Understand

The word and the concept of understanding things comes up repeatedly in the dialogue of INLAND EMPIRE.

When the Phantom asks Janek for an opening, he asks, "Do you understand?" Janek responds, "Yes, I understand." The Phantom says, "Do you understand I look for an opening?" Janek says, "Yes, I understand completely." The Phantom yells, "Good. Good that you understand! That's good! You understand!"

When Nikki is told that the original film on which On High in Blue Tomorrows is based was never finished, she says, "I don't understand."

Mr. Zydowicz asks Nikki, in Polish, "Did you understand what I said?" Nikki answers, in English, "I don't understand." Piotrek says, "I think she understands more than she lets on."

Piotrek, threatening Devon not to try to sleep with Nikki, tells him that Nikki is bound, then asks, "Do you understand?"

Sue, arriving in Mr. K's office, says, "I don't really understand what I'm doing here."

When Sue arrives unannounced at Billy's home and asks, in front of his wife and child, if he loves her and remembers how it was, Billy answers, "I don't understand what you're talkin' about."

Marek asks Smithy, "You understand she sent for you?"

Marek tells Smithy that the man he works for is the person the Lost Girl spoke of. Smithy repeats this, and Marek says, "So...you understand."

Sue tells Mr. K, "I'm tryin' to tell you so you understand how it went."

More Things That Happened
The disembodied voice of the Phantom, taunting Nikki while she is on the phone with Devon, asks, "Do you understand?"