TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
A film review by Roger Snappy Rubio
Copyright 1992 Roger Snappy Rubio
Directed by David Lynch
I have read only one other review of this movie, and I thought it was rather rash. Yes, yes, I know, David Lynch has a reputation for frustrating a lot of movie-goers into stupors, but I believe they only fall into stupors because they can't possibly understand what Lynch is doing, and quite possibly don't want to. I had never really seen a David Lynch movie all the way through (a victim of the Cable Generation). But I must say, the first one I saw completely (and in the theater) made me think, if nothing else. That movie was TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME.
I'm not sure if this movie is getting a lot of flack or whether its getting rave reviews, but I myself admire *any* movie that will make me think. I admit there have been a few movies which have made me think that I thought sucked, but those are few and far between. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is definitely a movie that made me think twice. I like it for just that simple little reason. I can't claim to be a Twin Peaks fan myself, but I always like the weird and offbeat. Something to rock your foundations a little, whether messy or organized, good or bad.
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is the story of Laura Palmer (the famous corpse from the now cult series TWIN PEAKS) and the events that led to her death. In other words, a prequel to the television series. It is a series of mismashed, surreal images and visions that Robert Engels and David Lynch have concocted in order to explain why she died, and if anything, fill in gaps left behind from the TV series. Or so I'm told. This kind of movie-making reminds me a lot of THE DOORS; Oliver Stone's vehicle. Not that it's bad, just very subjective to opinion.
Other than being a prequel, TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME doesn't get past being any more than a frenzied explanation of what really happened to Laura Palmer. It is a perfect vehicle for those who want to read in anything they like. There is plenty of symbolism, plenty of images, dreams, realities, and overt weirdness that even the least curious of people would want to take a crack at what Lynch is trying to say. On the other hand, most of the things that happen in this film tend to drag, carry on, or make no sense at all (upon first glance). This is not a movie for people with a short attention span. You have to really like ERASERHEAD in order to like this movie.
But if you're a die-hard David Lynch fan, this movie shouldn't disappoint you. If you're just starting out with him, don't expect wonders on the first try. It's going to take a few viewings to tell whether or not you can handle, or at the very least, tolerate this kind of movie-making. Not to put David Lynch down, but the man himself is a little weird, too.
THE SNAPMAN
rsnappy@hydra.unm.edu
(Roger Rubio)
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