RyanBoardConference


Conference room

Related: 
Dinner Party
Visual echoes - doors

Related Theory:
A different form of revenge


One explanation is that this is how Hollywood works. Rich people buy star roles for nobodies like the girl. Actors aren't chosen based on qualitative discriminations, but actors - selected at random from the mafia's list of friends - are "served" to directors like drinks. Also the Castigliane brothers have been at Ryan Enterprises before and it's implied that they've had many different drinks there, all of which were called "espresso". "Camilla" corresponds to "espresso"; there are two different girls in this film who go by the name "Camilla". Many espressos, many Camillas: words which sound specific but really are just superimposed over something that's dime-a-dozen and selected randomly from a list of drinks and from a list of mafia-friends. - (artsysociopath)


The Castigliane Bros scene parallels Diane's love relationship - (Neely O'Hara)

  • The Castigliane Bros. are trying to 'force' a casting choice, regardless of whether Camilla is right for the part. They want who they want, and that's it. Similarly, Diane has 'cast' Camilla as the 'lead' in her love story and she clings to that, even though Camilla, as it becomes increasingly apparent, is not 'right' for the role. Obsessive love by making it analogous to mob control in Hollywood in the film. 

  • Looks of Adam and Diane

    Adam & Diane: Realization of lost control 

  • In both scenes, there is a strong element of: "if i can't have you, no one will" or "if you won't have me, you're not going to have anyone else" ~ The Castigliane Bros. are 'foisting' themselves/their choice on Adam, and Diane is 'foisting' herself on Camilla. When Adam/Camilla don't play along (I'd like to 'look around', thankyouverymuch), they get punished, their 'plugs get pulled' (Adam ends up broke, Camilla, dead).

  • In both scenarios there is 'threat'. Think of Dan Hedaya's "It's not a recommendation" and think of the Castigliane Bros' general 'strong-arming' of Adam's entire life... deleting his bank account etc., and then watch the couch scene where Diane says "Don't say that, don't ever say that" as she 'strong arms' (so to speak) Camilla. 

  • Look at the expression on Adam's face when Vincenzo says "It's no longer your film!", when he realizes he has lost all control. This mirrors the couch scene. Look at Diane's face when Camilla says "We shouldn't do this anymore!"


Parallels with pool dinner party

  • Diane's eye contact with the Castigliane brother across from her at the party and Adam's stare down with the other Castigliane.

  • Diane seeing her rival at the party (the kissing Blonde), with Adams first view of the Blonde Camilla "what's the photo for?".

  • Diane taking her first sip of "SOS" coffee as she hears the bitter news of Camilla's upcoming marriage to Adam The simultaneous 'coffee' moment in the Castigliane Bros scene is Angelo Badalamenti spewing the espresso. The message, presumably, being that Adam's words are enough to make Diane puke. And the "SHIT" remark when Castigliane takes his sip of bitterness, going so far as trying to remove any remnant of the offending beverage from his mouth. This unusual behavior could be described as "rubbing out" the offensive material, which Diane surely does to Camilla.

  • A further echo of Diane's S.O.S. cup: a few moments later, at a moment of direct resistance/denial in the Castigliane bros scene, Vincenzo screams "HELP MEEEEEEE!" in utter frustration and rage. Whenever I watch the dinner party scene, I always imagine Diane screaming and crying out in her head, especially during those moments when Camilla's total rejection and humiliation of her are depicted most blatantly. It's like they're both (Vincenzo Castigliane and Diane) mentally screaming "you're going to pick ME or it's all over damnit!!"


I believe the name "Ryan" is chosen because it rhymes with Diane just as "Dan's" name is a play on the name Diane. The Ryan Entertainment company is just a fancy name for Diane's vivid imagination. - (Alan Shaw)


Trivia

Lynch said the conference room is somewhat based on his own life. He said everyone has been in the situation that something you've worked on hard and love is threatened and he went on about when you don't have final cut approval you are open to people telling you what to do and how it can become a nightmarish experience.

Book: Lynch On Lynch