Movie Review: Eraserhead (1977)

Eraserhead (1977) written and directed by David Lynch

Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) wanders through his life in a decrepit part of the city. Viewers never see him at his job (he says he works at a publishing plant), only as he wanders the streets and lives at home. His girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart) invites him over for dinner with her parents, an odd and awkward affair that ends with the revelation that his girlfriend has given birth to something that's at the hospital. They say they'll get married but this movie is not interested in happy things and instead jumps straight to Mary feeding their "child," a deformed semi-human thing that only eats and cries. The stress of the situation eventually causes her to go back to her mother while the man has bizarre visions, maybe nightmares, about his situation.

The movie is shot in black and white with meticulous editing and sound design. The industrial noise of the rundown city is almost omnipresent, creating a bleak and oppressive atmosphere that matches the grim black and white cinematography. What little plot there is reinforces the surreal squalor and thematic horror of the film. Almost nothing seems natural or healthy or normal. The odd visuals are cryptic and open to interpretation.

Nance's performance as Spencer is very flat. His character is passive in the extreme, allowing events to happen around and to him. He has no initiative and a frigid yet fascinated attitude toward sex. He can't handle any situation and seems trapped by his passivity. He can barely talk to his alluring neighbor, even though he watches her if he can. The blankness of his character makes him a sort of everyman but I found his emptiness unappealing and unempathetic.

The movie is a cult film that has a lot of cult characteristics: low budget, surreal imagery and sound, prurient sexuality, an eclectic writer/director/producer/sound designer/etc. (that is, almost a one-man show). The ambiguity of many elements gives viewers and critics plenty to work with if they want to. Interesting ideas can be either found or imagined. I found the film too off-putting and squalid to enjoy even on an intellectual or artistic level. It is highly crafted but, for me, too unlikeable.

Not recommended except for those interested in cult film or David Lynch.