听 Anyone familiar with the work of director David Lynch won't be surprised to hear that INLAND EMPIRE is a "very, very (very) strange" film. He explores the inner world of an actress, played by Laura Dern, as she prepares for her biggest role yet. As is often the case with Lynch's films, it divided critics and audiences into those who found it deep and disturbing and those who just found it disturbing.
Turning Inward
Ardent fans of Lynch will want to invest in this 2-disc edition of INLAND EMPIRE because it gives the director plenty of talk time on everything that matters to him as an artist. In a Q&A at London's National Film Theatre he explains how transcendental meditation allows him to "dive within", accessing the deepest depths of his consciousness and dredge up some really crazy stuff. He adds that this frame of mind allows him to be very philosophical about the negative reactions his films often provoke.
In a Masterclass for French wannabes, Lynch elaborates on what drives him to create obscure, sometimes alienating films and admits that, "They're even hard for me to understand." Still, he insists that cinema is the best place to express abstract thoughts. He talks as well about shaping the story around Laura Dern after he discovered that they would be neighbours in Hollywood.
The Digital Uprising
It isn't just the story that defies the norm. A Short Interview In London sees Lynch reveal his wacky marketing methods ("I went out with a cow and a placard..."). He also champions the digital camera, which in this case allowed him to get in amongst the action. Fellow DV devotee Mike Figgis questions him about this in another (moodily lit) interview. They compare notes and arrive at the conclusion that DV affords a more intimate environment for the actors (only one person is needed to operate the camera) and this intimacy comes across on screen.
In a couple of these interviews, Lynch talks about making the transition from painting to filmmaking, although he still picks up a brush occasionally. The final featurette takes us to the Cartier Foundation in France where he guides us through an exhibition of his canvases - or as the title card puts it: David Lynch exposes at The Cartier Foundation... That introduction is only slightly less disconcerting than the series of grotesque, ghoulish faces and deformed figures that populate the exhibition. The man assures us he's very happy and well adjusted, but altogether this DVD is a freaky and slightly frightening trip inside the mind of David Lynch.
INLAND EMPIRE DVD is released on Monday 20th August 2007.
