45 Years Later: Eraserhead

Director: David Lynch
Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph
Running time: 89 minutes

A strange man pulls a lever, a large head floats through space, a sperm cell-like alien floats through the void – these are just some of the opening images to David Lynch’s mind-bending debut film Eraserhead. Of course, the floating head belongs to the late Jack Nance, who stars in the lead role of this Kafkaesque tale of a father called Henry (Nance) who after his girlfriend gives birth to a strange child and leaves him, is left to fend for himself and the baby. This film is the only lead performance Nance gave, however he would continue to play supporting roles in Lynch’s work, most notably Pete Martell in Twin Peaks. 

Very few directors are as ambiguous about their work as Lynch, with his films frequently confusing, alienating and somehow intriguing viewers for the last 45 years. All of this started with Eraserhead, a film that even today people are still trying to decipher and make video essays to explain their own interpretation of the film. Most commonly, the film is seen as Lynch’s own musings on the concept of fatherhood, marriage and adultery. Other people see the film as a reflection of Lynch’s own experiences living as a student in Philadelphia and how depressing and often dystopian it would feel in the old, forgotten, industrial parts of the city.

The world of Eraserhead is nowhere, in no particular period of time. It is not a decadent version of Los Angeles or the comforting yet brooding town of Twin Peaks – it is quite literally a void of complete nothingness. We are offered no background to any of the characters or the world that they inhabit. It is an incredibly minimalist film that focuses on surrealist imagery and absurdist dialogue to make the viewer really think about what they are seeing on screen and question the meaning to every aspect of the film. Despite its bleak and austere style, it is not at all without humour. Lynch has often spoken of how comedy directors such as Jacques Tati influence him, and that definitely seems to be the case for this film, with its dark and awkward humour shining through frequently. 

Throughout its run time, there is very little dialogue, in fact the opening ten minutes hasn’t got a single word. Instead, Lynch decides to pair his images with harsh industrial soundscapes featuring gushing wind, banging pipes, creaking wood and haunting electronics, coupled with the now cult-classic song In Heaven performed by an incredibly creepy woman living in the radiator. Lynch and sound designer Alan Splet spent about a year creating the film’s soundtrack in post-production and you can tell. The attention to detail in every individual sound is so high that it culminates into an almost hypnotic experience.

Paired with the soundtrack is the incredible camera work by Frederick Elmes, another of Lynch’s frequent collaborators. Lynch uses his background as painter, for which he originally went to college for, to create some truly breathtaking compositions. The landscapes of the film are incredibly barren and the large factories tower over Henry. With the lack of dialogue, it often feels like a lost film from the German Expressionism era of cinema with the emotions of the characters being told through lighting and camera angles rather than actual words. Alongside this is the set design inside various apartments – they are all very plain and offer little but due to the stylistic decisions they have an incredibly unnerving atmosphere.

Production of Eraserhead lasted around six years, with Lynch constantly working on and off the film due to running out of money. Jack Fisk and his wife at the time, Sissy Spacek (Carrie), regularly donated to the cost of filming. Alongside this, Lynch and Catherine E. Coulson (the Log Lady from Twin Peaks who had various roles in the production) worked odd jobs ranging from waitress to newspaper deliverer to make up the extra funding. Despite having an extremely low budget of around $10,000, it managed to make about $7 million through its run as a midnight movie – in some cinemas, it ran for a whole year straight.

Despite being 45 years old, Eraserhead has lost absolutely none of its unique appeal that made people fall in love with it originally. Its totally bizarre concept and loose plot allows the viewer to experience the film in their own way, leading to their own interpretations and ideas. This is something that feels somewhat fresh when comparing it to a lot of modern films that often barrage you with information and replace subtext with just text. The towering industrial buildings and hallucinogenic visuals still look beautiful and have aged absolutely brilliantly. It is a film that everyone needs to experience with the volume turned up in a dark room.

Did you know? David Lynch has been delivering weather reports on his official YouTube channel every day since 11 May, 2020.