When you think of some of the most iconic horror filmmakers, names like John Carpenter, Dario Argento and George Romero are among those who come to mind. A name that may not come to mind at first however, is David Lynch and this is because his films aren't usually regarded as being of the horror genre. The American director is best known for films like Blue Velvet and Eraserhead along with his cult television series Twin Peaks, his films all have a distinct, surreal style that makes them memorable and sometimes unsettling. Lynches talent for atmosphere and his bizarre imagination act as the perfect combination for horror and while his films aren't explicitly horror films, they are much more terrifying than a lot of films that are.
Lynches first feature length film was Eraserhead, a surrealistic science fiction film that followed Henry (Jack Nance) as he struggled to raise his mutated newborn child. A very strange concept for a film and not something that a lot of directors could pull off, but Lynch knew exactly what he was doing with this one and managed to use it to kick start his career. Lynch uses his two greatest assets in this weird little film, his talent for creating atmosphere and his wild imagination which he uses to create some outlandish imagery. The atmosphere is evident throughout, from the very subtle soundtrack to the dark tone, Lynch creates this very bleak and at times, unnerving atmosphere that is consistent from start to finish. The use of shadowing and the fact that the film is shot in black and white are nice touches that act as the finishing touch on this atmosphere. However, it is the imagery that makes Eraserhead so memorably unsettling, in particular Henry's mutant baby that looks like some sort of skinless turtle and the Lady in the Radiator (Laurel Near) who breaks into song every now and again. Lynch exhibits some truly peculiar creations in Eraserhead, not only showcasing his brilliant imagination but contributing to making the film the unsettling work of art that it is. It was a great start for Lynch, but is it horror? Well it's not the most terrifying of Lynches films in my opinion, but Eraserhead is definitely a horror film and a subtle one at that. It does not aim to make the audience jump, instead it aims to freak them out with its uniquely bizarre style and story and in that it certainly succeeds.
It feels odd calling David Lynches films subtle when they are full of so much wild imagery and colourful characters, but in their scares they incredibly subtle. This takes me to another one of my favourite David Lynch films, Blue Velvet. Set in a seemingly normal suburban town, the film follows Jeffery Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) as he discovers the towns dark underbelly while taking interest in a strange case involving singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). It's more grounded in reality than some of his earlier films like Dune and the aforementioned Eraserhead but because of Lynches distinct style, it is a very dreamlike reality. Initially the small town of Lumberton feels like your average, all American town, the people are ordinary, have ordinary jobs and do ordinary things, but as the film progresses we realise that it is anything but an ordinary town. Again, Lynch uses his subtle soundtrack and direction to build his signature unsettling atmosphere, the camera often lingers on certain people or places which is very effective in building tension, especially when combined with the soundtrack. One of the most terrifying things about Blue Velvet however is Dennis Hopper as the unhinged criminal Frank Booth, the films antagonist who inhales mysterious gas before going ape on whoever he feels like. Booth is a very complex character, his motives and his background are quite ambiguous which gives him this layer of mystery, making his violent actions much more unpredictable. Hopper is flawless in this role, he really captures this relentless figure while still making him feel somewhat human, Frank Booth is a lot more imposing that many horror movie monsters. It's more of a thriller than a horror but Blue Velvet is undeniably unsettling, Lynch utilises his skill for creating atmosphere once again while Dennis Hopper brings his insane antagonist to life in all his glory. The juxtaposition between what's normal and what's abnormal in this film helps to blur the lines between dreams and reality, something that Lynch would incorporate heavily in some of his later films.
What Lynch did so well in Blue Velvet he perfected in his television show Twin Peaks. Once again there is an ordinary town that holds extraordinary secrets, only this time the story involves FBI Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) as he investigates the murder of a girl named Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). It is very much like Blue Velvet only much more expansive, there are more characters, more subplots and things are much more abnormal beneath the towns surface. It wasn't as grounded in reality as Blue Velvet either as many supernatural forces turn up throughout the course of the show, many of these residing in the mythical black lodge. It saw many instances of fantasy and reality intersecting which, again, blurred the lines between what's real and what isn't. Each episode begins relatively simply but as it progresses, that Lynchian atmosphere builds up and by its end things become much darker and more surreal and a lot more like a David Lynch project. The show is full of some highly unsettling scenes, one of the creepiest is when the camera lingers on an empty sitting room as the sinister BOB (Frank Silva) crawls across the room, gradually coming closer as the tension builds. It gave me chills when I first watched it and remains as one of the scariest things I've ever watched. The series was followed up by a prequel film, and while it left out many popular characters it was a lot more darker than the show and had the freedom to go full on psychological horror. What resulted was a bizarre Lynchian nightmare, taking everything scary from Twin Peaks and amplifying them to their greatest extent. The scene where Laura's face suddenly turns white genuinely made me jump the first time I watched it and Lynch continues to bring that subtle eerieness to the floor. Due to its more supernatural elements, Twin Peaks was much more dreamlike than some of Lynches previous works and at times, much more terrifying.
I consider many of David Lynches films to be the closest things to dreaming while being awake, and while I touched on this earlier I think it's about time I discussed it while looking at one of his best films, Mulholland Drive. Now this was initially supposed to be a pilot for a television series and at first it was left open ended for potential future episodes, however when the pilot was rejected, Lynch decided to complete it himself as a feature film. The result is a strange tale involving budding actress Betty (Naomi Watts) and amnesiac Rita (Laura Elena Harring) as they search for the true identity of the latter. There are a number of other subplots and mysterious characters, however none of that really matters as halfway through the film things get completely flipped over and we begin to question everything we thought we knew about it. Characters change in more than just name and the whole world established in the films first half feels like it was a mere hallucination. This is a prime example of Lynches ability to create a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere and how effective it can be. It's more of a nightmare than a dream however as Mulholland Drive is full of signature Lynchian elements such as suspense, ambiguity and downright bizarre imagery. The infamous scene behind the dumpster is enough to make you remember this film as one of the scariest things you've ever watched. If you haven't seen this film, the best way I can describe it is this: It's like a dream that gradually turns bad, a slow burning nightmare that as much as you want to wake up from, you can't. I don't think any director has captured the feeling of dreaming as accurately as David Lynch has.
So, David Lynch, are his films horror films? Well yes and no. While many of his films are undeniably unsettling, from their freakish imagery to their dark atmospheres, their purpose is more to provoke thought than to scare. While it is sometimes obvious that Lynch is trying to scare the audience, it is more evident that he wants them to think about his story and his characters, that he wants to play with their minds. Lynches imagination is incomparable and it is his surreal style that sets his films apart from others, when someone refers to a film as 'Lynchian' or 'very David Lynch', if you've seen his films you'll know exactly what they mean. Lynch makes scary films, that goes without saying, but are they explicit horrors that solely aim to frighten the audience? Absolutely not, Lynches films are unique and they often take elements from many different genres, but they cannot be confined to one distinct one. They are simply David Lynch films, and David Lynch is a man with talents for writing, direction and acting, a man who knows that atmosphere is more effective than jumpscares, and a man whose imagination is as wild and unique as his hair. They are films that can make us laugh, make us jump or make us feel sad, but one thing they all have in common is that they all can have a profound effect on us long after we're done watching, and that makes David Lynch a true master of his craft.
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