Primary Country (Mandatory)

United States

Other Country (Optional)

Set News Language for United States

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language[s] (Optional)
No other language available

Set News Language for World

Primary Language (Mandatory)
English
Other Language(s) (Optional)

Set News Source for United States

Primary Source (Mandatory)
CNN
Other Source[s] (Optional)

Set News Source for World

Primary Source (Mandatory)
AajTak
Other Source(s) (Optional)
  • Countries
    • India
    • United States
    • Qatar
    • Germany
    • China
    • Canada
    • World
  • Categories
    • National
    • International
    • Business
    • Entertainment
    • Sports
    • Special
    • All Categories
  • Available Languages for United States
    • English
  • All Languages
    • English
    • Hindi
    • Arabic
    • German
    • Chinese
    • French
  • Sources
    • India
      • AajTak
      • NDTV India
      • The Hindu
      • India Today
      • Zee News
      • NDTV
      • BBC
      • The Wire
      • News18
      • News 24
      • The Quint
      • ABP News
      • Zee News
      • News 24
    • United States
      • CNN
      • Fox News
      • Al Jazeera
      • CBSN
      • NY Post
      • Voice of America
      • The New York Times
      • HuffPost
      • ABC News
      • Newsy
    • Qatar
      • Al Jazeera
      • Al Arab
      • The Peninsula
      • Gulf Times
      • Al Sharq
      • Qatar Tribune
      • Al Raya
      • Lusail
    • Germany
      • DW
      • ZDF
      • ProSieben
      • RTL
      • n-tv
      • Die Welt
      • Süddeutsche Zeitung
      • Frankfurter Rundschau
    • China
      • China Daily
      • BBC
      • The New York Times
      • Voice of America
      • Beijing Daily
      • The Epoch Times
      • Ta Kung Pao
      • Xinmin Evening News
    • Canada
      • CBC
      • Radio-Canada
      • CTV
      • TVA Nouvelles
      • Le Journal de Montréal
      • Global News
      • BNN Bloomberg
      • Métro
MoreBack to News Headlines
The phantasmagoric genius of David Lynch

The phantasmagoric genius of David Lynch

The Hindu
Friday, January 17, 2025 6:12 AM GMT

David Lynch, the master of surrealism and stark humanity, reshaped cinema and storytelling, leaving an irreplaceable void in art

The masterful architect of every cinephile’s waking nightmares and absurd fever dreams has died at the age of 78. To say the world feels less imaginative, less textured, and less audacious in David Lynch’s absence feels understated. His oeuvre was a mosaic of surrealism and stark humanity that reshaped cinema, television, and even how we process our own subconscious. The veteran auteur’s passing leaves us grappling with the incalculable void he leaves in the fabric of modern art and storytelling.

Born in Missoula, Montana, Lynch was the epitome of an American original. His childhood was steeped in idyllic small-town life that belied the disquieting undercurrents that would later define his work. Moving east to study painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the 1960s, Lynch encountered a cityscape of decay and desolation in Philadelphia. These grim environs became the crucible for his unforgettable debut feature, Eraserhead (1977) — a delirious portrait of industrial alienation that redefined what an independent film could look like. That it found its audience in midnight screenings, among the insomniacs and the curious, is almost poetic.

From there, Lynch’s ascent was a paradox of mainstream success and avant-garde sensibilities. The Elephant Man (1980) garnered eight Oscar nominations, earning Lynch his first Best Director nod. Yet, just as Hollywood seemed to embrace him, Lynch delivered his notorious adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sprawling sci-fi epic, Dune (1984), whose troubled production and commercial failure threatened to derail his career. Yet Lynch’s genius seemed to thrive on this selfsame risk and reinvention. With Blue Velvet (1986), he dove headfirst into the sinister underbelly of small-town America, crafting an alluring, disturbing masterpiece of American cinema. It became his signature, the quintessential “Lynchian” work, brimming with suburban rot, voyeurism, and stirring ambiguity.

Perhaps no project epitomises Lynch’s cultural impact more than Twin Peaks. Debuting in 1990, the television series captivated American TV watchers with the enigma of its surreal storytelling. The influence of the ethereal soap opera was unprecedented, laying the groundwork for everything from The X-Files to Stranger Things. Decades later, Lynch returned to this world with Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) — a breathtaking, often confounding 18-hour opus that cemented his status as one of the most visionary filmmakers alive.

Even his failures felt iridescent. The likes of Wild at Heart (1990), which won the Palme d’Or, and Lost Highway (1997) found their audiences over time, becoming staples of cult cinema. Mulholland Drive (2001), initially conceived as a TV pilot, was later crowned the best film of the 21st century (so far) by a BBC poll. His final film, Inland Empire (2006), was an experiment in digital filmmaking, a perplexing narrative that dared those curious enough to lose themselves entirely.

But Lynch was never content with being just a filmmaker. He painted, made music, and proselytized the virtues of transcendental meditation as though inner peace were a paintbrush for the soul. Fans would also fondly remember his daily weather reports on YouTube — perfectly deadpan missives about sunshine and rain clouds, delivered as if the forecast were a metaphor for something you’d never quite grasp.

Lynch’s art, whether in moving images or abstract forms, was never about easy answers. He invited us all into his dreams, often leaving us to parse their meaning or simply sit with the unease they inspired. He was an anomaly, a singular voice who made the macabre and the mundane collide with an explosiveness that was beautiful. Which is probably why his passing feels like the closing of a chapter in art itself.

Read full story on The Hindu
Share this story on:-
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running GamePlay Run 3, the ultimate space tunnel running game with 300+ challenging levels!Adv.
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing GameTraffic Jam 3D is a game where you’ll be driving through heavy traffic.Adv.
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic GamePlay the classic 1984 light gun shooter game Duck Hunt on your browser.Adv.
More Related News
Parking Slot | Free Parking GamePlay Parking Slot, the best online 3D car driving and parking game.Adv.
Slope Ball Run - Play OnlineSlope Game takes you on an exciting journey of a ball on special paths.Adv.
Vidya Kalyanaraman and Brindha Manickavasakan’s musical tribute to Syama Sastri

Vidya Kalyanaraman & Brindha Manickavasakan's concert dedicated to Syama Sastry's compositions at Arkay Convention Center - May 25, 2025.

Kamal Haasan pens birthday note to Mani Ratnam ahead of ‘Thug Life’: Your presence has been a source of strength

Kamal Haasan celebrates Mani Ratnam's birthday with heartfelt message ahead of Thug Life release in 2025.

Vetri Maaran moves Madras High Court against denial of censor certificate for Manushi

Vetri Maaran moves Madras High Court against denial of censor certificate for Manushi

‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ series review: Jon Hamm is riveting in this black satire

In Your Friends & Neighbors, Jon Hamm stars as Coop in a blackly comic exploration of wealth, relationships, and moral dilemmas in a posh community

In Marseille, a shadow becomes art in Banksy’s latest street mural

Banksy had struck again. The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its centre, stencilled in crisp white, are the words: “I want to be what you saw in me.”

Taylor Swift regains control of her music, buys back first six albums

Taylor Swift regains control of her music catalog, rerecording albums to reclaim ownership and deepen fan connection.

Jafar Panahi | The auteur of dissent Premium

The Hindu’s profile on Jafar Panahi

© 2008 - 2025 Webjosh  |  News Archive  |  Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us