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| Prof. David Nicol is teaching a new course on聽director David Lynch.聽(Nick Pearce Photo) |
Professor David Nicol plans to delve into that question with his new theatre/film studies course , which will be offered for the first time next semester. Prof. Nicol, who teaches theatre classes on both film and dramatic literature, claims a longstanding fascination with David Lynch.
鈥淚 was exposed to Dune. You know Dune? I apologize. I feel bad for you. I was brought to see Dune when I was 10 by my friend鈥檚 dad for my friend鈥檚 birthday鈥� which is outrageous, because it鈥檚 a 15-certificate movie.鈥� (Fifteen-certificate is roughly analogous to the North American PG-13; Prof. Nicol is British). 鈥淚 remember very little from it,鈥� he adds, 鈥渆xcept that it may have made me the person I am today.鈥�
His next exposure was Lynch鈥檚 The Elephant Man, a relatively straightforward John Merrick biopic. Then in 1990, Professor Nicol 鈥� and much of the rest of western civilization -- tuned in for Lynch鈥檚 televised mystery soap opera, Twin Peaks. 鈥淢y parents kind of dropped out after the first three or four episodes. I kept watching it up in my room.鈥�
Many people reacted to Lynch鈥檚 works in the manner of the elder Nicols鈥攆ilm critic Roger Ebert famously detested Blue Velvet. But with insulating quantities of time and space between humanity in general and shock masterpieces like Eraserhead and Lost Highway, some feel it鈥檚 finally safe to start evaluating Lynch鈥檚 work in a new light.
鈥淧eople were starting to look back on it (Blue Velvet) and started to see it as a modern classic,鈥� says Prof. Nicol. As for his own interest in the director, 鈥淚 keep sort of coming back to David Lynch, because he鈥檚 very useful鈥� in terms of teaching film.鈥� The slow, deliberate pacing of the films makes them good raw material for basic analysis, as does their use of light and their repeated reuse of the same symbols and even the same actors.
But how do you even start teaching a course on someone known, essentially, for well-paced, carefully shot insanity? 鈥淧sychoanalytic theory is going to be pretty necessary,鈥� he says. 鈥淎 lot of people taking (the class) are going to be massive Lynch geeks, which is going to be helpful鈥� essentially we鈥檙e going to learn a lot about David Lynch鈥檚 inspirations.鈥�
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| Filmmaker David Lynch. |
These inspirations are incongruously tame 鈥� films like Sunset Boulevard, for instance, which Lynch apparently has his cast and crew screen before every shoot. The class will also examine Lynch鈥檚 most common motifs 鈥� things like red curtains, which may be found in Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway, and possibly Eraserhead (鈥淭hey may be red. It鈥檚 hard to tell. It鈥檚 black and white.鈥�) Prof. Nicol sees Lynch as an 鈥榓uteur鈥�, a single artist-director exploring a consistent set of themes over the course of his movies鈥攚hether those movies are enjoyable or not isn鈥檛 really the point. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 genuinely claim that Dune is a good movie鈥� (but) here I am, sitting here, 25 years later, and I鈥檓 still disturbed by (顿耻苍别鈥檚) sand worms. And that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 saying that Dune is such a wonderful movie in some respects.鈥�
Since this is Dalhousie鈥檚 first course on a single director, 鈥渢his is a new direction for us,鈥� says Prof. Nicol. And while courses on Lynch have been taught at other universities, he 鈥渄eliberately didn鈥檛 look. It鈥檚 a very Lynch-y attitude. I didn鈥檛 want to be second-guessed. I feel like it鈥檚 like an interesting experiment. Anything could happen. It鈥檒l be like making Eraserhead, in a way.鈥�
Those interested in taking part in an experimental academic Eraserhead (a very frightening prospect in many respects) should act soon because space is limited. All self-respecting geeks (myself included) will want to know what really killed Laura Palmer.
Dal News writer Rebecca Schneidereit is聽a fourth-year English and Theatre student. She has also written for Fathom, The Gazette and Disney鈥檚 Propaganda Games.