Welcome to the Lost Highway.
What follows is a series of stills, introducing you to the main characters and important events that occur within the film.
My commentary about the characters is located directly below each photo.I hope to express myself clearly and concisely.Please enjoy!But be warned:Lost Highway is a surreal excursion into anther realm.It is not for everyone!
FRED
Fred is the central character in the plot.
He is married to Renee.
Through the course of the film Fred is subjected to a torturous spiral into another reality.
Upon awakening in his new reality, we the viewers realise that Fred has suddenly changed in a shocking way.
RENEE
Renee is Fred's wife.
Fred is accused of her murder and put into jail.
FRED MAKES A PHONE CALL
THE MYSTERY MAN
The Mystery Man is an entity that has murdered Fred's wife Renee, and in doing so has sentenced Fred to the terrible reality of the lost highway.
It is my belief that the Mystery Man has sent Fred to this new fantasy world, because of reasons that are not made clear in the film. Perhaps a vendetta of some sort.
PETE
Pete is Fred Madison.
He is what Fred always imagined himself being.
Because the realm of the lost highway is composed of peoples' fantasies, Fred finds that Pete is now real, and that Fred is not
ALICE!
Alice is obviously Fred's wife Renee's counterpart in this fantasy world.
I feel that there is much more than symbolism at work here.
I think that Renee has conspired with the Mystery Man in order to free her true self(Alice)from the lost highway.
THE CABIN IN THE DESERT
Now for my brief summary of the film.
It would appear that Fred is suffering from some sort of mental illness in the film. And that because of this illness, he murders his wife Renee, then retreats into his own private fantasy world.
I do not see it this way.
I believe that the mystery man has gone to great lengths to make things appear this way. It is my theory that the mystery man and Alice have conspired to trap Fred in a realm I will refer to as the lost highway. The mystery man and Alice have also conspired to do away with Alice/Renee's boss: Mr. Eddy/Dick Lauraunt. All of this is done so that Alice can escape from the lost highway. To do this she needs another person to take her place. This is why Fred has been chosen.