Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Inland Empire Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 26, 2023

David Lynch's "Inland Empire" (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with actors Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan; extended and cut scenes; two bonus films by blackANDwhite; original trailer for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

David Lynch’s Inland Empire is one giant puzzle of a film. I think that it is about a young American actress, Nikki Grace (Laura Dern, Wild at Heart), who experiences a strange form of psychosis that irreversibly damages her ability to separate reality from make-believe. At the same time, she attempts to shoot a film in which the character she plays, Susan Blue, is an emotionally disturbed woman whose affair with a married man, Billy Side (Justin Theroux, The Legend of Lucy Keyes), comes to an end. As her condition worsens, Nikki completely loses control of her thoughts and emotions and eventually becomes Susan -- in real life -- causing all sorts of problems for the people around her.

Another theory I have is that Inland Empire is about something much bigger, something a lot more serious. At its core is what most of us regard as faith and then relate to a power some of us refer to as God. (In the film, this power is called the Phantom). Somehow, Nikki enters His world and He immediately notices her. In the beginning, He only observes her and then, before things get out of control, He pulls her plug and she loses her mind. A group of psychiatrists -- the rabbits -- attempt to bring her back but fail, time after time.

Lynch's films rarely feature clear-cut messages and Inland Empire is not an exception. There are a lot of things in it that do not make a whole lot of sense, certainly if one attempts to use conventional logic to deconstruct and understand them, but they do not necessarily have to. Whether one figures out the true identities of the rabbits, or precisely why Nikki loses her mind, is practically irrelevant. I think that what is important is how one reacts to the events taking place on the screen. In other words, Inland Empire works best as an experience, not a conventional film with a conventional narrative.

Shot on digital video, Inland Empire is undoubtedly Lynch's most experimental film since Eraserhead. In it, light, shadow, and color are mixed to produce something quite fascinating and, as many might rightfully argue, quite frustrating. Why? Because one can see what Lynch filmed but one cannot always see in it what he did while working on Inland Empire.

The non-linear structure of the narrative is unusually complex as well. At first, it seems like Nikki’s reality overlaps with that of the character she plays, but later the action moves elsewhere -- at a fluid place between the two realities where it eventually becomes impossible to figure out whether it is Nikki or her character that Lynch's camera follows.

Perhaps the most bizarre piece of the puzzle, however, is the "Polish connection". In the first half, Nikki is visited by one of her new neighbors (Grace Zabriskie, Chain of Desire) who casually informs her that today is tomorrow and that the film she is about to begin shooting is a remake of a Polish film, which was once cursed by gypsies and abandoned by its producers because the actors they hired were killed. What does all of this mean? I do not know. I have another theory that explains the "Polish connection" but it is not a good one.

The cast is excellent. Dern delivers a bold and very convincing performance as the emotionally battered Nikki/Susan. When she begins to lose her mind and finds herself amongst the prostitutes on the streets of Los Angeles, she is at her best. Theroux’s time in front of the camera is limited, but he makes the most of it. Several excellent cameos deserve to be mentioned, too. Jeremy Irons is the enthusiastic director of the film Nikki is shooting. Harry Dean Stanton is his trusted assistant. Julia Ormond plays a seriously disturbed woman who has suddenly realized that she is about to commit a terrible crime.

In 2006, Inland Empire was screened at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Future Film Festival Digital Award (David Lynch).

Inland Empire Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Inland Empire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

This release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was supervised and approved by David Lynch. I have only other release of Inland Empire, which is this Region-B release that Optimum Home Entertainment produced in 2010. Obviously, the older release is sourced from a different master.

Inland Empire was shot digitally in standard definition, which means that the technical presentation retains all sorts of different native limitations. Naturally, delineation, clarity, depth, and even color reproduction need to be analyzed, understood, and critiqued differently. I would even approach stability differently. So, considering the native limitations of the original source, I think that Inland Empire looks very good on Blu-ray. (Of course, the 1080p resolution is not the film's native resolution). For example, detail remains pleasing, though in some darker areas there just isn't a lot to see -- or at least not as much as you would probably want to see. The same can be said about clarity, which is good but varies. Image stability is very good, but you need to keep in mind that in many areas where the camera moves the visuals reveal what I would describe as minor motion judder. This is another inherited source limitation. Colors are fine, but they have that typical video-ish quality that you will never observe on 35mm film. So, are there any notable improvements after Inland Empire was remastered in 4K? I spent quite a bit of time comparing this release to the other Region-B release that I have in my library. I could spot two discrepancies. On this release, Inland Empire looks marginally cooler, but I am unsure if this is an improvement. In fact, as I write this article, I am unsure if the discrepancy is meaningful enough to analyze. Some trained eyes will spot it and this would be it. Also, on this release, some fine nuances might be better defined. (See screencapture #2 and focus on the rabbit on the right side of it). But I am unsure if most viewers will notice and appreciate the discrepancy. If there are any other discrepancies that could be perceived as improvements, I missed them. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Inland Empire Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. English subtitles automatically appear for the exchanges in Polish.

The other Region-B release of Inland Empire that I have in my library has 5.1 and 2.0 tracks as well, but the ones that are included on this release are different. Both were remastered in 2022 by David Lynch and original recording mixers Dean Hurley and Ron Eng.

I viewed the entire film with the 5.1 track. The areas where audio effects become prominent to enhance the desired atmosphere feel a tad wider, possibly bringing in some organic sounds and noises better. The dialog is easy to follow, but you need to keep in mind that the sound design has some unique fluctuations.

Inland Empire Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - MAIN FEATURE

• Bonus Features - there are no bonus features to be found on this disc.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - BONUS FEATURES

• Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan - in this new program, Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan and recall their first encounters with David Lynch, the first time they met and how they connected on Blue Velvet, and discuss the themes and experimental identity of Inland Empire. There are some particularly interesting comments about the emergence and completion of the many different sections of the film's unusual narrative and the placement of Dern's character in them. In English, not subtitled. (32 min)

• LYNCH (one) (2007) - this film by blackANDwhite, the makers of David Lynch: The Art Life, was made over the course of two years during the filming of Inland Empire. In English, not subtitled. (76 min).

• LYNCH2 (2007) - this short film by blackANDwhite, the makers of David Lynch: The Art Life, features behind the scenes footage from the making of Inland Empire. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• More Things That Happened - presented here are several extended and cut scenes from Inland Empire. In English, not subtitled. (75 min).

• Room to Dream - this short audio recording features David Lynch reading from "The Happiest of Happy Endings", a chapter from Room to Dream, the 2018 book that co-authored with critic Kristine McKenna. In English, not subtitled. (16 min).

• Trailer - an original trailer for Inland Empire. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring excerpts from Richard A. Barney's book David Lynch: Interviews as well as technical credits.

Inland Empire Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Much of what takes place in Inland Empire does not make sense to me. However, when I view it, I let it plug into my mind, without any restrictions, and the experience becomes pretty incredible. My theory is that this is how David Lynch wanted Inland Empire to impress, which is why deconstructing the events in its non-linear narrative is a total waste of time. Inland Empire was not meant to be understood, or at least not in the same conventional way Lynch's previous films can be understood, and if you accept that it is so, I think that you will find it very effective. Criterion's upcoming two-disc set also includes two quite interesting films from blackANDwhite, the creators of David Lynch: The Art Life. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.