Eraserhead

David Lynch’s first full-length movie took ages to shoot — 5 years. Slowly gaining a small group of devoted followers, Eraserhead entered “regular” cinemas after the release of Fire Walk With Me. Many symbols appearing here will occur later on in many of Lynch’s works: the idea of parallel worlds, highly contrasted female figures (black and blonde), the use of certain patterns (the carpet), the threat of anything related to birth or intercourse, losing your head, photographs as fetishes and false representations of real human beings, the connection between food/drinking and sexuality, relying on visual and aural aspects rather than on dialogue and explanations... The script for the film was only about 22 pages long.

Eraserhead was born in Philadelphia. (...) When I was there it was a very sick, twisted, violent, fear-ridden, decadent, decaying place. (...) It was a strange life. For the first time I really lived beneath the surface. I was never aware of anything normal. I was only aware of this world of fear and art. (...) I felt Eraserhead, I didn't think it. (David Lynch)