I had been intending to see this film for awhile, and finally got around to renting it today, and to put it simply, I was not let down at all. Actually, that's an understatement; this movie is incredible. This, along with Terry Gilliam's Brazil, and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, is one of the more avant-garde films that I've seen, and I will probably watch it a couple more times to get fully accustomed to the style of it, but this doesn't mean that I wasn't amazed by it the first time. The cinematography of this film is just unbelievable, especially considering the circumstances in which it was made. During filming, the director David Lynch was literally living on the set, as a result of how poor he was at the time, and his only job was as a newspaper boy. The film has to rely on the camera work, because there is so little dialogue (I read that the script was only twenty pages long), and it does so much more than that. Watching Eraserhead is a visual feast in general, and a couple sections in particular spring to mind. The portrayal of the "baby" was very unnerving and surreal, and contributes to many peoples' arguments that this is a 'horror' film. I found myself disgusted, yet so enthralled when the monstrous infant got sick, as well as when it was sliced open at the end of the film. It is ironic, because this film is totally unconventional compared with most horror films, yet some sections manage to completely scare the shit out of me. Okay, maybe that's not a very accurate assessment, but they certainly were startling and powerful. Along with the cinematography, the use of black and white colors in this film is so utterly engaging. It manages to make an already dark plot seem much more bleak and depressing than it was previously, and it adds to the artistic element of it. Once again, the baby comes into my discussion, because that creature in particular wouldn't be frightening at all if it were shot in color. But Lynch's use of B&W is both creative and totally intriguing; much more so than color would be with this specific plot and direction. Lastly, I cannot think of any films that are even remotely similar to this. It seems that Lynch himself never was able to fully emulate the mood of this film in his other work, although I've only seen one other film of his, The Elephant Man. I could be wrong, but this is what I seem to gather from the information I've read about his other work. If this is true, I would respect the man as a director even more. Anyway, as I was reading the video box of this from the copy I rented, some of the reviews said that it was a horror film, but I disagree with this somewhat. As I already mentioned, some sections were quite creepy and unsettling, but not in the way that other horror films are. This film is much more deep in its thrills than any other film I've seen. In a way, this reminded me of Hitchcock, but only vaguely, because this material is far more cerebral than the work of Hitchcock. Highly recommended, if you haven't seen it or heard of it. This film is a trip into the inner psyche and beyond.
Yes! It definitely ranks among one of my favorite all-time films. The movie gives off such a genuinely creepy, superbly fucked up ambience that I rarely experience with movies. And to think of the circumstances the movie was filmed under... it's simply an amazing piece of artistry and minimalism set to film. The Lady in the Radiator gave me nightmares for almost a week after first watching it.
awesome movie has anyone seen the movie called the straight story? its directed by lynch and its a pretty big departure from his usually creepy weird stories. its about an old man who has to ride his lawn mower over 300 miles to see his brother who had a stroke. its such an awesome movie i would highly recommend it.
I'm glad you finally got to see it Chris! Its one of my favorite films of all time. The apocalyptic quality the film gives off is amazing. I enjoy pretty much all of Lynchs films. I didnt care for wild at heart very much though. and no i havent seen the straight story yet. Ive seen it around and almost got it several times.
It's been.....Id say....8 or 9 years since I've seen this film. I really enjoyed this movie. It's been so long that i don't really remember a lot of specifics as much as I do a overall feeling or aura. I've been searching for a DVD to purchase because I want to own it but Im having a hard time justifing spending $40.00 from Lynch's website.
all i have to say is that after watching eraserhead i didn't have a very good night, i had unquiet dreams and that made me think much more about the movie, when a movie can make this with your mind, it gives you some things to think about. I can imagine how a man can have such a weird mind David Lynch is a real artist
