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David Lynch
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Review by Jarrod 
December 19th, 2006
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David Lynch is as mainstream as an S&M fetish, but that is part of his charm, and has contributed greatly to his nearly unrivaled ability to create quirky, bizarre, but irrefutably unique and provocative films that exist on their terms, in their own worlds, and do not care if they are highly praised or universally denounced. Admittedly, I have liked only a few of his movies, my favorite being The Elephant Man, which is a heartbreaking study of both human cruelty and kindness, topics perhaps explored in all of Lynch's films. The Elephant Man is one of the best movies I have ever seen, I would have never guessed that Lynch directed it, because it is so unlike everything that followed it, and Eraserhead, which preceded it. Blue Velvet, his most famous (or infamous) film, explores the dark side of humanity in a much more explicit way, with Dennis Hopper as a psychopath, inexplicably driven by his own depraved desires, a creature of instinct.
Blue Velvet offers a peek at Lynch's pessimistic world view, seeing only the seedy underbelly of society. It is very sexual movie, one where Isabella Rossellini suffers repeated humiliations and indignities, and there is an obsession with Roy Orbison's song In Dreams, and Bobby Vinton's ode to the titular fabric. It is a strange, savage, and beautiful film. Eraserhead is an exercise in originality, and though not a masterpiece, it has intrigued me for the last decade, ever since I saw it for the first time. Part horror, fantasy and character drama, it defies simplistic classification, which is true of all Lynch projects.
Dune may be his worst, a laborious sci-fi effort that effectively put me to sleep, with its sparse and lifeless presentation, and a Messianic story, though I have been told that the Frank Herbert source material is infinitely better and worth checking out. Wild at Heart was as close to romance as Lynch could possibly come, and it features a great performance from Laura Dern.
The Straight Story, with Sissy Spacek and Richard Farnsworth as an old man who sets off on a journey with his lawnmower, was something I found profoundly moving, and again, it seemed atypical of Lynch. But, it was surpisingly deep, and actually covered (at least metaphorically) all the stages of human existence, as shown through Farnsworth's interactions with people and places on his travels.
Lost Highway I did not understand, exactly, and the same was true of Mulholland Drive, but that film was smarter and more intriguing than Lost Highway, which I suppose could be the subject of endless discussions of what it is really about. A look at Lynch's career finds it to be extremely fascinating and diverse, with a catalogue of beguiling films that have catered to experimental and open-minded moviegoers, rather than mainstream audiences. And I respect Lynch for his creativity, imagination, and the risks he has taken.
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