MovieChat Forums > Eraserhead (1978) Discussion > Weird for the sake of being weird

Weird for the sake of being weird

posted 8 years ago by VivienCastro
11 replies | jump to latest

I like a lot of David Lynch work, and when I was younger I was easily impressed by unusual movies and all that. But I just watched this one and while it was visually cool, this kind of thing is starting to feel very deliberate and pretentious to me.

I know Bunuel and others did these surrealist movies long ago, and I can appreciate it as a type of experiment when its still relatively new. but is there still a point in movies like this? Its getting hard for me to see value in it. I understand there is symbolism and things mean something - but its coming off as simply pretentious to use such way of communicating.

I know this is an older movie so I am not even attacking this one specifically, my question is general is what do people see in movies like these besides some kind of personal pride when they "get" the symbolism or the plot?

Btw this is a serious question, I am genuinely interested in what people appreciate about this and similar movies. Specifically, how do you even (more or less) objectively judge such movies, what did it satisfy for you that wasn't just looking at something strange and different?

[–] Jesus_Chris 8 years ago

what did it satisfy for you that wasn't just looking at something strange and different?

Why does it have to be anything other than that? I consider Eraserhead a horror movie, and as such it did a great job scaring me. I generally find bizarre things much scarier than the average horror themes (nothing wrong with those either, though).

It may or may not have underlying symbolism. I personally wasn't looking that deeply and I still enjoyed it.

[–] VivienCastro 8 years ago

Ok, what about this movie scared you?

[–] Jesus_Chris 8 years ago

I'm not sure I can really say specifically what scared me... just the eerie atmosphere in general. I guess the whole nightmare quality of it. I like things like that. I don't really think the movie needs any explanation beyond that. I'm sure other people will find things to attach symbolic meanings to but just seeing something odd is enough for me. The sounds were great, too. The whole movie made me feel tense/uneasy.

I think that alone is enough for it to be a good movie in my book. It's not one I would watch over and over again, but at certain times (the middle of winter for instance) this kind of movie can totally creep me out.

[–] VivienCastro 8 years ago

What kind of fear did it provoke in you? Did it last after watching?

[–] DurakSuka 8 years ago

Correct.

Hama cheez ba-Beer behtar meshawad!

[–] TheArgentinian (7251) 5 years ago

"is there still a point in movies like this? Its getting hard for me to see value in it"

What a narrow, obtuse view of cinema you have. "I want my movies traditional. Get rid of everything else!"

[–] Drooch (5333) 4 years ago

It’s looking at life through the emotions. It skews reality into something abstract, distorted by feelings.

The effect is barely comprehensible to the conscious mind, but rings true on a deeper level. It carries the strong flavour of a dream or nightmare, where the feeling is primary and objective reality is secondary.

[–] joi2049 (5625) 4 years ago

It’s looking at life through the emotions. It skews reality into something abstract, distorted by feelings.

The effect is barely comprehensible to the conscious mind, but rings true on a deeper level. It carries the strong flavour of a dream or nightmare, where the feeling is primary and objective reality is secondary.

BRAVO!!!

VERY IMPRESSIVE and WELL PUT Drooch !!!

👍👍👍👍👍

[–] motorcycledriveb (303) 4 years ago

I would say that Eraserhead is a good "first movie" or a good "student film".

But if I'm being honest - yeah. I'm going to like Twin Peaks:Fire Walk With Me, Lost Highway and Twin Peaks Season 3 way more than Eraserhead.

I don't have a interpretation for the symbolism in Eraserhead. Was too young to formulate one when I first saw it. Eraserhead seems more difficult to understand than the above works I've mentioned though. Rewatch for it is on the way. I don't want to read someone else's interpretation, I want to interpret it for myself.

Like one person said, this is akin to a horror film. That's an interesting way of putting it.

[–] Redsfan001 (6217) 4 years ago

I agree with the standard interpretation.

The age of the young filmmaker is a key to the story, he was 31 when it was released and probably wrote it in his mid 20's.

It's about the fear and primal drive a man has in starting a family and the responsibility it brings. The fear that by so doing, the man will loose all creative mojo..hence Eraserhead is born.

A creative spirit like Lynch is likely to have given thought to the emotional energy and brainpower that will be spent on starting a family.

Does this enhance or kill a artist creative mojo? This movie argues for the latter.

[–] modica (4169) 4 years ago

It's an art film. Art is subjective. I don't know why you feel everything needs to live up to your expectations.