whether <I>Mulholland Drive</I> is best understood epistemologically via reason and language, or whether, as Lynch himself argues, by one's 'inner feelings' and emotions</LI>
<LI>parallels between <I>Mulholland Drive</I> and Kafka's <I>The Castle</I>, both of which pit their protagonists at the mercy of unseen forces</LI>
<LI><I>Mulholland Drive</I> and romanticism.</LI></UL>
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<P>Additional key themes are also discussed, such as the interpenetration of ethics, classical tragedy, and the contrasting philosophical arguments of Plato and Nietzsche on tragic drama. These themes make <I>Mulholland Drive</I> essential and engaging reading for students of philosophy, especially aesthetics and ethics, as well as film studies.</P>