David Lynch’s 22 Strangest ‘Otherworld’ Characters
15. The Bum: Mulholland Drive
Theres a man in back of this place. Hes the one whos doing it. If evidence was needed that Lynchs otherworld characters have some unexplained role in the development of his stories, Mulholland Drives enigmatic man in back of this place provides it. Mulholland Drive is a master-class in narrative misdirection and confusion, and the creepy sequences with this man named as The Bum in the credits and played by Bonnie Aarons are often referred to as non-sequiturs that serve merely to muddy the waters further. However, this ignores the crucial sentence first used to describe the character in the film, hes the one whos doing it, as well as the fact that Lynch has provided a number of clues over the years that suggest The Bum is the key to solving the mysteries of Mulholland Drives story (including an online treasure hunt that ended with an image of the character). While it is impossible to say whether this is further misdirection on the part of Lynch or a genuine clue as to The Bums role, it is interesting that at the end he is shown holding the box that the film earlier implies contains the answers that the viewer seeks. Is he Lynch himself, pulling the same levers as The Man In The Planet? Or is he the otherworld spirit of the monstrous crime lord Mr. Roque (Michael J. Anderson), who seems similarly in control of events? Regardless, Lynch makes the power difference between Mr. Roque and The Bum clear Mr. Roque may control the characters within the film, but The Bum holds the key to unlocking the entire film itself.
