Rating of
4/4
Eraserhead review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 10/25/12
An eclectic film that can be enjoyed by horror/fantasy/dark comedy fanatics, a masterpiece for Lynch admirers who love analyzing his unique films or hated by those who ignore its majestic euphemisms because of its weirdness. One of the quiet influential pictures because of its mood, utilization of industrial sound and skillful direction. This may appear sluggish, incomprehensible and just plain trash (but in this critics opinion, Twin Peaks was totally too deranged/too many plot holes for this raters taste), it's a matter of reading the lines and seeing thru what is actually visible on screen. Henry Spencer (Jack Nance) discovers that his girlfriend Mary (Charlotte Stewart) has labored a creature. Spencer than dreams of a deformed Lady in the Radiator (Laurel Near) who sings and squishes the placenta shaped like his child's. He then encounters a girl who likes to stay the night with him.
The soundtrack eery, methods distinct (the head popping out sequences were unbelievable) and props were wonderfully realistic and freaky. Performance of Jack Nance was spectacular since it emulated the fear and humor needed to symbolize the director's messages. The figures and props will now serve as symbolism's as a signature in his various film's. In this critic's opinion the themes of fear commitment/marriage/child birth (Henry), ideas of Henry about babies, urges and heaven since she sang "In Heaven, everything is fine." (the Lady in the Radiator), marriage/fear of responsibility (Mary X "You wouldn't mind marrying me, would you Henry?"), infidelity (the girl next door) and family life in general were portrayed. In life, who isn't afraid of commitment, marriage, fatherhood or taking care of a baby? In this case, it was presented distinctly in a grotesque and often times hilarious fashion. Eraserhead is a distinct movie that viewers will either love or hate, a beautiful black comedy or just plain blood infested filth. Either way, it will make you react and think (much like films of Kubrick or Cronenberg), which movies does best and exhibited by the director.
