Hyderabad: The world of cinema is mourning the demise of David Lynch who would have turned 70 on January 20. Hailed as one of the most creative brains in the world of cinema, arts, and music, the American filmmaker breathed his last on Thursday following complications related to emphysema, a chronic lung condition. Known as the master surrealist, his contribution to visual arts, music, films, and television is unmatched. A four-time Oscar-nominated, Davind also bagged the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes for his 1990 release Wild at Heart.
With a career spanning over six decades, Lynch grew as a great influence on filmmakers for the surrealist and occasionally unnerving imagery found in movies like Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and the cult classic Twin Peaks.
Lynch was frequently questioned during his lifetime about the movies that influenced him and those he could watch repeatedly. Fans can learn more about some of David Lynch's favorite movies and directors by perusing the list of movies and filmmakers that Lynch himself cherished.
- Stanley Kubrick, The Master of Details
In a throwback interview, Lynch was asked whose movies he liked best, and Stanley Kubrick was one of the first people he cited. Lynch's cinematic technique was influenced by the renowned filmmaker of A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Lynch's work also demonstrates Kubrick's attention to detail and his ability to produce an evocative and unnerving sense of tension. Similar to Kubrick's investigation of the psyche and the unknown, his films consistently focus on the darker aspects of human nature and reality. Lynch loved Kubrick's work, which is understandable.
- Sunset Boulevard, starring Billy Wilder
Lynch also mentioned how much he liked Billy Wilder, particularly Sunset Boulevard. The Apartment and Some Like It Hot director Wilder was a skilled storyteller who could blend humor with scathing social criticism. Lynch was particularly drawn to Sunset Boulevard by Wilder's creation of a noir atmosphere in which fact and illusion coexist.
- The Surrealist Federico Fellini
Federico Fellini was a different director Lynch often revisited. renowned for his bizarre, dreamy stories. Similar to Lynch's own investigation of dreams and the strange, films such as 8½ and La Dolce Vita delve into the subconscious, the ridiculous, and the poetic. Lynch found a pattern for examining the weird and the surreal in Fellini's ability to create bizarre, larger-than-life characters in equally bizarre environments.
- Jacques Tati's Holiday with Mr. Hulot
Conversely, David Lynch was a huge comedy fan. But these were delicate, unconventional, and less frequently seen comedies. Jacques Tati's Holiday, directed by Mr. Hulot, was one of them. Lynch found great resonance in this genius's ability to blend slapstick humor with an almost bizarre level of visual sensibility. Tati was able to make jokes without using words. Tati deftly depicts the quirky activities of the charming but dim Hulot in Mr. Hulot's Holiday while maintaining a realistic comedic vision.
The Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock
Finally, Lynch has always loved Alfred Hitchcock, and Rear Window is one of his favorite films. Hitchcock was a master of psychological thrillers and suspense. He created movies that manipulated viewers' emotions and drew them into a terrifying and paranoid world. The main character in Rear Window is confined to his apartment and uses a telescope to observe his neighbors. He gradually starts to think that something evil is going on. Lynch wrote extensively on this idea of observation and surveillance in his own works, especially in the neo-noirs Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet.
David Lynch also liked W.C. Fields's movies, especially It's a Gift.
For fans of Lynch's work, a look at his favourite films provides a glimpse into one of the most unique and visionary minds in the world if cinema.
Lynch may no longer be with us, but his films and his influences will continue to inspire, provoke, and challenge audiences and filmmakers alike for generations to come. As his family aptly wrote in their statement following David's demise, "There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole.'"
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