Give yourself a present today
A farewell to David Lynch
A couple of weeks ago, beloved filmmaker David Lynch passed away at the age of 78. Among his most famous projects is the 90’s television show “Twin Peaks,” and the films “Mulholland Drive” and “Blue Velvet.” In all of these, Lynch was able to synthesize classical Norman Rockwell-esque Americana and surrealist horror into a style that is immediately recognizable, so much so that the term ‘Lynchian’ has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.
“Twin Peaks,” was a unique detective drama. It was the first of its kind to focus on an individual murder case for its entire run. Instead of solving a murder at the end of every episode, “Twin Peaks” forces viewers to reckon with the impact that one loss can have on a community. He brought a sense of humanity to a national television audience that had become callous to violence and abuse.
In addition to collective loss, the town of Twin Peaks also carries a collective responsibility for the murder of high school senior Laura Palmer. At her funeral, the character’s ex- boyfriend shouts the thesis of the show: “Everybody knew she was in trouble, but we didn’t do anything. All you good people, you wanna know who killed Laura? YOU DID! We all did.” Such collective conceptions of crime seem foreign to us. Our entire legal system is built on the idea that crime happens because individuals decide to commit them. This is good for punishing people who have already done damage to society, but it doesn’t get at the root of the problem. The loss of Laura Palmer forces everyone to reckon with complicity in the death trap that is so clear in hindsight. Apathy and disconnection are as dangerous weapons as any, especially collectively.
As the country and the world feels the loss of this artist, hopefully we can reflect on our own positions. The forces of good in this world are too powerful to ignore for very long, we need only to help ourselves to a little bit of what is all around us, as Paul McCartney sang. It’s so easy to check in with the people around us and remind them how much they mean.
Today specifically, the day you picked up this copy of the Clocktower, take Special Agent Dale Cooper’s advice and give yourself a present. As he says, “Don't plan it. Don't wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.”
Image source :https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Lynch-American-director-and-screenwriter
By: Luke Morris