David Lynch: A Director Who Appreciates Humor
David Lynch is widely renowned as a great film director, but it is not widely known that he is an ardent lover of cinema, who enjoys watching a good movie. Although the majority of his work has been dark, melancholic, and surreal, humor has also been an integral part of his feature films. However, his affinity for the comedic element is not limited to his own productions, as he appreciates humor in the movies he watches as well.
In a 2012 interview with The LA Times, the 77-year-old Missoula native talked about the film that had recently captivated him the most, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth. The Greek film tells the story of a manipulative father who keeps his three grown children in an infantilized state by imprisoning them in their family home. The psychological drama is a tragic film with a darkly comedic undertone, which Lynch described as a “fantastic comedy.”
Far Out Magazine suggests that Dogtooth’s humor reflects Lanthimos’ subsequent filmography, which includes comedies such as The Lobster (2015) and The Favourite (2018). The magazine wonders whether Lanthimos intentionally added the element of twisted humor or if he simply has a peculiar sense of humor.
Lynch’s appreciation for comedy is not limited to Dogtooth, as he has incorporated humor in his own movies too. For instance, his 1990 classic, Wild at Heart, has a twisted and absurd sense of humor that adds a new dimension to the film without diminishing the power of the overall narrative. In 1999, he directed The Straight Story, a highly-rated heartwarming film that is a major departure from his usual style, and which portrays a road trip where an elderly man travels on a lawnmower to reconcile with his terminally ill brother.
In conclusion, the perception of David Lynch may be that he is a filmmaker who creates mysterious and intricate worlds, but he has always been interested in using humor to break the tension and convey deeper meanings. Dogtooth may seem like an unlikely film for Lynch to enjoy, but his tastes go beyond his own creations, proving that he is a lover of cinema in all its forms.