David Lynch remains one of the most fascinating, illuminating directors in the history of cinema. One wonders how he came up with such Bizantine puzzles such as "Lost Highway" or "Eraserhead," or sickeningly perverse comments on suburbia such as "Blue Velvet." "Don't Look at Me" will not answer many questions, nor should it, about Mr. Lynch. Shot back in 1989 in French, it will give everyone an opportunity to witness the creative process behind an artist.
The documentary is directed by Guy Girard who stylizes the film in a Lynchian mode. For example, the opening scene is a conversation with Lynch and Girard at Bob's Big Boy in L.A., shot and framed outside the restaurant as if you are peering through venetian blinds. Inspired for sure, not to mention the various industrial sounds and abstract whistles heard on the soundtrack, most often associated with Lynch himself. There are also clips from his work, including "Eraserhead" and "Blue Velvet," which are shown on some televison monitor as the camera tracks Lynch dictating a script. The most stupendous moment is seeing Lynch thinking silently about how to continue a scene in the script.
Girard's focus on Lynch is simply avante-garde in his choices for camera set-ups while interviewing the director. In fact, the only time we focus on Lynch's face is when Girard hands him polaroids of some shots from his work. Often, Lynch shows his back to the camera while wearing a fishing hat. Mostly, he refuses to divulge the meaning in his work as he correctly assumes that interpretations should be left to the audience (I certainly don't want him to tell me why the Lady from the Radiator in "Eraserhead" has puffed-up cheeks). So you will not learn much about Lynch in terms of his background or his fixation on the dark side, but you do get glimpses ("Most people do not know what they are doing. They are confused.").
Choice moments include a drive with Lynch and the late Jack Nance (who played Henry in "Eraserhead") to a reservoir used in one of his films, seeing Lynch sculpting and molding naked figurines for some mini-environment, recording the beautiful voice of Julee Cruise for an unspecified project (she sang melodies for many of Lynch's films), and in general seeing Lynch at work, indulging in creative ideas ("I like the shape of an ear. An ear, in a grassy field, with ants crawling on it - there's hardly anything better than that.") Although not as enveloping or cohesive as the other Lynch documentary, "Pretty as a Picture," this is still enthralling and informative for anyone who wants to see the Dark Side of Genius revel in his own obsessions and dreams. Essential for anyone who is a fan.
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E-mail me with any questions, comments or complaints at jerry@movieluver.com or at Faust667@aol.com
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