WOOOO!!! Welcome back to WOR$T BLOG IN AMERICA! CRANK IT! Last week we explored the topic of film, navigating through its importance and communities created because of film. This week, we are expanding on that topic but specifically focusing on, who I believe is the best director from the modern century–David Lynch. He was mentioned last week but this blog is solely dedicated to him. RIP David. Unlike most movies and filmmakers, David Lynch affected his audience through symbolism, surrealism, and psychological themes, rather than a linear and direct plot.
Surrealism is one of the most prominent examples of symbolism in a Lynch movie, used as a mirror to reflect the darkness that reality faces. David Lynch’s Twin peaks: Fire Walk With Me–AKA the best and most depressing film ever created–portrays a perfect example of this. The film follows the character, Laura Palmer, and her last days on Earth. Throughout the film, there are supernatural entities surrounding every moment of Laura’s life, with one ultimately being the cause of her death. The evil entity that kills Laura, known as BOB, symbolizes the evil doings of men, exhibited through the acts of sexual assault and drug use forced into Laura’s life. Another one of his films also portrays the dark side of America, Eraserhead. This film may be seen as difficult to follow, because the entire movie is an allegory. It represents the consequences of unplanned fatherhood, depression, and the negative effects of industrial factories. Eraserhead follows a man who lives in a time where industrial factories have overrun the world, leaving it hopeless, filthy, and overcome with violence. The character recently met a girl and had a mutated child with her, entrapping him in a relationship with the woman, while dealing with the overwhelming thought to end his own life. Lynch created these films packed with such dark themes because he didn’t want his films to be straightforward and simply understood. He wanted the audience to feel the emotions: the fear, the anxiety, the sadness. The emotions that people feel because of his art is a major reason to why so many love the films he creates.
While his films may be seen as confusing, there is a beauty behind the confusion that encapsulates the audience. Lynch never explains the real meanings behind his movies and if you have seen one, you know that they can be EXTREMELY confusing at times. But that confusion also allows for revisiting. Many will watch his films countless times to find new meanings and interpretations of what it is being conveyed. Some may even describe his films as dreams turned into films, because of the complicated symbolism and non-linear plots. But these dream-like scenes serve as an escape from reality, making it another reason to why audiences are so invested in Lynch’s movies. It also sets Lynch on a different bar compared to other directors, because symbolism has been used in film for ages, but Lynch has turned symbolism in film into so much more than that.
In recent years, following David Lynch’s unfortunate passing, his legacy lives on as people on social media apps have popularized his films. People have made countless edits of his films and characters on TikTok and Instagram, and I constantly see tweets about Laura Palmer on my timeline saying how Laura Palmer’s story and death feel like losing a loved one. (I miss you, Laura Palmer.) It is all very parasocial but it stands out to me because it really shows how much David Lynch’s art has had an impact on so many people.
