Eraserhead (1977)

Plot:

Eraserhead is a surrealistic film, written and directed by David Lynch. The story follows Henry Spencer, a printer who is "on vacation" throughout the entire duration of the film. Henry receives a phone call from his estranged girlfriend Mary one day and finds out that she has given birth to a deformed baby which belongs to Henry and her. So the two are forced into wedlock and Mary and the baby move into Henry's apartment. The baby, who has a large snout-nose, slit nostrils, a pencil-thin neck, eyes on the side of its head, no ears, and a limbless body covered in bandages, continually whines throughout the night. The baby cries so much that it drives Mary insane and she moves back in with her parents, forcing Henry to take care of the baby. This is where things get really bizarre. Henry begins to have visions of a woman dancing and singing in his radiator, has a tryst with the woman across the hall, and has a dream sequence where his brain is used to make pencil erasers. It all comes to a grotesque and disturbing climax when Henry cuts the bandages from the baby's body. I'm not going to say anymore though. If you want to find out what happens, then you'll have to watch the film (or just look it up online).

The Story Behind the Story:

In the DVD commentary, David Lynch cites Philadelphia for being his inspiration for the film. Now he wasn't sure when he conceived the idea or how he did so. All he knows is that living in Philadelphia motivated him to write Eraserhead. "There was a sense of dread everywhere I went," Lynch said on the matter, "I didn't live in any good parts of Philadelphia, and so dread was my general feeling. I hated it. And, also, I loved it."

When Eraserhead was released, Variety called it "a sickening bad-taste exercise which pulls out all gory stops in the unwatchable climax...the mind boggles to learn that Lynch labored on this pic for five years." However Lynch's fellow directors loved his work. After seeing the film, Mel Brooks hired Lynch to direct The Elephant Man. In addition, Stanley Kubrick cited Eraserhead as one of his favorite films. He screened the movie for the cast of The Shining before beginning production to give them an idea of the mood which we wanted to project. Even George Lucas was a fan of Eraserhead and wanted him to direct Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Lynch declined the offer.

In 2003, Eraserhead was ranked #14 on Entertainment Weekly's "Top 50 Cult Films"

Intensity Rating and Why (on a scale from 1-10; 1 being a film containing no blood, gore, or objectionable content whatsoever and 10 being completely unwatchable):

5 for nightmarish imagery and a really grotesque climax. This film literally feels like a nightmare. It's barely coherent and flat out bizarre. We often fear what we don't understand, and let me know you, I have no fucking idea what Henry's deformed baby was. And the fact that it's so bewildering makes it that much harder to watch. Considering Eraserhead was made in the 70's, it has that old creepy feel to it (if you've seen the original Night of the Living Dead, then you know exactly what I'm talking about). However nothing is as gross and unsettling as the film's climax. If it wasn't in black in white, I probably would have thrown up.

Discussion:

Eraserhead can be best described as a koan. For those of you unfamiliar with Zen Buddhism, a koan is defined "a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution." In other words, a koan is a statement which makes no sense and is used to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning. As I've said in other posts, I'm usually not a fan of films which leave their interpretation up to the viewer. However, Eraserhead is so bizarre and so completely out there, that I love it for that very reason. Everyone who watches the film can get an entirely different meaning out of it. In fact, David Lynch said that no one has interpreted the film correctly. Furthermore, he once stumbled upon a Biblical verse that "pulled it all together for him," but he refused to say what exact verse it was. Eraserhead is a film where you can read into one's self based on their interpretation of the film. And not many movies have this kind of power.

So how did I interpret the film? Of course there are no right or wrong answers here (or maybe they're all just wrong answers according to Lynch), but I'll give it my best shot. I believe that Henry resembles a ball of clay that can be transformed and shaped into anything. Henry does not have many responses or ideals of his own. He simply has his humanly urges and he follows them without questioning them. To an extent, we are Henry. Or rather, we were Henry before we were pumped full of philosophies and ideologies derived from those around us. With that in mind, Eraserhead is a critique of those actions and responses which society has deemed "normal" and "acceptable." Furthermore, the film examines the guilt one feels when defying those standards. Take the scene with Henry and Mary's parents for example. The entire scene mocks the process of meeting a spouse's parents. Henry behaves a certain way because society forces him to. That's why he has to marry his girlfriend, because it is unacceptable to have a child out of wedlock (and Mary's mother makes him feel guilty for doing so). As the story continues, we see Henry struggle with what he wants to do versus what society tells him he should do. He wants to have sex with the beautiful woman across the hall, but he shouldn't because he is tied down to his child (and it simply wouldn't be right). CAUTION: SPOILERS It is not until after getting rid of the child (and the guilt) that Henry is free to indulge in the pleasures of life and is completely happy. Of course, all of this is undermined by the fact that Henry's brain will just be made into pencil erasers anyways.

Speaking of the decapitation scene, I absolutely love the idea that human brains are made into pencil erasers. I have no idea what the hell it means, but it's an amazing concept. Theories anyone?

If you like Eraserhead, then I would highly recommend the short story "Bartleby the Scrivener." It's about a scrivener who refuses to accept society's rules and regulations and is chastised for his refusal. In fact, if you were one of the lucky kids who used the story for a book report, all you had to do was write "I would prefer not to" on your report and you'd get an A. I know because I did it.

I'd also like to touch base on the heavy handed sexual imagery which is contained within Eraserhead. Most of the visual metaphors in the film revolve around the sperm and the egg. The girl in the radiator steps on the heads of little swimmers (causing them to burst), a chicken oozes and thrusts, and even Henry's baby looks flagellate-like. All of these images work well in the film and oddly enough, seem very fitting. However they are also discomforting.

So who do I recommend this to? Well first I would recommend this to anyone who likes their films artsy fartsy. In fact, if you're a film student, it would almost be cliched for you to enjoy this film. This film is an incredible example of surrealist filmmaking. Therefore, if you're a fan of the bizarre then I would also suggest that you watch this film. But be aware, Eraserhead barely follows the rules of linear storytelling and modern day film conventions. For this reason, I can't recommend it to everyone. Most people would probably find this film uninteresting and confusing. And that's okay. But for me, what I loved most about Eraserhead was the mix between the phantasmagoric and the grotesque. It's a unique combination and I thought it was fascinating.

Grade:

Acting: B
Lighting and Sound: A-
Directing: B
Story and Dialogue: B
Overall: B

Fun Fact:

Lynch encouraged Billy Ray Cyrus to pursue his acting career after appearing in his film Mulholland Drive. Thanks a fucking lot Lynch.