Eraserhead (1977)

While I was as saddened by the news of the passing of David Lynch as many other film fans, the silver lining to that very dark and sky-filling cloud is the fact that it finally gave me the motivation to check out a couple of long-standing blindspots in my journey through cinema. One of those movies, The Straight Story, didn't feel like such an embarrassing omission, although I am now kicking myself for not having made time for it sooner, considering how moved I was by it. The other one, however, was Eraserhead, a film that many would consider part of any Lynch 101 course.

Jack Nance plays Henry Spencer, a man who ends up fathering a child with Mary (Charlotte Stewart). The two adults end up stuck in Henry's very small apartment, struggling to deal with the constant crying of a newborn that resembles something far removed from the usual images of cute babies seen in the real world. Mary doesn't want to stick around, but Henry at least seems to find temporary respite in daydreams that soon start to warp into nightmarish visions bleeding into his reality.

The debut feature from Lynch, this has everything in place that would become commonplace in many of his later works. Despite the fairly low budget, the sound and visual design is constantly impressive, there's an atmosphere of oppressive fear and horror, and Nance is the kind of actor clearly able to work well under Lynch's direction. It also helps that the central creation here, the child, remains a horrifying and mind-boggling piece of work. Other practical effects also work well, but that baby is as nightmare-inducing now as it was back in 1977 when it was first seen.

It's hard to really discuss the performances, things are already so firmly set in a Lynchian style (from the performances to the content), but Nance is superb throughout, Stewart also does very good work, and Allen Joseph and Jeanne Bates are effective as the parents of Mary, Judith Roberts is an extra point of interest (credited as Beautiful Girl Across The Hall), and Laurel Near was able to cement her place in cinema history while portraying the unforgettable Lady In The Radiator. Perhaps the best performance comes from the mind of David Lynch, who always remained secretive on exactly how the practical effect for the baby was created.

Eraserhead is about the loneliness of modern life, even while you're with a partner. It's about the fear of parenthood, both before it happens and when it takes over your life. It's also about much more than that. But, essentially, it's very much about announcing the incredible talent and vision of David Lynch. It's scary, it's upsetting, it's sometimes life-affirming, and you don't want to lose it once you have it in your life. And that's another way to cast off the shrouds of grief that have covered so many film fans in recent weeks. Because we may have lost the man, but his work will be with us forever. Even if that leads to you having an extra nightmare or two caused by his images.

9/10

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