Lynch (One) - (DVD)

David Lynch is a director who’s been confounding and (mostly) astounding audiences with his unique brand of surrealist dramatics since his groundbreaking subconscious nightmare, Eraserhead, way back in 1977. Reluctant to ever talk about his dense and complicated films explicitly, Lynch remains the biggest enigma in modern moviemaking, which makes David Lynch (One) – a documentary that offers a rare glimpse into Lynch’s creative mind – all the more tantalising.

The film is as close as you’ll ever get to a ‘making of’ documentary, though like the director himself, David Lynch (One) is far from conventional. Featuring no clear narrative, narration or resolutions as such, the film consists of (seemingly) disjointed snippets of footage compiled over a two year period, as Lynch embarks on his Inland Empire project.

The documentary is directed by a mysterious entity known as blackANDwhite, which provides a clear indication of the film’s pretentious leanings, and certainly, the various (and often tedious) stylised  chunks of footage attempt to emulate Lynch’s own abstract technique, though the film works best when it cuts the bullshit and merely sits back to watch the director at work. Though fans aren’t going to learn anything new here, it’s fascinating to watch Lynch’s enthusiastic style of direction, his hands-on approach and the way in which he interacts with those around him. You get the impression that even those closest to him struggle to figure him out at times, though whether he’s dipping suit jackets in green paint, banging on about transcendental meditation or dictating weather reports to his website members, he’s a mesmerising presence and a crackpot artist that makes for great entertainment.

The special features include various bits of bonus footage, a bizarre 11-minute trailer for the film and numerous other flashes of conceptual eye-candy.

Overall Verdict:
A rare glimpse into the mind of a master. Just don’t expect to learn anything new.

Special Features:
‘Lodz’ Photo Montage
‘Pilot’ 11-Minute Trailer
Teaser Trailer
‘Blue Green’ Vignette
‘Work’ Featurette
‘What’s Myspace?’ Vignette
‘Floor Sander’ Featurette
LYNCH2 Teaser
LYNCHhree Teaser

Reviewer: Lee Griffiths