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The movies that David Lynch “oriented” himself on
The filmography of David Lynch exists in an entirely separate bubble of its own, entirely different from the linear rules of contemporary cinema. In the American auteur’s dreamworld, characters navigate the dreamworld, teetering on the precipice of something even more ethereal as they discover a world of confusion, wonder and terror as the dream starts to resemble something more like a waking nightmare.
Obsessed with such a concept, Lynch rarely departs from this mode of storytelling, creating the likes of Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire with the world of dreams and fantasy very much in the forefront of his mind.
As such, David Lynch is inspired by a very select collection of filmmakers, often looking to European experimenters and world cinema masters for inspiration when going about his latest projects. Lynch spoke about how such a range of cinema can inform his practice in a conversation with The Talks, where the filmmaker went so far as to name several directors and movies that have inspired him over the years.
“I like all different kinds of cinema,” Lynch told the publication, further clarifying, “There are no rules. Some abstract things don’t move me at all and some move me like crazy. Some straight-ahead movies don’t do anything for me, whereas others really light my fire. It’s cinema, it’s billions of elements”.
Further expressing his eclectic thoughts about the power of cinema, he adds, “Cinema, they say, combines seven arts. It’s a very complete medium, so it shouldn’t stop you from going other places – if the ideas come along. Cinema is a mighty special, beautiful medium”.
The director himself heeds his own claim too, as whilst he often sticks to the realms of experimental storytelling, he has also taken to doing the complete opposite, directing such films as The Elephant Man, The Straight Story and as well as the original film adaptation of Dune, starring Sting and Patrick Stewart.
As for the filmmakers that have particularly inspired Lynch’s craft, the director goes on to say, “Everyone should find their own voice. It’s not about copying,” before finally admitting that, “[Jean-Luc] Godard, [Federico] Fellini and [Ingmar] Bergman were my heroes”. Continuing the director lists some of the films that “orientated” his career naming, “Sunset Boulevard, Rear Window, 8 ½, Jacques Tati’s My Uncle or Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Rear Window, all of Kubrick’s movies, all of Fellini’s movies, probably all of Bergman’s movies – there have been so many great films that were an inspiration”.
Just as David Lynch has inspired countless modern filmmakers with his experimental style, so too was the director influenced by a handful of some of the greatest directors of all time, including Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman.
