David Lynch is one of cinemas most interesting directors. His films and artwork capture his intrinsic need to explore the duality of beauty and darkness.

Senses of Cinema is a profile of Lynch, describing his work, whilst discussing the undercurrent of common themes that Lynch constantly explores. The profile brings meaning to the surreal images and work that Lynch is involved in. It allows readers to understand Lynch in more detailed ways, bringing attention to the various elements that make up his personality. Often the darkness and aesthetic qualities of Lynches films can disconnect viewers, removing them of the ability to comprehend the main message that is present in each of his films. What comes out of this article is Lynch’s fascination with family values and society at large, his pursuit to explore the tensions between dysfunctional elements of any situation that embodies both positive and negative elements.

For me the psychology of human interaction that seems to play out in Lynch’s films is very interesting. It is this idea of alter egos and the innocence of individuals and how people battle with their dark desires. Lynch’s films appear to have an underlying stand against societal conventions. He questions the role of large industries and appears to exhibit the deterioration of his characters in a light that relates to their separation with the world at large.

Understanding more about Lynch’s thought processes has motivated me to explore more about human interactions with their internal dark fantasies. The frustration that comes from these questions about life is intriguing to me. The fact that an ideology or an idea can affect an individual in such a profound way is interesting. Perhaps, Lynch is trying to highlight the way that each person has internal turmoil, which can plague people in such a way that it affects their ability to function as a normal person.

In future research directions, I would like to explore the darkness that is often found, but suppressed, in all individuals. Likewise, mental deterioration is something I find really fascinating and would be something I could see myself exploring further as I wish to grasp a better insight into the internal functioning of the mind.

Reference: David Lynch; Author: Thomas Caldwell; Journal Title:  Senses of Cinema