“I look at the world and I see absurdity all around me.“David Lynchis the auteur behind surreal masterpieces likeTwin PeaksandMulholland Drive. His films often feature dream-like non-linear narratives and violent imagery. He has an eye for horrifying visuals (the baby inEraserheadcomes to mind), but his interest in character and psychology elevates his work above mere schlock.
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Over the years, Lynch hasshared many of the filmsand directors that have influenced his work. His favorites have a lot in common with his own filmography: off-kilter premises, complex characters and narratives that explore society’s dark underbelly. His fans are sure to find a few gems to enjoy.
8 1/2(1963)
8 1/2is one of the classic films by iconic Italian directorFederico Fellini. It’s probably his most meta work. The movie follows a famous filmmaker trying to direct a sci-fi feature while battling creative block. The title is also self-referential, as this was Fellini’s eighth-and-a-half movie.
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Like a lot Fellini’s filmography,8 1/2explores issues of identity and the challenges of modern life. In contrast to Fellini’s neorealist movies likeI Vitelloni,8 1/2is surreal and stylized. It repeatedly blurs the line between dreams and reality. Its influence on Lynch is clear, as Lynch’s own movies often deal with similar themes.
Rear Window(1954)
Jeff (James Stewart) is a photographer recovering in his apartment from a broken leg. Out of boredom, Jeff begins watching his neighbors through his window, which looks out onto a courtyard shared by other apartments. At first, he simply gets a sneak peek at their private lives and eccentricities, but things change one night when he hears the sound of breaking glass and a woman’s scream.
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Rear Windowis a gripping mystery fromAlfred Hitchcock. It’s one of the director’s many collaborations with Stewart, who is excellent as the paranoid, voyeuristic Jeff. In the 1930s and 40s, Stewart mainly played likable leading man roles, but Hitchcock put him to great use in films likeVertigoandThe Ropeas more complicated, morally compromised characters. On top of being a solid thriller,Rear Windowalso engages with interesting themes. French directorFrançois Truffautconsidered it to be a metaphor for filmmaking.
Sunset Blvd(1950)
“Alright, I’m ready for my close up Mr DeMille.“Sunset Blvdis a comedy-drama directed byBilly Wilder, a giant of Classic Hollywood. It follows former silent movie star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and her relationship with Joe Gillis (William Holden), a broke screenwriter who starts working for her.Erich von Stroheimalso plays a major role as Norma’s devoted butler Max. Stroheim’s casting is especially meta, as he was a leading director in the 1920s.
Sunset Blvdremains a funny, engaging movie about the movies, and a great time capsule of a bygone era. Legendary film criticPauline Kaelwas a big fan, once describing it “almost too clever, but at its best in its cleverness.”
M. Hulot’s Holiday(1953)
This French slapstick comedy starsJacques Tatias the bumbling Monsier Hulot. He’s a clumsy but well-intentioned clown who causes all sorts of chaos on his holiday to the seaside. There’s essentially no dialogue. Rather, it’s a kind of physical comedy in the tradition ofCharlie ChaplinandBuster Keaton.
There are visual gags aplenty, and the seaside town of Saint-Marc-sur-Mer is a charming setting. The movie was a big hit in France and spawned three sequels. If you’re looking for an artier version ofMr. Bean, this is for you.
The Apartment(1960)
“Shut up and deal.“Jack Lemmonstars as loner Bud Baxter, who loans his apartment to executives at his company who use it for their illicit trysts. Things get complicated when Bud develops a crush on Fran (Shirley MacLaine), a young woman who operates the elevator in the building and is dating one of Lemmon’s bosses.
The Apartment, another classic fromBilly Wilder, is a satire of corporate life in the big city. Its echoes can still be found in works likeMad Men. The script delivers joke after joke in smart, rapid-fire dialogue. But during the last thirty minutes or so, the plot slows down, and the film becomes more dramatic. It has some thoughtful things to say about the tensions that arise when getting ahead means compromising your principles.
La Strada(1954)
La Stradafollows Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), a slow-witted young woman whose mother sells her to Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a strongman circus performer. The pair join a traveling circus, where Gelsomina meets a trapeze artist known as The Fool (Richard Basehart). They fall in love, which enrages Zampano.
La Stradais a moving, bittersweet story, buoyed by excellent performances from the main cast. Masina is especially enchanting as silent clown Gelsomina. She displays an easy physicality and emotiveness reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin. This was Fellini’s first film to break away from the neorealist style that he had become famous for. It’s more stylized, sometimes almost fantastical. But it packs the same emotional punch as his earlier works, likeI Vitelloni.
Carnival of Souls(1962)
This low-budget, indie horror went largely unnoticed when it came out but has since gained something of a cult following. It follows Mary (Candace Hilligoss), the sole survivor of a car crash. She wakes up after the wreck and cannot remember anything about it - or what happened to the two young men who were in the car with her. Soon, Mary begins to believe that a mysterious man is following her.
Carnival of Soulsis a creepy tale with Shyamalan-level twists and turns. It also boasts effective black and white cinematography that adds to the unsettling atmosphere.
Lolita(1962)
LolitaisStanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the novel byVladimir Nabokov, which has been ranked by many as one of the best ever written. It concerns a middle-aged professor known as Humbert Humbert (James Mason), who is obsessed with his 12-year-old stepdaughter (Sue Lyon), whom he abuses.
This difficult subject doesn’t lend itself naturally to the screen, but Kubrick succeeds in drawing some great, believable performances from the leads. The result is a mature take on the controversial material.Lolitapolarized audiences on release, but has since become well-regarded amongst critics.
Stroszek(1977)
Stroszekis an oddball black comedy about Bruno Stroszek (Bruno S.), a struggling German street performer, and Eva (Eva Mattes), an unsuccessful prostitute. Realizing they have few prospects in Germany, they move to Wisconsin with their elderly neighbor Scheitz (Clemens Scheitz). But their American Dream doesn’t quite materialize. They remain broke, so naturally Stroszek and Scheitz end up trying to rob a bank, which ends in disaster.
Stroszekis a somewhat unusual entry in directorWerner Herzog’s filmography. Herzog is alegend of German cinema, known for classics likeAguirre,the Wrath of Godand the documentaryGrizzly Man.Stroszekis much weirder and more lighthearted than those movies. It’s also unsettling biographical, as the characters play exaggerated versions of themselves. It’s easy to see why Lynch embraced it. The offbeat humor and down-on-their-luck characters ofStroszekhave much in common with a lot of Lynch’s films.
It’s a Gift(1934)
It’s a Giftis a screwball story from comedianW.C. Fields. Like a lot of Fields’s movies, it’s more of a vehicle for his comedy than anything else. The plot is secondary to the jokes, most of which originated from sketches Fields performed on stage.
Fields excelled at portrayinghard-drinking, misanthropic characters, and that’s on display in this movie too. InIt’s a Gift, he plays a grocer who sells his shop to buy an orange ranch in California, but things don’t go as planned. He gets into all kinds of trouble and has to contend with his unhappy wife Amelia (Kathleen Howard). The movie is a little dated now, but it’s still an enjoyable glimpse of a different cinematic era.
