Five movies to watch if you love Lana Del Rey album ‘Born to Die’
As soon as you press play on Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die, you’re instantly greeted with a whirl of cinematic sounds, instantly transporting you to a grandiose realm. With each song, dramatic strings and hip-hop beats intersect, with evocative lyricism summoning rich imagery of excess, Hollywood, and tragic glamour. You can imagine the world of each song so clearly in your mind, with Del Rey painting portraits of relationships and individuals living recklessly and attempting to make it in the troubled land of modern America.
She packs in cultural references, such as allusions to songs such as Lou Reed’s ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ and Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, movies like A Streetcar Named Desire, and, of course, Vladimir Nabokov’s novel Lolita. These nods to other pieces of media, as well as typically American motifs like soda and motels, bring the album to life. Meanwhile, she sings about heartbreak, all-consuming love (even the toxic kind), acting wildly, and the futility of the American dream.
Many of these images and themes, as well as the general atmosphere the album evokes, feel so palpable that it’s frustrating to discover that only a handful of the singles from Born to Die were accompanied by music videos. For those fans who want to utterly immerse themselves in the singer’s world, we’ve picked out five movies that possess a similar aesthetic sensibility or explore similar topics to the songs on the album.
From troubled romance in Buffalo ‘66 to the destruction of the American dream in The Doom Generation, discover the full list below.
Five essential movies for Lana Del Rey fans:
Buffalo ‘66 (Vincent Gallo, 1998)
In Vincent Gallo’s Buffalo ‘66, the filmmaker stars as Billy, a man who has recently been released from prison. Upon his re-entry into the real world, he spontaneously kidnaps a teenage girl, the naive tap dancer Layla, and forces her to act as his fiancé. Between meeting his parents and visiting a bowling alley, Layla falls in love with her captor despite his serious and troubled nature, contrasting her innocence and playfulness.
The film evokes many of the themes found in Born to Die, such as falling for someone who possesses an inner darkness – someone who you really shouldn’t be with but you can’t help but feel drawn to. In ‘Diet Mountain Dew’, Del Rey sings, “You’re not good for me/ But I want you,” which certainly relates to Layla’s situation. Then there’s the age gap between the two (Layla is 17 while Billy is in his early 30s), which links to the Lolita references that Del Rey sprinkles throughout the album, too, such as in ‘Off to the Races’ and ‘Lolita’.
Jeune et Jolie (François Ozon, 2013)
Not only is the English translation of Jeune et Jolie the name of a Del Rey song, ‘Young and Beautiful’, but the movie contains many themes associated with her 2012 album. While it’s set in France rather than America – the country that Born to Die is packed with references to – Jeune et Jolie features a teenage protagonist who could easily slot into Del Rey’s world. The film is an exploration of sexual discovery, with the 16-year-old Isabelle becoming a secret high-class prostitute after losing her virginity. Her decision takes its toll when one of her elderly clients dies mid-orgasm, leaving her racked with guilt.
The movie is reminiscent of ‘Carmen’, a song about a troubled 17-year-old girl who is known for her promiscuity and reckless behaviour. “Street walk at night and a star by day,” Del Rey sings, describing Carmen as an underage girl who also sells her body for money and probably thrills, too. Isabelle and Carmen both use their bodies to enter into a glamorous and sexual world when, in reality, their actions are only setting them up for failure. “She says, ‘You don’t wanna be like me,’” the song continues. There’s even a section of ‘Carmen’ sung in French.
American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999)
Upon the release of Born to Die, Del Rey cited American Beauty and its soundtrack (by Thomas Newton) as one of her most significant inspirations. The movie follows Lester Burnham, a bored and unhappily married man who becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s friend. Set in a suburban American town, Lester and his wife, Barbara, should have it all, but neither could be less satisfied. The movie breaks down the American dream, revealing the pain, anguish, criminality and evil that lurks behind those pretty white picket fences.
Similarly, on Del Rey’s major label debut, she deconstructs the American Dream with images of glamour and excess, contrasting them with details of heartbreak, violence, addiction and death. Not only do the Lolita themes come into play here, but Angela Hayes, the underage girl that Lester falls for, is similarly coquettish like Carmen, craving Lester’s attention as a way to combat her insecurities. Moreover, the words ‘Born to Die’ reflect Lester’s tragic fate, which we learn at the beginning of the movie.
The Doom Generation (Gregg Araki, 1995)
Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation twists Bonnie and Clyde and Thelma and Louise into an ultra-stylish encapsulation of adolescence, where violence and sexuality are the most seductive things in the world. The movie follows Jordan, Amy and X as they embark on a road trip through Los Angeles, getting themselves into situations where blood is shed and plenty of sex is had before inevitably ending up in a situation where things go too far. This idea of American freedom, living fast and dying young – something that Del Rey references and challenges throughout Born to Die – comes crashing down on them.
Lines from ‘Born to Die’ like “The road is long, we carry on/ Try to have fun in the meantime” and “Come and take a walk on the wild side/ Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain/ You like your girls insane” fit the movie well. Additionally, lines from ‘Summertime Sadness’ such as “I’m feelin’ electric tonight/ Cruisin’ down the coast, goin’ ’bout 99/ Got my bad baby by my heavenly side” also resonate.
Wild At Heart (David Lynch, 1990)
Del Rey and David Lynch are both fans of each other, so it only seems fitting to include a film of his on this list. One of his most accessible yet bizarre and hilarious movies is Wild At Heart, which features many Del Rey-esque themes. Taking a similar couple-on-the-run set-up as The Doom Generation, the film explores Sailor and Lula’s relationship as they escape a hitman whom Lula’s mother has hired to kill her daughter’s boyfriend. Theirs is a dedicated romantic relationship, with Sailor often resorting to violence to protect Lula, even if the situation doesn’t call for it. It’s a tumultuous relationship for sure, and Sailor even considers leaving Lula so as not to endanger her anymore.
Yet, in Lula’s eyes, Sailor is perfect, viewing him in the same way Del Rey views her lover in ‘Off to the Races’ or ‘Blue Jeans’. “’Cause I’m a ride or die whether you fail or fly,” Del Rey sings, and Lula certainly is a ride or die, sticking around while Sailor serves time in prison. “I have nothing without you,” Del Rey sings in ‘Without You’, echoing Lula’s devotion to Sailor. With imagery of motels, cigarettes, American landscapes, convertibles, Elvis Presley, gas stations and sleazy bars, Wild at Heart is quintessentially Del Rey.
