With the passing of David Lynch last month, the world lost a wonderful weirdo. A man who saw beauty in the dark and the surreal in the everyday. For Twin Peaks Day this year it seemed fitting to discuss the man and take a deeper look at his art. With most artists it is not just the broad strokes, but the little happy trees that make their work so singular. So, let’s take a look the little Lynchian things.
Lynch had several directorial trademarks: highways at night, surrealism, electric surges, doppelgangers, creepy jazz music, casting singers, actors in dual roles, reusing the same actors, lip synching, and cryptic men and women. All of these tend to get brought up when the concept of “Lynchian” is discussed. It makes sense those are forefront in people’s minds. But, like that early zoom into the grass and ants in Blue Velvet, the world that Lynch creates is just as focused on the smaller things as the large. These may not get as celebrated but nonetheless are traits that made him David Lynch.
Even in Dune, his personal least favorite, had all these ornate sets.
By the way, anyone else think that the Guild Navigator looks like the baby from Eraserhead grown up?
Tell me you don’t see a resemblance.
These sorts of details are what create a fuller reality, even when it isn’t like our reality. Though it is true that actors, set designers, and others actually do a lot of the creation work. Film is a collaborative process, but Lynch was still the curator of all these parts to form his unique vision. World building no matter how minute. These moments of flair add a dimension and flavor to his works. Here are some of my favorites. No spoilers, but some familiarity will be needed.
The shadow of this industrial machine in Blue Velvet.
Unsure what this is supposed to be, but it adds something to the seedy underbelly that is Lumberton. The town is not particularly large, yet there is this industry and crime despite the picket fences.
The picture of Montgomery Clift Sandy has in her room in Blue Velvet.
This is an interesting detail for the character of Sandy, and why she is attracted to Jeffrey. Of course there is the obvious, but her having this picture of Montgomery Cliff tells us that she likes a man with secrets, which might be why she forgives Jeffrey in the end.
Something that happens in several of his movies is random people in the shot that could add a sense of reality, but that somehow make it surreal. It makes sense that there would be other people out and about in the world, but Lynch tends to let stuff go just a bit different.
Like this guy walking his dog at night wearing sunglasses in Blue Velvet.
This man walking by Sailor holding a red pole in Wild at Heart.
Or this this dancing student in the Twin Peaks pilot.
Once you know these things are there, it is a lot of fun to seek them out.
Then there are moments of mundane reality that add surrealism too. The best example is probably this extended shot of this guy sweeping in Twin Peaks: The Return.
I think Lynch’s weather reports come from this sort of energy as well.
Lynch also trusted his actors. He was reportedly not much for going off script, but encouraged and his supported his actors to do a few unusual things. One could argue Nic Cage wouldn’t be Nic Cage were it not for Wild at Heart. That snakeskin jacket was actually owned by Cage. Again though, the little moments can create more sur-reality. Take these two line readings.
“Just cut them up like regular chickens?” from Eraserhead.
The way Detective Williams confirms what Jeffrey found in the field in Blue Velvet. (2:14 in the above video).
But what might be my favorite little Lynch moment is the way Crispin Glover stands enjoying, let’s say a little secret, in Wild at Heart.
It is hard for me to say who my favorite director is, but Lynch is certainly near the top if not the top for me. I am sad that we now live in world without him. His art, however, is forever. His bizarre love of life, the beauty in the darkness, and a profound yet strangely grounded optimism will live on.
So have some cherry pie and coffee and think of David today.
~Andrew