TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME
A film review by Ken Johnson
Copyright 1993 Ken Johnson
134 min., R, Drama, 1992 Director: David Lynch Cast: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Madchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook, Phoebe Augustine, David Bowie, Eric DaRe, Miguel Ferrer, Pamela Gidley, Heather Graham, Chris Isaak, Moira Kelly, Peggy Lipton, David Lynch, James Marshall, Jurgen Prochnow, Harry Dean Stanton, Kiefer Sutherland, Lenny Von Dohlen, Grace Zabriskie, Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Anderson
Most of this movie centers around Sheryl Lee's (as Laura Palmer) fall from sanity because of parental abuse and drug use. The film shows the events leading up to Lee's death. Much of the movie is spent in hallucinations and weird dream states.
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is David Lynch's prequel to his television series "Twin Peaks." I have been a fan of David Lynch since I saw his film WILD AT HEART, one of my favorite films. I unfortunately missed this film when it was in the theater, and it was just released on video cassette. I enjoyed this film very much. I missed Lynch's series "Twin Peaks," but since the series is on video, I plan to see it now. On a scale of zero to five, I give TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME a four. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME is rated R for female nudity, explicit language, adult situations, and violence.
This film is one of the weirdest movies that I have ever seen. David Lynch has created a film that leaves sanity behind in the first ten minutes, at which point it takes you into a dark, strange world where only Lynch is in charge of your fate.
Sheryl Lee is great as Laura Palmer who looses her grip on the world because of drugs. Moira Kelly (THE CUTTING EDGE, BILLY BATHGATE) is excellent as Laura Palmer's best friend. Kiefer Sutherland (THE VANISHING, 1969) and Harry Dean Stanton (PARIS TEXAS, WILD AT HEART) are very good as two special agents who appear in the beginning of the film. Kyle MacLachlan (THE DOORS, DUNE) shows up briefly as special agent Dale Cooper. David Lynch, himself, has a brief role as Special Agent Cooper's boss. Pamela Gidley (THRASHIN', HIGHWAY TO HELL) can be seen briefly as a corpse. One of my favorite characters in this film was the dream man (listed in the credits as "The man from another world"), Michael Anderson. There is no reason for David Bowie (LABYRINTH, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH) to be in this film, or get a spot in the opening credits. All he does is walk down a hall and sit in a seat.
At some points this film reminded me of Peter Greenaway's films; at times it seemed more like a psycho drama; and at other times more like an anti-drug school health film. This is one of those movies that you will either love, or find to be a pointless confusing waste of celluloid. I happen to have enjoyed this film very much.
-------- Ken Johnson blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
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