Lynch’s first feature film sets his stall out early. The story follows the character of Henry Spencer, a man wandering through a surreal hyper-industrial environment struggling with his dreams. He falls in love with a girl who later gives birth to a mutated baby. Shot in striking black and white, Eraserhead is one of Lynch’s least accessible films, displaying his affinity for lifting artistic concepts traditionally found on a canvas and bringing them to the silver screen.Libra films
Lynch’s first feature film sets his stall out early. The story follows the character of Henry Spencer, a man wandering through a surreal hyper-industrial environment struggling with his dreams. He falls in love with a girl who later gives birth to a mutated baby. Shot in striking black and white, Eraserhead is one of Lynch’s least accessible films, displaying his affinity for lifting artistic concepts traditionally found on a canvas and bringing them to the silver screen.Libra filmsLynch’s biggest awards success, the adaptation of the true story of Joseph Merrick, a man with horrific deformities in the 19th century, picked up eight Oscar nominations and won a Bafta for best film. Lynch puts his surrealist flourishes on the back burner for a considerably straighter story, nonetheless weaving several Lynchian flourishes into the story of John Hurt’s Merrick finding his own dignity.ParamountStill famed for a terrifying performance by a snarling Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet sees Lynch take pleasure in peeling back the layers of middle America. Behind the white picket fences and plastic smiles, he finds a world of murder and sadomasochism.MGMReleased to a torrent of bile from Cannes critics and a commericial flop, Lynch’s companion film to his mysterious and disturbing Twin Peaks television series is generally viewed as ‘one for the completists’. As an accompaniment to the series, however, it is a powerful, visually stunning portrayal of the tragic life of Laura Palmer, the homecoming queen whose death is the linchpin of the series.New LineThe film that brought Lynch a new generation of devotees, Mulholland Drive saw him nominated for an Oscar for best director, while fans continue to debate it’s meaning and conclusions. Naomi Watts plays aspiring actress Betty Elms, whose interactions with an amnesiac she meets hiding in her aunt’s apartment sees the lines of fact and fiction blurred and drawn together. Lynch remains tight-lipped about the exact meaning of the film, which continues to ensnare new fans with its hypnotic style.Universal FocusA three-hour David Lynch tour-de-force featuring a spectacular, career-best performance from Laura Dern. The typical Lynch themes of defying the conventions of narration and the confusion between reality and dreams. The film stands as a classic example of Lynch’s ability to keep an audience balanced between being utterly baffled and mesmerised.Absurdia FilmsDavid Lynch, who is famous for his surrealist style, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2012 Camerimage Festival.Reuters
The British Film Institute's Southbank cinema has launched a month-long David Lynch season, focusing on the award-winning director's work.
In a cinema landscape overpopulated with sequels and undemanding blockbuster fare, Lynch's films put the director in a category of his own.
International Business Times UK takes a look at the director's back catalogue, so revered for its originality that the term "Lynchian" has become a part of the cinematic lexicon.
