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The Elephant Man + Twin Peaks: FWWM

posted 10 years ago by Rachael89
3 replies | jump to latest

I watched The Elephant Man for the first time in many years yesterday, and found it much more moving and powerful than I remembered it being (I can only presume I'd blocked out how traumatic it was in certain parts).

My favourite Lynch film is probably Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and upon re-watching TEM I was struck by certain similarities between the two films. In both films, you have a protagonist who experiences the worst sides of human nature and mainly knows suffering. Also in both films, the protagonist has an idealised, kitschy painting on their wall that they find solace in: for John, it's the image of the little boy sleeping peacefully in his bed; for Laura, it's the image of the children at a table being attended to by an angel. The films both end by referencing the painting: in TEM, John looks at the painting of the little boy before trying to sleep normally himself; in FWWM, Laura's salvation is marked by the miraculous re-appearance of the angel from the painting in the Red Room.

I found this use of imagery extremely powerful and moving. In both cases, the characters crave normality, peace and solace - the pictures represent those things, and while both films are desperately sad they end by giving their protagonists in death what they had so desperately wanted in life. It's oddly uplifting and redemptive, but still bittersweet.

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[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MovieMan0283-2 10 years ago

Yes, I agree completely & noticed something similar when I watched all of Lynch's films chronologically a year ago. In fact I made a video weaving together clips from the two films, specifically the moments you mention (with the portraits on the wall): http://tinyurl.com/ovhrae3

It's the coda to a larger video tribute to Lynch's treatment of trauma and repression, "Take This Baby and Deliver It to Death" (adapted from a line in Jennifer Lynch's book The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer), which can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/o86uduf

Most of Lynch's films are emotional, but I think Elephant Man, Fire Walk With Me, and Straight Story are the ones that most wear their hearts on their sleeve. Sad to think it wasn't recognized at the time with FWWM as it was with the other films.

[–] zerlinde6 9 years ago

Those are my two Favorite Lynch films, Hands down. The Elephant Man was so poignant; It was the tool old "Freak show" story, in which you find out that the real monsters are the ones who treated the misfortunate just so. Only here we find compassion in Anthony Hopkin's character, who treats Merrick as he should be treated: as a man who feels emotions as deeply as anyone and cannot fully express himself because he is a prisoner of his own body. And in the end, thanks to The doctor, he was able to die with dignity and grace. It made me weep like a baby.