Celebrated as one of the greatest American filmmakers, David Lynch created some of the most acclaimed movies in history. Through highly regarded works such as Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1986), and the TV series Twin Peaks (1990-91), Lynch’s artistic vision brought his version of surrealism and neo-noir to the big screen. With the news of Lynch’s recent passing, there’s no better time than now to revisit the iconic director’s career.
Lynch got his start in film in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His first works were short films he created when he was a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and American Film Institute’s Center for Advanced Film Studies: Six Men Getting Sick (1967), The Alphabet (1968), The Grandmother (1970), and The Amputee (1974).
In 1977, Lynch released his debut feature film, Eraserhead. Produced in the span of five years due to limited funding, the film’s surrealist nature takes inspiration from the writings of Franz Kafka and Nikolai Gogol. The film follows pencil factory worker Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) and his girlfriend in an industrial wasteland, where Henry is left to care for his famously disfigured child.
On its initial release, the film saw mixed reviews (something that Lynch would see often). The New York Times and Variety labeled the film as “murkily pretentious” and “a sickening bad-taste exercise”. Inversely, The Atlantic praised Lynch as an “unalloyed surrealist”. Over time, the film gained popularity as a classic on the midnight movie circuit and has since become a cult film (Lynch himself stated it as his “most spiritual film” with no further explanation). In 2004, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry.
Following up on Lynch’s Eraserhead, The Elephant Man (1980) was the director’s stab at a biographical drama. Loosely following the life of 19th-century Joseph Merrick, the film explores the growing bond between surgeon Frederick Treves (Anthony Hopkins) and physically deformed freak-show performer John Merrick (John Hurt).
The film was praised for its outstanding performance by Hurt and its “admirable synthesis of compassion” according to Rotten Tomatoes. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, its makeup effects warranted the academy to create the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
An adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert of the same name, Dune (1984) is Lynch’s take on the sci-fi space epic. Set in the distant future, the film follows the classic tale of two rival families fighting over control of the desert planet Arrakis. The movie features Kyle MacLachlan in his film debut as Paul Atreides.
The movie completely flopped. Grossing only ~$30,000,000 in the US, it fell short of its $40-42 million budget. Film critic Roger Ebert, notorious for reviewing Lynch’s works harshly, stated, “This film is a real mess… one of the most confusing screenplays of all time.” Reviews for the film were generally negative and still today are quite split. However, the film did win an award—a 1984 Stinkers Bad Movie Award for Worst Picture.
Bouncing back from the box office bust two years prior, Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) is regarded as one of his best works. Cast as college student Jeffery Beaumont, Kyle MacLachlan finds himself wrapped up in the details of a murder after discovering a severed ear in a field in his suburban hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina. Teaming up with the detective’s daughter Sandy Williams (Laura Dern), the two go down a rabbit hole that they believe connects to the lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini).
Upon its release, the film’s reception was polarizing. Some critics praised the film for the unique eeriness of its psychological horror and neo-noir elements and labeled it as a film of “ecstatic creepiness” (Village Voice). Others, such as the National Review, trashed it as being “a piece of mindless junk”. Its pushback formed mass walkouts and demands for refunds across theaters.
Nevertheless, the movie was quickly regarded as a cult film. It earned Lynch his second nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director and has since been lauded as one of the greatest films of the 1980s.
In 1990, the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) aired the first season of Twin Peaks, created by Mark Frost and Lynch. The series follows FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) investigating the murder of local teenager Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee).
The show became an unexpected hit and received critical acclaim, its first season earning a whopping fourteen nominations at the 42nd Primetime Emmy Awards. Although ratings decreased in its second season, Twin Peaks has become a pop culture classic, setting the television series’ cinematography standard. The series also saw a prequel film release (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)) and a reboot season (Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)).
Alongside Twin Peaks, 1990 saw another release from Lynch. Written and directed by Lynch, Wild At Heart is his adaptation of the 1990 novel by Barry Gifford of the same name. The film follows the road trip between Sailor Ripley (Nicholas Cage) and Lula Fortune (Laura Dern) as the two keep their love together while being hunted by hitmen hired by Lula’s mother to kill Sailor.
A romantic dark comedy mixed with crime, Lynch was drawn to the idea of a “really modern romance in a violent world—a picture about finding love in Hell.”
On its initial release, the film earned mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes labeled it one of Lynch’s “more uneven efforts” and its Palme d’Or win at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival was seen as “controversial”. However, the film has become more favorably viewed in recent years
Following the release of the Twin Peaks prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992), Lost Highway (1997) is the first of three Lynch films set in Los Angeles. The film follows Renee Madison (Patricia Arquette) as she and her husband Fred (Bill Pullman) receive strange videotapes of the two filmed at their house.
The film was received with mixed reviews, with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel giving the film “two thumbs down”, Ebert arguing that the film “is about design, not cinema”. Metro editor Richard von Busack praised the film and Lynch’s ability to “present horror as horror”. Nonetheless, Lost Highway has become a cult film and is even noted as an inspiration for the 2001 video game Silent Hill 2.
A second take at a biographical drama, The Straight Story (1999) is Lynch’s big-screen take on real-life Alvin Straight’s journey through Iowa and Wisconsin to visit his ailing brother—riding a lawn mower. Stepping back from his surrealist horror, Lynch and collaborator Mary Sweeney felt drawn to the story in which Sweeney stated, “I understand what these people’s dreams and frustrations are. And I loved how much his journey captured the national imagination.” The film was shot along the actual route driven by Straight.
Described by Entertainment Weekly as a “celestial piece of Americana” and “uncharacteristically straightforward and warmly sentimental” by AllMovie, the heartwarming tale was critically acclaimed and nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Since then, Lynch has dubbed this film as his most experimental.
Released in 2001, Mulholland Drive is Lynch’s first feature film of the 21st century. With a tagline of “a love story in the city of dreams,” the film follows new Hollywood resident Betty Elms (Naomi Watts), and her encounter with Rita (Laura Harring), a woman-turned-amnesiac after a car crash as the two try to make sense of Rita’s true identity.
Originally conceived as a television pilot, Lynch’s enigmatic thriller has left its viewers puzzled by what its true motives are. James Berardinelli of ReelViews writes, “Nothing makes any sense because it’s not supposed to make any sense.” The film has been praised for its dreamlike nature, earning Lynch the award for Best Director at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.
The final installment in Lynch’s filmography, Inland Empire (2006) closes out the trilogy of the director’s LA-centered films and is the definition of going out with a bang. The film follows the events of troubled actress Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) as she struggles to separate herself from her role in her latest film.
Inland Empire was Lynch’s first feature film to be shot entirely on a Sony digital camcorder and without a completed screenplay. Described as “a work of genius… I think” by BBC program Film 2007 presenter Jonathan Ross and with Laura Dern receiving widespread acclaim for her performance, Inland Empire pushes the boundaries of surrealism one last time as he leads viewers down an inexplicable rabbit hole.
To say that David Lynch left an impact on the film is a gross understatement—not many can say they have an adjective coined after their last name. With a filmography spanning decades of unrivaled surrealism, there’s a reason Lynch is recognized as a visionary. With various accolades and awards under his belt, including the key to the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, his unique artistic approach has inspired generations of filmmakers and directors.
