David Lynch — the eccentric and surreal director of “Mulholland Drive” and television’s “Twin Peaks” who depicted the darkness lurking just beneath the surface of American life — has died. He was 78 years old.
An enigmatic artist who turned his hand to art and blockbuster film, television, painting, and music, Lynch was considered first and foremost one of the greats of American cinema.
A statement on his official Facebook page said, “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of David Lynch, the man and artist.”
“There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he used to say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.'”
The cause and place of death were not specified. Lynch, who lived in Los Angeles, suffered from emphysema due to years of heavy smoking.
He burst onto the American indie scene with his groundbreaking 1977 horror “Eraserhead,” a horror and now-iconic classic shot on a very low budget over five years because he was running out of money.
Lynch gained a devoted following with critically acclaimed films including the sadomasochist mystery “Blue Velvet” (1986) and the surreal thriller “Mulholland Drive” (2001).
But he is best remembered for his spellbinding 1990s series “Twin Peaks,” which paved the way for several iconic television dramas.
With four Oscar nominations, including a trio of Best Director, the filmmaker best known for his shock of gray hair took home just one honorary statuette in 2019.
– ‘fearless’ –
Tributes from across Hollywood were quickly posted on social media.
Director Ron Howard wrote, “#RIPDavidLynch, a compassionate man and fearless artist who followed his heart and soul and proved that radical experimentation can create unforgettable cinema.”
“David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez told me in the dream. (*backwards and in Swedish),” comedian and actor Patton Oswalt said, alluding to Lynch’s highly unrealistic style.
Born in small-town Montana in 1946, the son of a U.S. Department of Agriculture research scientist, Lynch traveled extensively in Central America as a young man.
He attended the Colleges of Fine Arts in both Boston and Philadelphia, where he studied painting.
The one-minute animated film caught the attention of the American Film Institute, where they began work on what would become “Eraserhead”.
It was followed by “The Elephant Man” in 1980, which was shot in black and white and was extremely sad, but definitely more mainstream and accessible. Lynch earned his first Best Director Oscar nomination.
Based on the diary of Joseph Merrick, the so-called “elephant man”, who was born in the United States in 1862 with a condition that severely disfigured his physical appearance, it starred Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt. .
The 1984 attempt to adapt the sci-fi novel “Dune” into a blockbuster would be one of Lynch’s less-appreciated efforts, though it still has its fans.
Lynch returned to his arthouse roots with “Blue Velvet”, about a young man who comes home from college and finds a severed ear. Their investigation reveals the sinister side of small-town America.
It starred Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper, as well as his regular collaborators Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern, and is often cited as his greatest work. It also earned Lynch’s second Academy Award nomination for directing.
After winning the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes in 1990 with “Wild at Heart,” Lynch turned his attention to television with “Twin Peaks,” which equally captivated and shocked Americans from its 1990 launch. .
The story of a Northwestern town reacting to the rape and murder of a popular but troubled high school girl, it was years ahead of its time and far more sophisticated than most network programming even today.
But after alleged interference from ABC executives, the show’s second season lost its direction, led to falling ratings, and was canceled. The 1992 darker prequel film was initially panned by critics, but is now considered a classic.
– ‘Unique and irreplaceable’ –
After returning to film with “Lost Highway” and “The Straight Story”, Lynch made his second undisputed masterpiece, “Mulholland Drive” in 2001, which earned Lynch his third Best Director Oscar nomination.
In a shocking world of hallucinations and mysterious phenomena, Naomi Watts plays a naive actress who meets a mysterious brunette suffering from amnesia, before everything is turned upside down in a surprising twist that Fans still debate its meaning today.
Film writer David Thomson called it “one of the greatest films ever made about the cultural destruction caused by Hollywood”.
Lynch’s last full-length feature film was 2006’s mysterious “Inland Empire,” though he returned to the world of “Twin Peaks” in 2017 with the acclaimed sequel series for cable network Showtime.
But he never retired, continuing to produce short films, music and paintings from his studio and home – located on Mulholland Drive, just outside Hollywood.
He regularly posted whimsical weather updates on his YouTube channel, highlighting the optimistic and playful person behind his often disturbing art.
A tribute from his family on Thursday said: “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”
His “Twin Peaks” collaborator, singer Christabel, wrote, “I join you, in the depths of this grief, in love and reverence and celebration of someone who is unique and irreplaceable.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
