The mysterious genius of extraordinary films: Who is David Lynch?

When considering the most contradictory examples of cinema, David Lynch is one of the first names that comes to mind. So much so that he is perhaps one of the only names who attempt to distort reality and pursue new forms in American cinema, which is not very close to surrealism, which exploded in the 20th century. Lynch is a director who is either very loved or disliked by authorities because his films are difficult to understand. Although he is a person to be looked down upon by those who say they cannot solve puzzles while watching movies, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he makes people who think they are smart to deal with the unsolvable situations they find themselves in. The master director, who searched for different languages throughout his career, left behind films that have no equivalent in the history of cinema. Elephant Man, Ereserhead, Lost Highway, and Blue Velvet are films that will not be forgotten by their fans even after many years have passed.

David Lynch, an American director, filmmaker, actor, painter, and musician, is remembered as a mysterious genius thanks to his extraordinary films. David Lynch, who won the admiration of intellectual cinema lovers with his cult films, also made a name for himself with the awards he received in the "Best Director" category.

David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician and actor. Lynch has received critical acclaim for his films, which are often distinguished by their surrealist qualities. He has received numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion in 2006 and an Honorary Academy Award in 2019. In 2007, a panel of critics convened by The Guardian announced that "after all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important film-maker of the current era."

Approaching reality from an unconscious perspective, David Lynch sheds light on the depths of the subconscious in his films. Emotions such as boredom, nightmares, chills, fear, and anxiety are among the expressions frequently used when describing David Lynch's films.

In his films about man's search for identity and meaning, David Lynch presents the reality perceived by the subconscious to the audience in an original and cinematic language. The director and producer, who left his mark on the history of cinema with his extraordinary characters and chilling plots, also opened a new page in the Film Noir movement.

Life story

David Keith Lynch was born on January 20, 1946, in Missoula, Montana. His father, Donald Walton Lynch, was a researcher working for the US Department of Agriculture, and his mother, Edwina Lynch, was an English teacher. Years later, David Lynch would say the following about his childhood: “As a child, I found the world completely wonderful. Of course, I had the usual fears of going to school… For me then, school was a threat to young people because it destroyed the seeds of freedom. Teachers did not promote knowledge or a positive attitude.”

Lynch, who had always wanted to be a painter since his childhood, was not successful in his classes because he had little interest in school work, but he stood out with his popularity among other students. After graduating from high school, he decided that he wanted to study painting at university.

He began his education at the Corcoran School of Art and Design in Washington, DC, and transferred to the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, in 1964. He left after just a year, saying, "I didn't get any inspiration in that place." Instead, he decided that he wanted to travel around Europe for three years with his friend Jack Fisk, who was similarly unhappy with his university studies. They had some hopes that they could study in Europe with the Austrian expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka. However, when they arrived in Salzburg, they were disappointed to find Kokoschka unavailable, so they returned to the United States after spending only two weeks in Europe.

Lynch's desire to see his paintings move pushed him into cinema, and he shot his first short film, Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times), at the Pennsylvania Academy. Then they worked on the idea of making animation with an artist named Bruce Samuelson. When this project never materialized, Lynch decided to work on the film alone and bought the cheapest 16 mm camera he could find.

In 1968, Lynch decided to experiment with a mix of animation and live action, producing the four-minute short film The Alphabet. David Lynch would summarize his inspiration for the film as follows; “My wife Peggy's nephew had a bad dream one night and was chanting the alphabet painfully in his sleep. So that's what started the alphabet, I thought. The rest was just subconscious.”

THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)

BLUE VELVET - Trailer (1986)

Wild at Heart (1990) Trailer