Question About Enjoying David Lynch Films

Submitted by MagicMajed123 t3_12754s9 in movies

So I just watched my first David Lynch film Blue Velvet. I made that my first as i heard it was a bit more approachable and understandable. But as i was watching it and once i finished it i loosely understood the film and it’s themes and message. But even thiugh I didn’t understand it I had this feeling for some reason that I just absolutely loved it. I didn’t even understand it completely but yet i had this super strong gut feeling that i loved what i watched. Just they style and everything about it. Even though I didn’t understand it completely. So i guess my question is is that the point of David Lynch films/is that a normal feeling to have.

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timid-dolphin t1_jecmwh1 wrote

It's Ok to be a bit confused. Personally I think the key to David Lynch films is that he's actually really funny in a deadpan absurdist kind of way.

I went to a screening of Mulholland Drive a few years ago and it was packed. The whole audience was laughing the whole way through so I know I'm not the only one!

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Autoganz t1_jecmr8x wrote

Very normal. Upon first viewing you should just let the film wash over you. It’s an experience.

You’ve just taken your first step into a larger world.

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mdavis360 t1_jecnhyc wrote

Very normal. Lynch’s films are the definition of art where there is no right way to interpret it or enjoy it. It’s a canvas of different emotions and feelings.

I can watch Lost Highway today and feel just as affected by it as I did over 20 years ago.

When you watch Mulholland Drive, just understand that it’s like watching a dream. Dream Logic doesn’t make sense but there is some familiarity and comfort in it. It’s hard to explain. Anyways just don’t look for one “meaning” of the story. Even Lynch would tell you that it’s an experience not a mystery to be solved.

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thejist t1_jeco6sd wrote

have you watched Twin Peaks yet? the first season was amazing!

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MagicMajed123 OP t1_jecodr7 wrote

unfortunately have not but i do plan on it!

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The_Meemeli t1_jeduobt wrote

Don't stop at Season 2. It was some weak parts, but it ends strong, and the movie + Season 3 are a return to form.

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InterPunct t1_jecov7i wrote

Yeah, stop at Season 2.

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PureImplosion t1_jee82lp wrote

Absolutely not, Season 3 is one of the best things Lynch ever created.

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ethanwnelson t1_jeelgkv wrote

Imo it’s Lynch’s magnum opus and the culmination of everything he’s done

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PureImplosion t1_jeem0yt wrote

Agree, that and Mulholland Drive are his two masterpieces.

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ethanwnelson t1_jeemqbr wrote

Totally agree. Mulholland Dr is his best film for sure. Maybe I’m a little biased because I’m a sucker for Naomi Watts

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BWRyan75 t1_jecqs6d wrote

But there were some episodes of Season 3 that were incredible?

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Nitroburner3000 t1_ject5ie wrote

> But there were some episodes of Season 3 that were incredible?

Are you asking?

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BWRyan75 t1_jectl2y wrote

No, I guess my point is, while maybe Season 3 didn’t exactly satisfy every Twin Peaks desire I had, if you skip it entirely you’d miss out on a few truly awesome episodes of television.

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thejist t1_jecw5qr wrote

i tried, but i couldn’t finish season 2 or 3. more than once, different drugs…. nope

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BWRyan75 t1_jecqggw wrote

David Lynch films are so much about atmosphere. You were just taken in by it, like all David Lynch fans. Enjoy this journey, my friend. 😊

I don’t worry about understanding it all — with some films, there isn’t an intention of some some concrete understood story or plot.

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Boney__Danza t1_jedngyl wrote

There aren't really concrete themes in his work. What you got out of Blue Velvet is likely all there is to get. David Lynch is much more about the vibe and surreal imagery and absurdist humor. Anyone who tells you they "get" a David Lynch movie just assumes their interpretation is correct. I liken the experience of watching one of his films to disassociating but in a fun way.

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cbbuntz t1_jeco9xd wrote

I think not fully understanding David Lynch is part of the appeal. It adds intrigue and you'll keep thinking about the film to make sense of it.

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bcraig8870 t1_jed7koj wrote

Blue Velvet is actually one of his more straightforward films. Having said that, it definitely requires multiple viewings to bring all the characters’ motivations into focus. Hell I’ve seen it probably 25 times (it’s my favorite film) and I still can’t tell you for sure if Detective Williams and The Yellow Man were both good cops, both crooked cops, or if one was good and one was crooked and if so which one was which. They can be read multiple ways, which is one of my favorite things about the film.

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mikelnomics t1_jedrnpa wrote

Completely normal, and from what I've gathered in my years of being a Lynch fan, it's exactly what he tries to evoke in viewers. As long as you feel like you 'got it' on an emotional level, I think you're golden.

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boring_ad_1 t1_jedrv9o wrote

I had the same experience when I watched Mulholland Drive. I've enjoyed the film dispite not getting everything. Then I watched some 20 min analysis on YouTube and it all made sense and you really appreciate the film even more.

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Fur-Frisbee t1_jeczsn2 wrote

Did Eraserhead leave you with the same feeling?

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MagicMajed123 OP t1_jed02hq wrote

This is my first David Lynch film so I haven’t gotten to Eraserhead. All though I think that is going to be the next Lynch film i watch!

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TheShadyGuy t1_jef3lg4 wrote

Watch the Straight Story. I think it may be his best film. So simple. So weird. So beautiful. I like his batshit crazy stuff, too, but the Straight Story just shows how much emotion he can pull out of an audience with so little.

The Elephant Man is top notch, too. Funny and tragic. It feels kind of like watching a play as a movie but in the best way possible.

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djwilly2 t1_jefmup1 wrote

Yes. They're works of art, not a puzzle to solve (fun as that can be at times).

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[deleted] t1_jed5ko0 wrote

There are two types of people in this world. Those who hate David Lynch and liars.

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[deleted] t1_jef0egf wrote

I’m obviously joking, he is definitely an acquired taste. I may or may not have broken up with a girl because she was obsessed with “Mulholland Drive” when it came out.

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