I personally feel that the nightmare when I was young is different from the one I grew up. I have a nightmare when I grow up, and when I wake up, I will tell myself that it is not true. Maybe I will analyze the reason for the nightmare (for example, listening to a ghost story before going to bed), and then forget everything. The nightmare of childhood, first of all, you can’t be sensible enough to know that it’s not true, and then you can’t analyze the reason for the nightmare, so it will stay in your heart like a shadow for a long time, even if If you don't think about it, you will feel its existence.
The hero in the film seems to be living in such a nightmare, lingering and having nowhere to escape. His girlfriend is not ugly, but it is a pity that he has convulsions and may be nervous; his mother-in-law is better than her daughter and harassed him at the first meeting; his father-in-law seems to be a cowardly fellow who can Make a roast chicken that can kick and bleed; there is also a grandmother who is usually at the mercy of people-if this is not enough, then he also has a reptile that looks slippery and has no arms and legs. Wrapped in the gauze, crying and moaning weakly all day long, sickly looking...deformed baby. When I watched this movie, I kept thinking about the short story "Grandmother" made by the director and later "Dumbland". I guess he has had a shadow since he was a child, otherwise he would have such a gloomy family at every turn.
Yes, it is gloomy.
This is a black and white film, and the brightness is lowered on the basis of black and white. It’s not over yet. Most of the scenes of the film are in Henry’s messy apartment. There are many holes in the blanket on the bed. There are piles of invisible mess on the ground. There is also a deformed baby lying on the table. The girlfriend's house is not so messy, but there are depressive atmosphere, strange family members and bloody roast chicken; there are several outdoor scenes, muddy roads and steam coming from nowhere all set off the gloomy and ominous atmosphere. The only brighter scene in the film is the scene where the "radiator woman" appears, but there is such a woman standing in front of it, even if there is a rare bright light, I am afraid it can't comfort people.
It is sound that can create a more depressing atmosphere than pictures. There is very little dialogue in the film, and most of the time without dialogue is occupied by a deep buzzing sound. At first I thought it was a broken headset. This kind of voice will be ignored for a long time, but the gloomy feeling it brings is real, and it makes people depressed for a long time. I don't know why it is so depressed, killing people invisible.
The film is full of all kinds of weird images, which create an out-and-out nightmare effect. Space, men with festering skin, giant worms, mentally ill family members, deformed babies, bleeding, radiator women, rubber heads...Freud, Kafka, postmodern, expressionism, anyway I didn't understand it very much. Although I don't understand, I don't have to say how it feels when I look at it. Both excited and disgusted, feel terrible and can't help being attracted. What I admire the most is that someone can portray a nightmare so closely, this director is really a genius.
Of course, the actor's acting skills are also very good. His expression is very tense, tired, depressed, at a loss, and fear, which can bring the audience to the movie and experience this nightmare with him.
I remember when someone commented on "Grandmother" and "Dumbland" that life is like this. David Lynch just showed it from a very unique perspective. His eyes are sharp, he can penetrate the shadows of people's hearts; his language is sharp, and he can express these shadows so appropriately. These shadows may be the source of nightmares.
I used to watch Geum Min’s "Paprika" before, and felt that this was a very accurate representation of the dream. I only found out today that it turns out that nightmare is like this.
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