Subject: Re: David Lynch 
Date: Mon, 03 Jun 1996 18:51:33 +0100
From: "Theoretical Phys. MSc accnt. 13" <tpmsc13-AT-ic.ac.uk>


I think the "relationship" between David Lynch and Lovecraft
(or rather the analogy between them) is even more
transparent in Twin Peaks, where we have the "evil spirit"
Bob who has taken possesion of Mr. Leland, and we see the
fight between the Black and the White Lodge. And of course
eventually the hero falls prey to the Black Lodge. In this
respect I think it is also worth mentioning the haunting
quality of the sound track, which is very important for
creating the moods I've been talking about.
Interestingly enough, I've never really met anybody who had
a neutral attitude to this series; either they were fascinated or
they were repulsed -- that alone should merit our attention:
he must be touching SOMETHING to get this kind of reaction.

One particular problem we must face when talking about film
in general, is whether a film can ever be surrealist or if any
film will always be partly surrealist (beacuse of the nature of
the media). One can certainly say that the entire media has a
magical aura which no other medium seem to posses: there
is a certain magic about a cinema that one does simply not
find in a gallery. In this sense there might be something
inherently surrealist abou films. But on the other hand,
because of the nature of the medium, automatism is almost
completely ruled out -- a feature film shares with theater to
some extent. One can leave some room for improvisation and
chance but not at all to the same extent as in painting,
writing or even photography.
We should address this issue too I think. It is probably
underlying many of our differences in which films should be
counted as surrealist or not.
Carlos have already made some steps in this direction.

		Frank

PS. You're not alone in coming from a country ignorant of
true surrealism, Carlos. I can assure that Denmark isn't much
better. Despite the fact that one of the very first international
exhibitions were held, with the collaboration of Breton, in
Copenhagen, almost nothing of Breton exists in Danish (the
manifestoes were translated in the 60'es and Nadja in the late
80'es and thats it!). Despite the pressence of a very strong
group in the 30'es, surrealism is still more related to Dali than
to anything else in this country. Ironically, the surrealist
group in Denmark, quickly took on an "abstract" form (Asger
Jorn and the others who became part of Cobra later). And
Wilhelm Freddie, who originally was more "figurative",
became more and more "abstract".... One of the most
important poets (and the most popular) of the 20'ieth century
in Denamrk is Jens August Schade and yet, hardly nobody
knows he actually was a surrealist! Truely, something is
rotten in the state of Denmark...