Eraserhead - 70s Week

This is another film that I approach with severe caution, being that it was one of those cinematic gems that I hold close to my heart. It was my first experience into the Lynchian realm of wonder and mystery. Before I jump into the film, we really should discuss the man behind the film. David Lynch – director, writer, actor, photographer of old decomposing buildings. He’s truly got his finger in every pie imaginable. I’ve watched a few documentaries on him and every time I become more and more perplexed at what makes him tick. Of course it is his sincere love for making and appreciating art and beauty in this world. However, his viewing lens is extraordinarily skewed, compared to what normal people would consider beautiful. One quick example: he recounted a story as a young boy where he witnessed the killing and gutting of a horse that was extremely ill beyond repair. He described in great detail all that took place in the courtyard where the horse was hung up and let go. He found true beauty in the way the steam from his innards hit the cold fall air and the process by which these men put this horse out of his misery. Obviously something that many wouldn’t care to watch, let alone find beauty in. This is the easiest way I can intro David Lynch.

Eraserhead Trailer

ERASERHEAD was David Lynch’s first film and it took him nearly 5 years to finish it. It was shot very meticulously in a recreated desolate, industrial setting that seems cold and dead; often compared to the moon-like setting at the beginning of the film. The story’s fairly simple, but extremely bizarre in shot, audio, and acting. Henry meets a girl and has a child with her. The child is a deformed alien-like creature and Henry is left to take care of it because the mother cannot stand to listen to its crying all night. How about that for simple? There are a lot of other things that take place and subplots, etc, but if I go into detail I will seem crazy.

Throughout the film Henry is given choices to make: sin or abstain. He usually chooses to sin (the girl across the hall, etc). Many believe the man in the moon to be the devil who is quietly calling the shots throughout Henry’s life and tormenting him for his sins (the dream where the head falls off in the radiator). The devil is pulling the levers of Henry’s life without remorse. In the radiator dream sequence Henry is reminded that he is able to reach heaven, even after all his shortcomings here on earth, but yet again the devil interrupts and turns the dream into a nightmare.

David Lynch has never publicly commented on this film or any of his films come to think of it. He wants his viewers to find and have their own interpretations of his films. The main takeaway for me from this film was the responsibility and stressfulness of parenthood. While David Lynch made this film his wife was pregnant with their first child, so one could make the argument that he was expressing his fears about being a father and all the duties that came with it. It becomes apparent through the film that being a father is more than one bargained for. And it’s interesting that Henry was not a part of the pregnancy process, just the end result. During her pregnancy Mary keeps away from Henry hidden at home with her parents. Perhaps there is a parallel here where David feels like a mere sperm donor and nothing more.

This film is intended to be extremely bizarre and at times disturbing. I find it incorrect to classify it in the ‘horror’ genre, but I can see how people could make that leap. Oh ye of little understanding… A little aside: I actually used the ambient sound at the beginning when Henry is floating in space in my own first short film. I sued it during a dream/nightmare sequence for my main character. The lever sound was the catalyst to throw the lights on and propel the nightmare forward. I’m very thankful for that piece of factory noise or whatever it was. It saved me a lot of audio development work.

In closing, if you love this film, you’ll love all of David Lynch’s works of art. From his short films: THE ALPHABET, SIX MEN GETTING SICK, THE AMPUTEE; to his feature lengths: BLUE VELVET, LOST HIGHWAY, THE ELEPHANT MAN, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, to his most recent INLAND EMPIRE, which took 3 years to complete and is probably the most confusing piece he’s ever done in my mind. What a crazy 3.5 hour journey. Also check out the 2 season television show TWIN PEAKS. Quite possibly my favorite show of all time. You can definitely tell that David Lynch was all over it. He also has a great funny iPhone commercial. I’ll try to find the link (iPhone commercial link). And his photography is stunning as well. (davidlynch.com)

Another take on this film I have after re-watching it. Henry is in purgatory during the whole film. He's caught between heaven and hell and is tormented day in and out. (nightmares, screaming alien babies, crazy wives/in-laws, etc). And at the end of it all he takes his own life, which is represented in the life of his child (henry=child) and then he can pass into heaven. (entering the "white", being greeted by the lady in the radiator - angel?) And the devil is defeated in the process. The whole film is a striking statement on how we are all bidding our time until we are called home from this planet of pain.

Rating: 9.5/10