Review of Eraserhead (1977) by Jay R — 09 May 2010

Eraserhead is David Lynch's first major motion picture that took him 5 years to make. Eraserhead is also impossible to describe because of the sheer fact you cannot understand it. I applaud the ambition at hand. Lynch always leaves his movies open to interpretation. The problem here is that there are too many meanings to keep track of. However, even if you don't want to wrap your head around what is happening, it isn't hard to lose yourself in the sights and sounds. The pacing is achingly slow, and it really takes awhile for Eraserhead to reach its dream-like state that it stays in. There is no plot here and no characters to really get attached to. These are just images and effects shooting by. Lynch wants you to out the pieces together yourself. But even in the images, what is Lynch trying to say? Is this about what it is like to be a kid? Sexual deprivation? The fear of parenthood? It hints at all of these. Since there is too much to keep track of, Eraserhead does seem a bit cluttered at times, even with the lack of characters. But with Lynch, the imagery is what matters, even if you really don't get it. According to Lynch, there is one specific meaning to this whole film and that in the time it has been out, no one has even come close to explaining it. Perhaps Eraserhead is not meant to be understood, just thought over. That may not be enough for some. Personally, I can recommend Eraserhead for its dazzling imagery and its gut wrenching finale. You can either choose to go with the madness at hand, or immediately throw it away. However, like all of Lynch's movies, more than one viewing is required.

Surrealist cinema definitely has a select audience. The reason why it has such a select audience is based on what you personally prefer. On the one hand, every surrealist film will mean something different to someone else. The ability to create your own interpretation of a movie makes the experience more personal and meaningful. On the other hand, sometimes people just want to watch something and not think too hard. After all, movie are supposed to be entertaining and distracting. If you don't want to think too hard, you may want to shy away from Eraserhead. Personally, I am torn between both options. The imagery is spectacular as it rolls along in its mystifying way without explanation or retreads. However, I wish there was a tiny bit more explanation. The symbolism is too high, and as I tried to figure out what something meant, the movie just kept going. I'm not asking Lynch to tell me everything exactly, but some bigger hints would have been nice. The finale makes up for any slow pace the film had and result is a grotesque, unnerving and haunting conclusion that you can't quite understand. Sometimes torturing the audience achieves interesting results. Personally, the torture was transfixing and annoying at various instances throughout.

The torture comes when trying to find a plot in this film. For those who know Lynch, you know a plot never exists, merely pictures and words. Sometimes the imagery is able to overpower your misinterpretations. For example, dark humour arises when the title is taken literally. When the main character, Henry, has his head fall off, his head is taken by a boy to a factory where it is used to make erasers. What does this mean? Who cares I was laughing too hard. Especially in the last 30 minutes when Lynch bombards us with a cavalcade of images that are shocking, grotesque and stomach turning. It is a very satisfying conclusion to a very slow paced movie. It is as if this character has finally lost it, just like we are fed up with Lynch teasing our brains. So Lynch just says fine, here's what I got! You can either scoff at this self-indulgent madness or you can bask in the over-the-top themes and images. It is almost impossible to explain, but easy to fall into.

As for the characters in Lynch's movies, they always seems to have more representative purposes than actually development. Personally, I wish I got to know these characters a bit more. However, there are some great twisted scenes that really throw curve balls at you. For example, there is a scene where Henry goes to visit his girlfriend Mary X. Everyone is socially awkward, taking way too long of a pause to respond and completely oblivious that what they are saying is totally out of line. This dysfunctional family reflects how hard it is for Henry to be accepted in a social context. Then there is a scene where Henry sees a beautiful girl across the hall. He sees a beautiful girl and she sees his head as the mutated baby he has. This reflects how a man's ability to be available and wanted goes down after having children. Henry is broken and distraught, all he has is this mutated, deformed baby that has been causing all of his troubles. Lynch doesn't shy away from other themes such as abortion and lack of a love life, but he never explains those choices either. If a picture does say a thousand words, then Lynch requires billions of explanations before we can even come close to grasping his genius. He chooses to symbolize everything, which can be a hassle to try and decipher. However, I found myself shocked, laughing and immersed in the visual experience.

This is why I can recommend Eraserhead. It is definitely thoughtful and highly ambitious, but Lynch has tried to do just a bit too much with his imagery here. Explanations are created by pictures and feelings are created by sounds. He is basically substituting a filmstrip for the human psyche. Some may find that interesting, some honestly won't care. Lynch asks you if you want to watch what he has to say. The lack of characters and the slow pace may turn some people off, but patience is rewarded. The finale of this film is highly unsettling and it is a wonderful climax to a deranged mind. Eraserhead is a very unique experience no doubt. Just don't torture yourself too much when you try and figure out what you just watched. Eraserhead is impossible to penetrate, but engrossing to just watch.