Monday, April 23, 2012

THE CINEMA OF DAVID LYNCH TOLD THROUGH IMAGES & STILLS



Secrets and mysteries provide a beautiful corridor where you can float out. The corridor expands and many, many wonderful things can happen... I love the process of going into mystery - David Lynch


Not many living filmmakers can say they've created a cultural phenomenon ('Twin Peaks'), been nominated for an academy award 4 times ('Blue Velvet', 'Mulholland Drive' and twice for 'Elephant Man') and have solidified their spot in the cult/midnight movie genre ('Eraserhead'). ...But David Lynch, the man essentially responsible for the name of this movie blog, certainly can. To some people he's one of the greatest filmmakers of our time mostly due to his ability at tapping in to our subconscious (I guess you could consider me part of that group), while others think he's just a weirdo with a movie camera. David Lynch's work may be an acquired taste but it hasn't stopped him from almost becoming a household name in the 1990's thanks to 'Twin Peaks' (a show that only lasted two seasons but still caught on like wildfire and continues to maintain a healthy cult following), appearances on Jay Leno, parodies on television shows like The Simpsons & SNL and the numerous awards he's won during his career (especially best picture at Cannes in 1990 for 'Wild At Heart'). Lynch's work isn't as "random" as some people think. It may be surreal and (very) strange at times but all of his work is connected either visually or through other common themes and elements which we're going to explore in this blog entry. Given that David Lynch is up there on my all time favorites list along with the likes of Claire Denis and Michael Haneke, its only right that we explore his work in the same fashion.

RECURRING SHOTS, SYMBOLISM & INFLUENCES
Outside of the quirky characters, creepy scenes and surreal moments that make a David Lynch movie a David Lynch movie, there's also signature shots and recurring images that you'll find in almost all of his work. Spike Lee has that famous zoom/tracking shot we all know, Tim Burton has his gothic look, Cronenberg (a director David Lynch is commonly associated with) has his exploding heads, and Lynch has his trademark shots of dark roads at night and his symbolic use of fire. Furthermore, Lynch's films may be "weird" and "strange" but they aren't so strange that they just come out of nowhere. His work draw inspiration from directors like Bunuel or movies like 'The Wizard Of Oz'...

I love two-lane highways. They say something about the way things used to be, and about areas that don't have a lot of people. On those two-lanes at night you get the sense of moving into the unknown, and that's as thrilling a sense as human beings can have. - David Lynch
'Lost Highway'
'Mulholland Drive'
'Wild At Heart'
'Blue Velvet'

Fire is almost ethereal. There are so many things it causes to happen inside you when you're watching a fire - David Lynch
'Blue Velvet'
'Wild At Heart'
'Inland Empire'
'Lost Highway'
'Blue Velvet'
One of David Lynch's inspiration for Blue Velvet ('Un Chein Andalou' )
'Wild At Heart'...
'The Wizard Of Oz'


HORROR:
Lynch's films cant exactly be categorized as strictly "horror" but he certainly has a gift for creating scenes that are just as frightening as your average scary movie. From the burnt man who creeps from behind the dumpster in 'Mulholland Drive' to the baby from 'Eraserhead', Lynch's filmography is full of creepy images that leave a lasting impression. What makes all the horror and scary moments in Lynch's films even more heightened is his use of sound. In any classic scary moment in one of his films we hear a loud jolt of noise (a blaring trumpet, loud factory noises, experimental sounds or synth stabs) at the precise moment of the "scare" (see video examples below). And to makes things even more disorienting, there's an element of humor in all of Lynch's work making you wanna laugh and cover your eyes at the same time...

'The Alphabet'
'Eraserhead'
'Fire Walk With Me'
'Mulholland Drive'
'Inland Empire'


WOMEN IN TROUBLE:
Being a woman in a David Lynch film can be pretty horrific. You're either being sexually assaulted ('Wild A Heart'), brutalized ('Blue Velvet') or torn in half ('Lost Highway'). Much like Lars Von Trier, David Lynch is another director who's been accused of misogyny through out his career (especially by Roger Ebert) and as much as I love his work, I cant exactly disagree with those accusations. Almost all of his films involve female characters in danger (in fact, the tagline for 'Inland Empire' was "a woman in trouble"). In just about any Lynch film you'll see plenty scenes of women being beaten ('Blue Velvet' & 'Inland Empire'), murdered ('Twin Peaks', 'Lost Highway' & 'Mulholland Drive'), or terrorized by some ghost, monster or insane person (Leland Palmer & Bob in 'Twin Peaks' & Frank Booth in 'Blue Velvet')...

'Blue Velvet'
'Wild At Heart'
'Fire Walk With Me'
'Lost Highway'
'Mulholland Drive'
'Inland Empire'


VILLAINS & MYSTERY MEN:
Not many directors can create a "bad guy" like David Lynch can. In fact I'd go so far as to say that with characters like Frank Booth ('Blue Velvet'), Bobby Peru ('Wild At Heart') and the Mystery Man in 'Lost Highway' he reinvented the "villain" in modern cinema. As most of us know, the average villain in most films are pretty one dimensional: evil, crazy, insane or sadistic, etc. But just like Lynch's exploration in horror, he mixes humor with seriousness. All of the evil characters in his films are both; scary & intimidating yet you wanna laugh at them at the same time. His villains have a sadistic side and a goofy/silly side as well. One minute we find Frank Booth and Bobby Peru charming but then Lynch drops in a quick scene to remind us how dangerous and twisted they really are (especially towards women).
"Frank Booth" - 'Blue Velvet'
"Bobby Peru" - 'Wild At Heart'
"Leland Palmer" - 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me'
"Bob" - 'Twin Peaks'
"Mr Eddy"  - 'Lost Highway'
"Mystery Man" - 'Lost Highway'
"The Cowboy" - 'Mulholland Drive'
'Mulholland Drive'


THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DAVID LYNCH:
By now most people know 'Eraserhead' is semi-autobiographical. But it doesn't stop there. From Jeremy Irons ('Inland Empire) and Justin Theroux ('Mulholland Drive') playing quirky movie directors making dark films in the middle of production problems to just about any character that Kyle Maclachlan has ever played under his direction, you can clearly see little bits & pieces of David in all of them...
'Eraserhead'
'Blue Velvet'
'Twin Peaks'
Justin Theroux as a movie director in 'Mulholland Drive'
Jeremy Irons as a movie director in 'Inland Empire'


INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPES:
Although David Lynch loves to explore the dark side of Los Angeles & Hollywood ('Inland Empire', 'Lost Highway' & 'Mulholland Drive') industrial sounds and settings are a key element in the world he creates. The smoke from the factories, the loud clanking noises, the various machines etc...

I love industry. Pipes. I love fluid and smoke. I love man-made things. I like to see people hard at work, and I like to see sludge and man-made waste - David Lynch

'Eraserhead'
'Eraserhead'
'Blue Velvet'
'Twin Peaks'


ADAPTATIONS & TRUE STORIES:
Like I said earlier, no matter how weird or strange his movies are, Lynch still manages to draw inspiration from true events. From 'Lost Highway' (a film set in Los Angeles made shortly after the OJ Simpson trial that's essentially about a man who murders his wife) to the adaptations of real stories like John Merrick ('The Elephant Man') and Alvin Straight ('The Straight Story'), many of Lynch's inspirations are clear as day and not as deep or subconscious as many people think...
'The Elephant Man'
'Lost Highway'
'The Straight Story'
'Mulholland Drive' (Jennifer Syme)


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