Eraserhead - Movie Review

Eraserhead is a film by David Lynch wherein the movie portray the life of Henry Spencer portrayed by Jack Nance in an industrialized world. Of the entire plot, Henry suffers from the screams of his child born with a deformation and an affair with his girlfriend, Mary. The plot of the film is non-linear and shrouded into the aura of dream and the visual side of the movie is rich in symbolism that confuses rather than clarifies. There is an unrelenting sense of the uncanny that stems from the fact that most scenes are set in the night and have a surreal touch to them. It somehow feels like an abstract horror movie in that the avante garde presentation intensifies the feeling of nightmare.

Especially the performance of Jack Nance as Henry Spencer which depicts anxiety and terror the man feels being in a nightmare. Mary, played by Charlotte Stewart, provides a somewhat parallel foil to Nance with her performance of a mother’s nervousness. The few characters in the film are minimalist to give the already creepy movie a theme of the eerie and weird interactions with Henry.

The direction of the movie by David Lynch is a clear depiction of surrealism. This is where such a filmmaker’s innovative prowess comes in – he is able to make a movie that is not only also a reflection of his own life but also one that makes viewers all over the world feel uncomfortable and unsafe. The plot of the film is shrouded in mystery which is inherent in vision of Lynch. It mixes metallic noise with dark melodies, which makes the movie to be more grotesque and horrifying.

The cinematography used in the making of the movie Eraserhead enhances the weird and distorted feeling that one gets when watching the movie since it was made in black and white. The setting and the way it is lighted make the environment oppressive – that is what is going on in Henry’s head.

The concept of the film Eraserhead is simple and complex at the same time, raw and ugly at the same time and that is why it represents the grim universe of the movie. The invention of the set contributes to the film’s untamed storyline as well as surrealism.

In Eraserhead, practical effects are used to build horror. All these effects add to the film’s otherworldly experience and are presented in low-shoot home-movie like feel that adds to the nightmarish experience of the film.

Eraserhead’s montage is jerked and cut in a way that follows the plot of the film. The pacing of the movie is nice, slow yet steady so that the viewer becomes fully immersed in the bizarre world created by Lynch while the tension of the movie is kept throughout. Due to the slow and methodical pace of the movie the viewers have time to think over the images and ideas shown in the movie, which leave only indistinct feeling of anxiety in the mind.

Another aspect of the movie Eraserhead is the usage of very little dialogues and the definite meaning of which leaves the viewer feeling of being in the dream. The characters try to talk in what seems like code, much of the time, and there is a fair amount of tension built into the plot.

As for Eraserhead it may not be easy to watch for everyone being too avant-garde and surreal even though it has won many awards. Its story is very conceptual, and so it requires liberality and patience that may be a plus to many when looking forward to a straight-forward movie.

In this sense, Eraserhead is one of the hardest but at the same time most rewarding cinematographic productions. This Science-Fiction drama with its rather dreamlike plot supported by the visionary work of director David Lynch is a truly haunting portrayal of the human mind. Despite producing chills and thoughts for its viewers, this movie remains one of classics inspiring the film industry.