10 Theories That Help Explain The Works Of David Lynch

Few directors create work as abstract and mysterious as David Lynch. From the dark surrealism of Eraserhead, to the narrative playfulness of Mulholland Drive, right through to the dense experimentation of Inland Empire, his is a filmography rife for picking apart and arguing over, from fans and critics alike. Lynch is notorious for refusing to shed any light onto his original intentions and meanings, always maintaining the belief that it is more important that his audience interprets the work in their own way. He is even quoted as frequently saying that visual ideas just come to him, and that his films are therefore divorced from any measured overarching meaning. Infuriating though this may initially appear, it has resulted in some genuinely fascinating (and often unbelievably intricate and complex) theories as to the underlying concepts and themes behind his output. 10 such theories are listed here, ranging from fan forum hypotheses, to interpretations of individual films, to more in-depth academic readings of the works as a whole. What inspired Eraserhead? Why so many shots of flashing lights and references to electricity? What is the Black Lodge? Can anyone explain the puzzle-box narrative of Mulholland Drive? Does everyone "live inside a dream"? All of these questions and more are, if not answered, then at least pondered carefully in this list.