review by Peter Strauss
Eraserhead 1977
Reviewed Jun 05, 2012
Peter Strauss’s review:
Assigning a star rating to this movie would be like grading a Salvador Dali piece with a star rating. It's utterly absurd and simplifies the work to the point of insult. Eraserhead has more in common with a Dali painting than another film at your multiplex, it's a piece of art, not entertainment. I would be more comfortable sitting and watching this in a gallery than a theatre with twelve-dollar popcorn combos.
People constantly wonder what this or that means, but what does it matter? Only the naive ask what a Pollock or Rothko painting is supposed to mean. The important thing is what the piece does to you. How do you respond? Lynch's later works are more like movies we all know and love to star-grade, but here he is at his most abstract, and maybe his most honest. It doesn't always make sense, it doesn't have to. I don't like everything about it, I don't have to. It's art. You sit back, contemplate it, move on, and maybe connect with it, maybe not. In the case of Eraserhead, it's best to attempt this experience starting at 4 A.M., preferably fatigued and kept conscious with a steady supply of hot coffee. I've found its effects most potent under these circumstances.
Great review, pretty much agree with all you said. This is not my favorite Lynch, and like you said, I don't like everything in it, but what a ride it is! For a bizarre experience and a film that captures the feeling of a dream/nightmare perfectly; it doesn't get any better than this. I love the idea of starting this one at 4am! Perfect time for this experience. Gotta try that!
Yeah, it definitely has some sequences that are truly unforgettable which I think supports my theory that this is more art piece than movie: you don't have to sit and watch from start to finish. You can drift in and out, watch isolated scenes, and you still get a strong vibe from it, sort of like walking into it in a gallery space at a random time. In fact, I think you might even get more out of it watching it in chunks since it's so episodic. The main draw of watching the whole thing is how creeped out you become by the end.
Yeah, but does anyone turn into a door knob?
Unfortunately no, and tragically, there are no Wizard of Oz characters that make an appearance. Two delightful and totally welcome quirks that Lynch didn't pick up until later in his career.
I have to say, I really like your analogy that this is not a piece of entertainment but rather a piece of art, and belongs in a gallery.
I think it's probably one of my biggest reservations about a number of films I've seen: I watch movies to be entertained, and unless I'm watching them to study for references in my own works I'm not looking at them as pieces of art. Certainly they are that, but I'm looking at them as pieces of entertainment and the entertainment value inherent in them. As such when I don't end up being entertained I tend to come down hard on a film.
Ironically it's probably why I rarely dislike documentaries - I come to them looking to be informed and educated. If they end up being entertaining that's a huge bonus.
So, perhaps if I come at some films with this approach I'll come away liking them more.
In other words, thanks.
Seriously though, weird-ass movie.
my favorite film of all time, waiting for the criterion release to be announced!
My friend Adam (commenting above) just pointed out the Criterion version on iTunes... but nothing on their site. Curious. Also strange since Lynch keeps ownership of his movies and is slooooow with release. If he gave up his catalogue to Criterion.... man, it would be amazing. Here's hoping.
Yeah, it showed up on Criterion's Hulu page a week or two ago. Oddly, Black Lizard showed up at the same time though I didn't find any info about a physical release of that either.