The Tribute to David Lynch That Captures his Joyful Approach to the Dark
The great David Lynch passed away at 78 yesterday, leaving behind masterworks that dared to leave questions unanswered. Those films, from his breakout Eraserhead (1977), which baffled and even offended critics (Variety wrote at the time that it was a “sickening bad-taste exercise”) that thrilled audiences, to the era-defining Blue Velvet (1986), that forever seared the image of a severed ear covered in ants into the psyche of mid-80s America, to his brilliant, beguiling neo-noir Mulholland Drive (2001) showcased Lynch’s absolutely singular vision, a filmmaker in connection with the darkest aspects of the human soul who translated that connection into lasting works. When Lynch brought his distinctive worldview to the small screen, the result was one of the defining television series of its time, Twin Peaks (1990-91), one that would go on to inspire filmmakers and TV creators, the latter of whom saw Lynch’s bold, twisted tale as proof that even audiences sitting on their couches were ready to travel the darkest roads if led by a guiding light. Lynch’s influence was such that his name became an adjective.
There are wonderful tributes and in-depth obituaries that paint a fuller picture of the life of David Lynch, a painter who turned to film to express himself more fully and, in doing so, left a legacy all his own on the big screen and small. You can find no shortage of these deep dives into Lynch’s life and work and we encourage you to read them when you can.
One of the most moving tributes to Lynch, and one that captures the impish spirit of a born collaborator, was actually created six years ago. Lynch’s longtime composer, Angelo Badalamenti, scored Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive, and in 2019 he sat down at his piano to explain what it was like to sit with Lynch as he worked out his vision of Twin Peaks and its tragic central figure, Laura Palmer, and gently directed Badalamenti in how it might sound. It’s a gorgeous tribute.
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For longer looks at David Lynch’s impact on film and television, his influences, and more, you couldn’t do much better than Dennis Lim’s monograph “David Lynch: The Man From Another Place.” For recent pieces on Lynch, you can read about how some of Hollywood’s most successful directors, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and James Gunn, have talked about what he meant to them. Unlike the mercurial Lynch, whose presence in Hollywood and beyond was felt everywhere but who remained only and ever himself, the tributes are easy to find and easier to understand. They attest to perhaps the most graspable thing about the man—there was one, and only one, David Lynch, and he will be missed.
Featured image: LONDON – OCTOBER 23: Director David Lynch hosts a Q & A ‘Catching The Big Fish’ at the National Film Theatre as part of the BFI 51st London Film Festival on October 23, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart Wilson / Getty Images)
