Arts David Lynch’s Magical Ocean
posted by on January 18 at 7:56 AM
I went to the sold-out premiere of Inland Empire at the Cinerama last night. The movie was great—ultimate Lynch, best Lynch since Blue Velvet, all crazy Lynch narrative and stylistic tricks present and indulged to glorious, hilarious, and terrifying effect, a genuine gesamtkunstwerk if ever oh ever a gesamtkunstwerk there was. But you don’t need me to tell you that when you have Michael Atkinson’s fine review in this week’s paper. Lynch was in attendance to introduce the screening. Minister for Culture Annie Wagner asked me to Slog about it “if he says anything freaky.”
Well, he came out to a huge ovation, looking like Jimmy Stewart with a $500 haircut. Now that I’ve seen him in person, I can say without qualification that David Lynch has the best hair I’ve ever seen. For a while it was between him and Jarmusch, but Lynch wins. He introduced the amazing local musician Paul Rucker, who played an improvisation on cello “to set the mood.” Then Lynch read from the Aitareya Upanishad and wished us all a great time. Then the movie blew every mind in the room for three solid hours (and I’d have been happy to see a fourth). Then Lynch sat down in a director’s chair to endure Q&A. A brief note: I have never seen a post-screening film director Q&A that wasn’t at least uncomfortable. It’s nobody’s fault—the dynamic is almost impossible for even perfectly smart, nice people to navigate with grace. This one was mostly awkward, occasionally embarrassing (for spectators and director alike), but occasionally hilarious thanks to Lynch’s comic timing. I always forget that Lynch films are really funny; it shouldn’t have been surprising that even though he’s clearly a weirdo genius who doesn’t make sense in this world, he also knows how to work a room full of movie nerdlingers coming at him with reverential praise and questions about what the Twin Peaks pilot will make it to DVD.
The best thing by far was watching how the fingers of his right hand wiggled and danced as he spoke.
Some things he said:
Asked about his sound design process, he explained that “a film is pictures and sound.”
Asked about how he comes up with his ideas (I think), he described“a magical ocean at the source of thought” and explained (in a pretty compelling argument, actually) that it’s possible to achieve a “total bliss consciousness” that can vanquish all negativity and make you leap out of bed every morning.
Asked what the film was about (yes, someone asked what the film was about—a fair question, actually, but come on!), he said “a film is a film and that’s it. It’s worked on until it feels finished and then that’s it.” He cautioned against “changing cinema back into words” because everyone has an interpretation and “everyone is valid.”
After observing that a lot of people get hurt in his films, someone asked what was the worst he had ever been hurt, to which Lynch replied “Whoa!” After a long pause (filled with much laughter) he told a story about hitting his head in Spokane one time. “A Northwest story.”
Asked if he would sign some guy’s Blue Velvet DVD, he said “Sure, I’ll try to do that for you.”
And whenever someone said they loved the movie, or all his movies, or said they thought he would “go down in history as one of the great living filmmakers,” or explained that he was a major influence on their lives or on their desire to be filmmakers or on the way they viewed the world, he always said the same thing, and it always got a laugh, but he obviously meant it: “Bless your heart.”
Thanks for the report Sean, Emeritus. I cannot wait to see this movie.
Here comes the ocean
And the waves down by the shore
Here comes the ocean
And the waves down by the sea
Earth is a hollow hair bought of a bigger head
It nearly drives me crazy
I am a lazy son
I never get things down
...(unknown)
What I found freaky about the Q&A was how the audience would applaud every answer he gave. That's bad enough, and true to Seattle's slutty audience tradition. But what was really freaky was how the volume and enthusiasm of the applause varied depending on the question. It was like the crowd was judging how good a question it was, a collective thumbs-up or thumbs-down, like some bastardized version of American Idol.
Oh, and Michael Atkinson is incorrect on a minor technical note: the Sony PD150 is not an HD camera. It's just a good old miniDV camcorder. The fact that it looked so good blown up is a tribute to whatever lab did the conversion.
i am a lazy son/i never get things done/it's known to drive men crazy
maybe? i can't remember. that's still the best song ever.
It was like the crowd was judging how good a question it was
What's so weird about that? The worst part about a Q&A is having to endure dunderheaded questions like "Will you sign my DVD?" or gushing praise. What a waste of time for both the audience and the speaker.
There were some truly beautiful chunks and scary-as-hell bits. But there is always a balance with every surreal endeavor, of length and pattern. A shorter work can have a less recognizable patter and a longer one needs a bit more or it becomes dull. This was certainly 1.5 hours to long.
When the thing is pushing 3 hours it’s just cruel to have three false endings.
I skipped the q&a because it would of ruined the 1.5 hours that I did enjoy.
Artists enjoying having their work praised and appreciated by others -- even by "nerdlings." And Lynch's response of "bless your heart" was sincere and not eye-rolling at all.
I thought the Q and A last night was great. Just the right mix of fandom "color" and serious inquiries.
People need to get over their too-cool attitude and judgemental stance and relax and then go and make some art themselves. Oh, right, they can't -- they're too busy putting down other people.
Dude, read it again.
I guess Lynch hung out at Dahlia Lounge right after? I was walking by on 4th and he was outside smoking with a bunch of folks
the film was a piece of crap. i cannot stand the people who like someone just to say they do. the movie was horrible. the Q @ A was painful. lynch's time was over with "blue velvet" folks. realize it.
At the moment, I still like Mulholland Dr. better, but that may have a lot to do with the fact that I'm still formulating theories about Inland Empire's meaning. One thing is for certain, however: Laura Dern is AMAZING.
gesamkunstwerk? Sean, you need to work on your German. You forgot the t in Gesamtkunstwerk.
I didn't mean your slog entry Sean, I was addressing previous comment posters.
And btw I'm loving your new art. My copy of your 33 1/3 homage to Court and Spark arrived yesterday and it's fabulous. Thank you for taking a straight ahead approach to exploring the album and not going all stream-of-consciousness on our asses. It's a beaut.
Sean, I don't know how you managed to post that slog already. I am still totally speechless over the film. Shocked and awed, but in no way disappointed. Looking forward to seeing it again. And again.
The Q part of the Q&A was cringe-inducing, as expected. Lynch's responses were sincere and generous.
I like that you quoted the guy who said Lynch would go down as "one of the greatest living film makers of all time". Good on ya!
We were sitting in the third row and it felt like Matrix Reloaded at IMAX, with lots of huge faces with huge pores and icky wrinkles around the mouths (at least Lawrence Fishburn wasn't in it).
Did you notice the window behind the screen showing through to the projected image? There are so many dark shadowy sequences in the film, and that window pane kept showing through from behind the Cinerama's screen. I don't get it. Why can't they at least nail a piece of plywood over that window? Never noticed it before.
oh, man. good call on the missing "t." mein bad.
I liked David Lynch’s response to the women who asked what the film is about, he said something like: It tells you on the movie poster. The movie poster has one caption: “A Woman in Trouble”. That’s perfect.
Crazy, not freaky. Since when have I used the word "freaky"? Thanks for the post, though. Delectable.
You often use it on the dance floor, or so the whisper goes.
The movie was great but 3 hours is too long to endure. Mostly because the seats at the Cinerama are crap, especially the ones near the ends of the isles. Maybe if I had the physique of Paul Allen they would be comfortable.
Thanks for the write-up. I've been collecting reviews and theories about the film here: http://worldfilm.about.com/od/inlandempire/INLAND_EMPIRE.htm
The film was brilliant (all 3 hours of it) but I agree that some of the questions that followed...and the applause that followed them...were unfortunate wastes of time. I can't help but wonder if it's really worth making a complete ass of yourself in front of 800 strangers (and the man you greatly admire) just to get a fucking autograph. Was that you "David K?"
BTW Sean...the Paul Rucker link takes me nowhere. His performance was a first for me but it certainly won't be the last.
I fixed the Paul Rucker link. Thanks for the heads up.
Sean, I would have to agree that David Lynch has the coolest hair ever. Amazing hair. I got a close up look at it at Scarecrow, and it's truly a work of art.
Inland Empire was incredible, and I was blown away by Laura Dern. David Lynch was right when he said she can play anything. She can be glamorous, super trashy, totally everyday normal...and screaming flipping her lid fucking psycho. Fun to watch.
I gotta honestly say that though I loved the movie, I thought the digital transfer was hard on eyes, like my glasses had the wrong prescription or something.....but interesting nonetheless.
The Q and A was pretty uncomfortable agreed.
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