The Legacy of David Lynch
On January 16th, 2025, I was driving to go to the gym. While stopped at a red light, I see the notification on my phone at David Lynch passed away at 78. It felt almost like time stopped. This man who had such an impact on me and other film fanatics alike has died. Obviously, I did not know him personally, but his films and TV shows have dramatically changed how I view my life and the medium of film. What I came to realize as I sat in the parking lot trying to process my thoughts was that, as fans of film, we should take this time to remember why we love the man so much in the first place; we should take a moment to appreciate his catalogue of work over the years, and that is exactly what I am going to do.
David Lynch is someone who I wish I could understand. I wish I could understand just how he comes up with this fantastical ideas to portray very real feelings. His ability to create this feeling of other worldliness inside your own body is impeccable. I truly think that his best work comes from the first two seasons of Twin Peaks, which he created with Mark Frost. Watching it is an experience that I wish I could relive. One second you are laughing at the silly antics of Ben Horne, and then you are dropped right back into the heartbreaking tale of Laura Palmer, who I think is one the best characters in all of TV and film. Watching everyone slowly realize that while all they saw was a pretty girl, underneath was someone desperately crying for help. What makes it even more tragic is that the only person who seemed to understand her and hear her was too late, and that was Dale Cooper. I think that is what makes the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me so special.
Fire Walk with Me also plays with time in a way that is so distinctly Lynchian. Aspects of Laura’s past being interwoven with things that happened at the end of season two is so interesting to me. I still need to watch The Return season, but I still hold the show so dearly in my heart. Another film of his that plays with time is Inland Empire, which is one of the most insane things I have ever seen. Just like Laura Dern’s character Nikki, you as the viewer are trying to decipher when this scene is happening or if it’s even real. But the emotions that Nikki feels are so real at the same time. Her actions become so interwoven with the plot of the film, that she begins to live it. You can never really tell if what is happening is a part of the filmmaking process or if it is Nikki’s delusions. I think Inland Empire serves as an interesting take on the creative process and how artists become a product of their work by the end.
The last film I want to touch on is Blue Velvet. Now, I have talked about the film recently, so go here if you want to read my thoughts on the movie itself. What I want to say here is that I love how obvious that everyone who worked with David Lynch loved doing so, and that is seen by how many people he continuously worked with throughout his career. Both Kyle Maclachlan and Laura Dern have worked with him so many times after Blue Velvet, and cast members from Twin Peaks worked with him in Eraserhead (Jack Nance) and Inland Empire (Grace Zabriskie). It also says something that so many people from the original cast came back to work on The Return after 25 years. People knew how special Lynch and his vision were and that it needed to be continued, and I love that.
David Lynch is a filmmaker who changed the film landscape with his surrealist visions and elaborate stories. He inspired people through his work and his own words, whether it be him talking about the weather or tweeting about the moon. The world will be a bit darker without him for a while, but soon we will get to see those blue skies and golden sunshine and know his presence is still felt. I will think of him every time I have a damn fine cup of coffee.
