Eraserhead (1977)

(Director) David Lynch

(Writer) David Lynch

(Producer) David Lynch

(Distributor) Libra Films

Every so often I come across movies whose stories and pasts are shrouded in haunting mystique. Cinematic works of art that drag you into a world of terrifying surrealism; full of nightmares, twisted landscapes and damaged psychological structuring. They are films that some people conclude to be pretentious or "trying too hard" while others let such films creep into their subconscious and roll around in the mud for a while. Out of these disfigured gems, none has deeply terrified me, impressed me or blown my mind as much as David Lynch's cult masterpiece, "Eraserhead".

Not much can be said in the aspect of the film's storyline because in the end it's completely left up to each individuals interpretation. There are theories out there that make more sense than others but none are more true or more false than the next. If you want to, interpretations aside, put the story in a nutshell you could say it's about a deeply troubled man named Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) who unexpectedly has a premature child with his mentally unbalanced girlfriend, Mary X (Charlotte Stewart). But even then, you can't quite get it. It's hard to describe the film's story, while giving it any sort of justice, without mentioning spoilers; so I won't. Every step further into the destructive psychosis of the film seemingly leads us closer to answering the question, "Could this get any more bizarre?". So just know that what you're getting is, without a doubt, the strangest series of events in any movie ever to see the light of day; and it's worth divulging into every psychotic minute.

From beginning to end the film is hauntingly stunning when it comes to cinematography, lightning, direction, editing, sound, sets and backdrops. Playing out like a demented Dr. Seuss book or an adult-rated Tim Burton film, you're hard-pressed to look away for a single moment. Everything reeks of a student art film but with a sense of something deeper, something more elegant and disturbing. The camera angles, the isolated & nightmareish atmosphere, the seldom dialogue; all combined create a unique experience for your brain and your eyes. David Lynch did a great job of making you feel like you're there with the characters and you're living through every horrifying experience. Some interesting points I noticed are, for one, whenever a scene takes place indoors, you cannot see the outside world. Nothing but pitch black voids or walls of brick can be seen through the windows. Another point being that whenever characters interact with one another there is a very heavy sense of discomfort. Like all the love, security and care had been completely sucked out of the room only leaving space for terror. It was details like this throughout the entire film that showed me creative thought was put into this movie's appearance and presentation, I cannot help but adore that.

Something else that struck me as eerie was the use of sound and music. Apparently Lynch collaborated with a friend of his from the (A)merican (F)ilm (I)nstitute and worked for sixty-three non-stop days to create the film's score. The end result was an entire soundtrack that sounds like a carnival from hell. An excellent job was done at using these sounds to replicate that outlandish feeling that people get in their nightmares. Where voices feel like mere background static compared to the uneasy, hellish "bump in the night" noises. At times there are set sounds that can become a tad annoying but I only felt this once or twice throughout the film's entirety.

In the end this film is only defined by the experience of the individual and nobody can rightfully say otherwise. The direction, editing, and settings may be outstanding but the story allows you to gain personal interpretations and emotions, something that is rare in most film today. I highly suggest turning the lights off, closing the curtains and having a single sit down experience with this movie if only to feel what it has to offer. Rather you love it, like it, think it's pretentious, find it boring, are confused by it, or hate it, it's completely worth it.