David Lynch’s Eraserhead is a mindtrip through an industrial world of madness and despair, in which the main character Henry Spencer lives. Henry seems to walk through life in a stupor, not really connecting with anything, and experiencing anxiety from all around him. And it’s no wonder, considering he got his girlfriend Mary pregnant and she had a premature birth to a weird creature that has no limbs except for a sheep-like head that bleets throughout the night. The film is saturated with layers of meaning throughout the scenes, though Lynch refuses to comment on the real meaning behind the film. The film itself is extremely puzzling, and Lynch himself has said that no one has come close to explaining the meaning behind the film. And yet it stands out as one of the greatest and weirdest independent films to become a cult hit.

The actors all do a good job of being eccentirc, frightened, disgusted, and crazy. All of the interactions between actors are awkward and creepy, going along with the feeling that nothing is right with the world. The film continues to get weirder and weirder as it goes along with surreal imagery and themes playing in with the eery idustiral music which sets the demented tone of the film. You never know what to expect next, and there’s a sense of dread that holds the reader, knowing that things can only get worse. For what it was I really enjoyed watching the film because it was so strange and crazy. While I definitely didn’t understand the point Lynch was trying to make, I still found an appreciation for how the film was shot and the ideas and feelings that the film stirred. While it might not be a film that most would enjoy, I think that it should really be appreciated for its unique style and setting.

Tags: cult classic, David Lynch, eraserhead, experimental film, Jerad Ford

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 at 8:43 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.