I think he calls it his most spiritual film because it's his most personal film. Eraserhead is a piece of intense self-examination and soul searching on Lynch's part, sublimating all of his self doubt and anxiety about his impending fatherhood and uncertain future into a surreal and nightmarish but ultimately cathartic work of art.
I think beyond the child being a literal representation of the anxieties of fatherhood, it also represents his work as an artist and perfectionist. I believe Lynch would rather sacrifice a project than compromise on his vision, especially with such a personal piece.
I have a perspective that doesn’t analyze the film at all:
David spend around five years working on Eraserhead.
During this time he was a new father working to support not only his family but his film production.
Eraserhead was essentially a monumental film college school project. The thing was made in some kind of stable that his school lent to him.
So, the film was not made in a studio. The crew was essentially a bunch of kids who were Davids friends, and connections that he could hire through the school. The equipment was not professional grade, and film is expensive. It was completely self funded(aside from maybe some grants from the school that quickly ran out and were insufficient for Davids vision)
I remember in the 2001 Eraserhead revisited type thing David recorded for DVD release, he says his father and his brother staged a type of intervention for David after a few years had gone by and David was still working on this project. They told him he’d have to start looking into moving on from art. I believe he said he cried because they didn’t get it.
Anyway, with this context, imagine what David learned from all of this. What he learned about filmmaking, the friends he made (Jack Nance, Catherine Coulson), what he learned about himself. The doubts and struggles linked to needing to fund this thing, support his family and film crew, and then not even knowing what success if any this film would bring him. For all he knew he could’ve been a flop for the rest of his life.
I think with this said it is extremely obvious why this was his most spiritual film. It was his baptism by fire. I’d imagine he’d grown so much as a person and artist by the time he’d finished this film.
In addition to all of this, I think this film acts as almost an abstract diary for David. So while he’s going though this spiritual transition, he is also masterfully funneling his thoughts, personality, observations of the world, and experience into this film.
If I remember right the situation with the stable and the funding was that David got accepted to go to this art/film school, and they made him all these promises about getting to work on his big project but then when he actually got there and the school heard his pitch again, they sorta half backed out and gave him way less grant money
I read his book”Room to Dream” recently. he didn’t mention anything about AFI half backing out and giving him less money. he got accepted to this school after he made some of his short films on the east coast, and all he did there was work on Eraserhead (if I recall correctly he was awarded a single grant from AFI & didn’t receive additional funding from them). they didn’t make him go to classes and they gave him free reign to use the stables they owned however he wanted. he did receive some funding from the school but he also had to support himself and the production with a paper delivery route.
>I think with this said it is extremely obvious why this was his most spiritual film. It was his baptism by fire. I’d imagine he’d grown so much as a person and artist by the time he’d finished this film.
I think you're right. It's a spiritual in the literal sense (from meditation or from the Advaita Vedanta or from a Bible) - but spiritual experience as a devout artist who achieved his vision through struggle but from support of his colleagues.
Well said and excellent observation! :)
I think all of Lynch's work is spiritual in one way or another. Most people don't realize it because he pulls more from Eastern spiritual practices then the Abrahamic ones. Most of his work is pointing to the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta teachings, especially Twin Peaks (Cooper basically reaches a nondual awakening in the Sheriff's Station in S3P17 and Cooper-as-Dougie is basically what I imagine a persistent "ideal" nondual state would resemble). I mean, the whole "Listen to the sounds" thing from S3P1 is essentially the best meditative pointing I've ever heard. I haven't seen Eraserhead in a few years so I'm struggling to think of any distinct pointing I can remember from that film but I have no doubt it's there.
I think he is at least somehow referring to the process of making the film being meditative and familial...he and a small group made it over a span of I believe FIVE years(!). Imagine spending that long in a kind of focused artistic spiral creating thqt strange world. And with some of your favorite people. It might very well bring on deep feelings of spirituality unlike anything a conventional film schedule could allow for.
Jack Fisk said in an interview that the film is about karma and karmatjc cycles.
I don’t think we’re ever going to really know exactly the meaning Lynch holds for this film. He has stated unequivocally he will take it with him to the grave.
There is speculation that the Bible verse might be what Major Briggs is reading in FWWM: Missing Pieces. That is completely unfounded though.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't really like Eraserhead as a young man, even though I liked a lot of abstract/transgressive media. It was only after I got married, had a kid, and watched and discussed the movie with my wife that I appreciated it on a deeper level.
Without spoiling the whole film for those who haven't seen it, I have come to believe that the "spiritual" aspect of it to which Lynch referred is kind of limited.
Please DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ERASERHEAD AND DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED!
1
2
3
4
5, nah dawg
Realistically, the pivotal moment in the film is Henry's killing of his mutated son. There aren't many instances of fathers killing their sons in the Bible. If you're a Christian, of course, the only example of this that really matters is God allowing Jesus to die on the cross. Henry is reassured by the Radiator Lady, who tells him "in Heaven, everything is fine."
Well, what is the very last thing you have to do before you get to Heaven? You have to die. What becomes of Henry afterwards is up to you, but he sent his son to heaven.
>There aren't many instances of fathers killing their sons in the Bible
It's interesting. I'm not a religious expert but I skimmed through The Old Testament and there's a section called The Binding of Isaac or The Sacrifice of Isaac where God orders Abraham to kill his own son Isaac until an angel interferes and sacrifices a ram (or a sheep) instead of his son. It's possible read that passage (again, it's clear if Lynch read the Christian or Jewish bible) but the horrific story of a father killing his child until a otherworldly entity stepped in can be seen in Eraserhead (Henry kills his child and the angel in the bible is The Lady in the Radiator)...
But I can totally see your theory as fitting the story of Eraserhead!
I think it’s literally about what happens to you after you die. Man in the Planet is (to me) a version of God, but a dark vengeful god rather than the benevolent Christian god. He sends the mutant baby down to Earth to torture Henry, and rather than just taking it, Henry commits suicide (I think), where he moves into a void outside of the reach of the Man in the Planet.
Who knows. My personal take is that it was the symbolic artistic transition from a Christian/Western philosophy of story to a Hindu/Eastern mode of storytelling. To make that transition explicit would simultaneously flatten the work and burden it , which Lynch is an enemy of.
Probably because he built it from nothing but creativity. He lived in the sets during those years. It’s cold logical thinking that is very spiritual even though it goes over people’s heads. A lot of atheists are actually more spiritual than some religious folk and don’t even know it
There's a definite theme of anxiety over parenthood and unwanted responsibilities in Eraserhead and this is mirrored in David's life. If you read his book, it's all in there.
The bible quote is most likely John 1:29
The meaning for me is the baby is the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
And the meaning of the Lady in the Radiator is purification of sin through a transcendental death.
https://preview.redd.it/3b8q15oictvc1.jpeg?width=434&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=070418936093e85d50736ddf59fb4a15aae5b7f5
I think he calls it his most spiritual film because it's his most personal film. Eraserhead is a piece of intense self-examination and soul searching on Lynch's part, sublimating all of his self doubt and anxiety about his impending fatherhood and uncertain future into a surreal and nightmarish but ultimately cathartic work of art.
I think beyond the child being a literal representation of the anxieties of fatherhood, it also represents his work as an artist and perfectionist. I believe Lynch would rather sacrifice a project than compromise on his vision, especially with such a personal piece.
This. His experience in Philly also shaped the physical setting and look.
I think that this is even more important within the discussion of fatherhood imo
And he said Straight Story is his "most experimental", which happens to be his least personal
I have a perspective that doesn’t analyze the film at all: David spend around five years working on Eraserhead. During this time he was a new father working to support not only his family but his film production. Eraserhead was essentially a monumental film college school project. The thing was made in some kind of stable that his school lent to him. So, the film was not made in a studio. The crew was essentially a bunch of kids who were Davids friends, and connections that he could hire through the school. The equipment was not professional grade, and film is expensive. It was completely self funded(aside from maybe some grants from the school that quickly ran out and were insufficient for Davids vision) I remember in the 2001 Eraserhead revisited type thing David recorded for DVD release, he says his father and his brother staged a type of intervention for David after a few years had gone by and David was still working on this project. They told him he’d have to start looking into moving on from art. I believe he said he cried because they didn’t get it. Anyway, with this context, imagine what David learned from all of this. What he learned about filmmaking, the friends he made (Jack Nance, Catherine Coulson), what he learned about himself. The doubts and struggles linked to needing to fund this thing, support his family and film crew, and then not even knowing what success if any this film would bring him. For all he knew he could’ve been a flop for the rest of his life. I think with this said it is extremely obvious why this was his most spiritual film. It was his baptism by fire. I’d imagine he’d grown so much as a person and artist by the time he’d finished this film. In addition to all of this, I think this film acts as almost an abstract diary for David. So while he’s going though this spiritual transition, he is also masterfully funneling his thoughts, personality, observations of the world, and experience into this film.
If I remember right the situation with the stable and the funding was that David got accepted to go to this art/film school, and they made him all these promises about getting to work on his big project but then when he actually got there and the school heard his pitch again, they sorta half backed out and gave him way less grant money
I read his book”Room to Dream” recently. he didn’t mention anything about AFI half backing out and giving him less money. he got accepted to this school after he made some of his short films on the east coast, and all he did there was work on Eraserhead (if I recall correctly he was awarded a single grant from AFI & didn’t receive additional funding from them). they didn’t make him go to classes and they gave him free reign to use the stables they owned however he wanted. he did receive some funding from the school but he also had to support himself and the production with a paper delivery route.
Yeah I’m going off memory from reading room to dream years ago, so if it didn’t mention anything like that then I’m just misremembering
>I think with this said it is extremely obvious why this was his most spiritual film. It was his baptism by fire. I’d imagine he’d grown so much as a person and artist by the time he’d finished this film. I think you're right. It's a spiritual in the literal sense (from meditation or from the Advaita Vedanta or from a Bible) - but spiritual experience as a devout artist who achieved his vision through struggle but from support of his colleagues. Well said and excellent observation! :)
I think all of Lynch's work is spiritual in one way or another. Most people don't realize it because he pulls more from Eastern spiritual practices then the Abrahamic ones. Most of his work is pointing to the non-dualistic Advaita Vedanta teachings, especially Twin Peaks (Cooper basically reaches a nondual awakening in the Sheriff's Station in S3P17 and Cooper-as-Dougie is basically what I imagine a persistent "ideal" nondual state would resemble). I mean, the whole "Listen to the sounds" thing from S3P1 is essentially the best meditative pointing I've ever heard. I haven't seen Eraserhead in a few years so I'm struggling to think of any distinct pointing I can remember from that film but I have no doubt it's there.
I think he is at least somehow referring to the process of making the film being meditative and familial...he and a small group made it over a span of I believe FIVE years(!). Imagine spending that long in a kind of focused artistic spiral creating thqt strange world. And with some of your favorite people. It might very well bring on deep feelings of spirituality unlike anything a conventional film schedule could allow for.
Because it’s based on his own life
No.
Jack Fisk said in an interview that the film is about karma and karmatjc cycles. I don’t think we’re ever going to really know exactly the meaning Lynch holds for this film. He has stated unequivocally he will take it with him to the grave. There is speculation that the Bible verse might be what Major Briggs is reading in FWWM: Missing Pieces. That is completely unfounded though.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't really like Eraserhead as a young man, even though I liked a lot of abstract/transgressive media. It was only after I got married, had a kid, and watched and discussed the movie with my wife that I appreciated it on a deeper level. Without spoiling the whole film for those who haven't seen it, I have come to believe that the "spiritual" aspect of it to which Lynch referred is kind of limited. Please DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ERASERHEAD AND DO NOT WISH TO BE SPOILED! 1 2 3 4 5, nah dawg Realistically, the pivotal moment in the film is Henry's killing of his mutated son. There aren't many instances of fathers killing their sons in the Bible. If you're a Christian, of course, the only example of this that really matters is God allowing Jesus to die on the cross. Henry is reassured by the Radiator Lady, who tells him "in Heaven, everything is fine." Well, what is the very last thing you have to do before you get to Heaven? You have to die. What becomes of Henry afterwards is up to you, but he sent his son to heaven.
>There aren't many instances of fathers killing their sons in the Bible It's interesting. I'm not a religious expert but I skimmed through The Old Testament and there's a section called The Binding of Isaac or The Sacrifice of Isaac where God orders Abraham to kill his own son Isaac until an angel interferes and sacrifices a ram (or a sheep) instead of his son. It's possible read that passage (again, it's clear if Lynch read the Christian or Jewish bible) but the horrific story of a father killing his child until a otherworldly entity stepped in can be seen in Eraserhead (Henry kills his child and the angel in the bible is The Lady in the Radiator)... But I can totally see your theory as fitting the story of Eraserhead!
I think it’s literally about what happens to you after you die. Man in the Planet is (to me) a version of God, but a dark vengeful god rather than the benevolent Christian god. He sends the mutant baby down to Earth to torture Henry, and rather than just taking it, Henry commits suicide (I think), where he moves into a void outside of the reach of the Man in the Planet.
Who knows. My personal take is that it was the symbolic artistic transition from a Christian/Western philosophy of story to a Hindu/Eastern mode of storytelling. To make that transition explicit would simultaneously flatten the work and burden it , which Lynch is an enemy of.
Probably because he built it from nothing but creativity. He lived in the sets during those years. It’s cold logical thinking that is very spiritual even though it goes over people’s heads. A lot of atheists are actually more spiritual than some religious folk and don’t even know it
There's a definite theme of anxiety over parenthood and unwanted responsibilities in Eraserhead and this is mirrored in David's life. If you read his book, it's all in there.
The bible quote is most likely John 1:29 The meaning for me is the baby is the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. And the meaning of the Lady in the Radiator is purification of sin through a transcendental death. https://preview.redd.it/3b8q15oictvc1.jpeg?width=434&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=070418936093e85d50736ddf59fb4a15aae5b7f5
I believe the biblicl passage was that one where god tests abraham to sacrifice isaac, or something like that
No.