David Lynch Retrospective: The Enigmatic Journey of a Visionary Filmmaker

David Lynch was born in Missoula, Montana in 1946 but, due to his father’s job as a research scientist, he spent a lot of his childhood moving between small towns. Following his dad across the country as he was transferred for various jobs, this constant uprooting likely shaped his fascination with the unsettling, the subconscious, and the suburban settings that would come to permeate his work.

Lynch was an artistic individual from a young age, with his first medium being painting and drawing – skills he continued throughout his life. Growing up, his mother discouraged him from using colouring books to avoid stifling his imagination, allowing him freedom to explore and experiment. Knowing this, and looking at the work he would go on to create, that upbringing certainly contributed to his later more avant-garde filmmaking. He went on to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he initially concentrated on oil painting and sculpture, before finally beginning to experiment with film. He ended up receiving a grant from the American Film Institute, which led to the making of his short film, The Grandmother, paving the way for his first feature-length; the renowned Eraserhead.

As a debut feature, Eraserhead is simply extraordinary. Released in 1977, almost 50 years ago, it speaks to Lynch’s full filmography. Having wrote, directed, produced, edited and even helped in the creation of the score and sound design, this early work remains quintessentially Lynch. Though audiences and critics initial reactions were mostly negative at the time of its release, it is now considered a cult classic, and is a much-loved staple in the surrealist space. These first opinions go to show how Lynch was making art people weren’t necessarily ready for yet. In fact, 2004 saw the film deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and added to the United States National Film Registry, securing its place in film history.

For both die-hard fans and those yet to explore his work, now is the perfect opportunity to revisit or delve into the many wonderful and bizarre worlds he constructed that have come to define him as an auteur. So much so, that we now refer to other pieces of media that evoke the same strange qualities as ‘Lynchian’. Throughout his career, Lynch solidified his status as a true revolutionary director, one of the greats, and his passing can already be felt in the cinema space. Tyneside Cinema is offering a comprehensive retrospective of his feature films, from Eraserhead (1977) to Inland Empire (2006), alongside a feature-length collection of his short films spanning from 1967 to 2002 that are rarely shown in cinemas.

Running now until the end of April, the retrospective also excitingly features 35mm prints of Blue Velvet and The Straight Story. With many unique characteristics, traditional 35mm film especially intensifies colour on screen. Each image is made up of three separate layers, all sensitive to a different colour of light; blue, green and red, which bring an added richness to the images, enhancing the vivid, dream-like quality of Lynch’s visuals. Paired with the grain of a 35mm print, it adds to the character of the film. Blue Velvet, in particular, with its intense colours and unsettling narrative, is an ideal film to experience in this format.

The catalyst, or MacGuffin, of Blue Velvet revolves around a severed ear which Kyle MacLachlan’s character, Jeffrey Beaumont, discovers. This sparks an obsession that drives the mystery of the plot: figuring out who the ear belongs to. The ear, though a small detail in terms of screen time, has much significance within the plot as the film’s driving force. In an intriguing personal touch, Lynch even included some of his own hair in the creation of the prosthetic.

Another of Lynch’s most celebrated works is the TV series Twin Peaks, which was later revived in the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. The show begins with the discovery of Laura Palmer’s body, the hunt to discover her killer, setting off a series that will forever be viewed as TV history. If you are aiming to be somewhat of a David Lynch purist then we recommend making sure you watch the original pilot that aired in America (rather than the European version). The European version includes roughly an extra twenty minutes to the episode, which ultimately reveals more of the plot as it was published straight to VHS as a closed-ended film. Instead, to avoid ruining the mystery, this is a fun watch to go back to when you’ve finished Twin Peaks in its entirety.

Lynch had a unique, close relationship with his actors, with the likes of Jack Nance, Laura Dern, Naomi Watts and Sheryl Lee all employed multiple times across his filmography. One friendship that stood out however, was his connection with Kyle MacLachlan. Starring in key roles as the characters of Paul Atreides (Dune, 1984), Jeffrey Beaumont (Blue Velvet, 1986), and Dale Cooper (Twin Peaks, 1990-1991, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, 1992, Twin Peaks: The Return, 2017), an emotional tribute following Lynch’s death solidifies the genuine influence Lynch had on those he worked with.

MacLachlan shared via Instagram, “Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big budget movie. He clearly saw something in me that even I didn’t recognise. I owe my entire career, and life really, to his vision.” This moving statement is a testament to Lynch’s profound impact on those around him, as well as the positive energy he brought to his collaborations.

Lynch’s influence extended far beyond his immediate circle of friends and colleagues. His ability to provoke thought and inspire creativity continues to resonate with audiences around the world, from his audiences to international bodies. Even NASA paid tribute to his legacy, acknowledging, “In memory of David Lynch, we will continue to explore the otherworldly and the unknown. We will focus not on the loss, but on what we gained from the years we shared this planet with you. We will see you in our dreams.”

Tyneside Cinema’s David Lynch: Dream Weaver season presents his full filmography on the big screen from the 31st of January to the 29th of April.