Before you head off to watch this masterpiece of a film by David Lynch, a word of warning - Eraserhead is not for the low-in-patience, action-loving, amongst you. If you have read anything that I have ever written in my blog, or you know me personally, you certainly know of the disdain and hatred I harbor, in general for the human race. With that disclaimer, I can safely say, that this surreal work of art is not for the creatively and intellectually challenged (yes, I am that pompous and can be a total dog from time to time).This slow and laborious journey of a man through a wasteland (presumably set somewhere in the not-so-distant future) would have normally been dismissed as a boring 2 hour, pretentious, minimalistic attempt at abstract film-making - but it cannot be. It has to mean a lot more. If it is just a facade that David Lynch puts up to garner some attention, it would totally turn my world upside-down
I saw this movie for the first time, a couple of years ago. Since then I cannot get the vivid, scary, and sometimes, goth imagery out of my head. Using only a couple of dialogues throughout the film (with most of the doings going about in silence, insane laughter, or some other wretched human emotion) David Lynch essays emotions far beyond what any movie during, or after its generation could. The scene with the protagonist's girlfriend's family is especially spooky and creepy.
No one knows what David Lynch's original concept while making this surreal sci-fi was. As most people, I have my own interpretation - and that is the beauty of it. I truly believe the movie to be a nightmarish dream of a man who has been coerced by society to believe in a certain set of principles. The nightmare, and consequently the story is all about his fears and concerns regarding what could go wrong, lest he slightly waver from his current, righteous path. This is cemented by the plot-lines that depict the protagonist with a horrendous child born out of wedlock, a deformed seductress who entices him, and his final destruction/ salvation (turning into an eraserhead) due to his perceived 'sins'.
... and that is exactly the reason why Eraserhead makes it to my top 5 movies of all time without a doubt. The fact that a movie can seem so mundane and random, and yet captivate you enough to find a meaning, now that's a work of art.
David Lynch has gone on to make other minor masterpieces like Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and The Elephant Man, and tons of short films. However, his first movie, Eraserhead. to me is his finest work - period. (ummm, except maybe Mulholland Drive)
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