Originally posted by Capo de La Cosa Nostra:
I think with Lost Highway, well aware of the sex appeal of Patricia Arquette, the director has her in full nudity to make it seem more dreamlike - or rather, more like a man's fantasy. Hence the extreme slow-motion in the early sex scene. She is, essentially, a seductive mother, or motherly seductress to these two hapless men. Yet, even in these guys' dreams, they still have problems when it comes down to sex. Sex is never too far away from desire, be that desire the want to become somebody else, or be in love with someone else, or whatever. Sex and violence often overlap. In a way, violence is an extreme act of eroticism.
What do you think?
Here's my theory:
His wife cheats on him or atleast he suspects so. Since she is a beautiful woman and he spots her with Andy(or whoever, that guy with a moustache), he has a inferiority complex about his own sexuality. That is why in his imagination, he sees a lot of women attracted to him. As the detective notes, he gets more p***y than a toilet seat. That is the way he wants to remember his past.... where women like having sex with him, rather than his beautiful wife finding him unattractive. He also wants to consider himself as a victim. Remember the scene where the mechanic guy enter's Andy's house only to see the video of his wife having sex with other men being played on the big screen. He beleives he is morally superior to his wife, who has whored herself... as a possible justification of his murdering her.
But seing her nude ever so many times or for that matter the actual sex scenes was not strictly required. The giant screen playing the sex video was the best of the sex scenes in my opinion and the scene where she strips before that old guy making porn is the worst, most superfluous.
Regarding your observation on the parallel between violence and eroticism, I have to disagree. I think that sex (not eroticism) is a mild form of violence. In nature sex is always bloody, messy and therapeutic... much like violence.
