The movie David Lynch wanted re-released every four years: “It’s timeless”
The most brilliant thing about David Lynch is that, no matter how bizarre his artistic choices, how seemingly nonsensical and surreal, his work is always defined by an undeniable sense of humanism.
Sure, Eraserhead is defined by an alien-like baby that is hardly human at all, but the film centres on protagonist Henry’s struggle to reckon with fatherhood and sexuality, and really, you can’t get more human than that.
And look at Twin Peaks. There are people who talk in reverse, a strange extra-dimensional realm, and seemingly supernatural beings who make the show so much more than a murder mystery soap, yet Lynch’s exploration of themes like child abuse, incest, violence, and trauma make it one of the most moving shows television has ever seen.
Lynch was concerned with empathy and exploring the complexities of the human experience, where some people become unwelcome victims of abhorrent crimes, while others are unable to suppress violent urges. It’s a dark world out there, and Lynch knew that, but at the same time, he always knew how to find a silver lining. Producer Sabrina S Sutherland told Far Out, “He was just so very kind to people. He was so very comfortable in his skin and comfortable with people, and I think he just genuinely loved people.”
This love of people can be seen in everything he did, like The Elephant Man, which sees John Merrick unable to be treated as a human being simply because of the extreme bodily deformities he was born with. Set in Victorian London, Merrick is rescued by a surgeon from a freak show, only to become an object of attraction in high society. It’s a truly tragic film, inspired by the real life Joseph Merrick, with Lynch aiming to communicate the true meaning of being human, which has nothing to do with what you look like or your social standing.
Lynch was really proud of the film, which was his second feature after Eraserhead, and it helped to demonstrate that he was capable of making movies that still retained his signature style while also being slightly more accessible. It was even backed by Mel Brooks, who hid his name as a producer so that people didn’t think The Elephant Man was a comedy. It’s far from it.
While you can argue that all of Lynch’s movies are essential viewing, if you’re going to watch any, it’s likely that The Elephant Man is the one that will stick with you the most. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t teared up watching it (or sobbed for that matter), but it’s not a manipulative Hollywood tearjerker – it’s a true encapsulation of human cruelty and resilience.
When people started to latch onto the film, like when lead actor John Hurt got to watch the movie for the first time and couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be part of it, Lynch realised how vital this piece of art really was.
In Room to Dream, the filmmaker revealed, “It started getting these reviews that were more than glowing—they were kind of cosmic. People just loved the film. The Elephant Man is a film that should come out every four years, because it helps the world for people to see it. It’s a beautiful story and a beautiful experience and it’s timeless.” And he was right.
