Importance of Inspiration: Behind the Curtain of Lynch/Oz

David Lynch remains one of the greatest filmmaking surrealists of all time. As is customary with every surrealist or unconventional artist, people are perpetually tripping over themselves to explain the meanings behind an artist's visual choices. Lynch, of course, is reluctant to explain anything in his movies. He puts up this curtain in front of his films to avoid showing his whole hand. The documentary Lynch/Oz understands this sentiment and still attempts to parade around The Wizard of Oz as a revelatory explanation for David Lynch's filmography. The film, which was released in 2022, comprises six chapters, with each chapter being a different filmmaker speaking on the film’s central thesis. Alexandre O. Philippe, the film’s director, explores the idea that David Lynch’s inspiration, at least partially, comes from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. 

It is an inspired concept that feels a bit obvious when presented to you. It can always be a bit fun to try to parse meaning, but there has to be a separation between speculation and conclusiveness. What sets a film like Lynch/Oz apart from other similar ideas is the fact that we get these extraordinarily affectionate stories from great film personalities about their journey with inspiration and analysis. The film just continues to bolster an iconic filmmaker and an iconic film and the need for curiosity sort of fades into appreciation. There is this ever present sentiment that art moves in cycles. The filmmakers talk about how much of an inspiration Lynch and The Wizard of Oz have been to them, while also mentioning how the Brother Grimm's fairytales inspired The Wizard of Oz. Inspiration is the entire crux of the film. While the thesis may be to discover answers about a beloved and mystic filmmaker, the journey simply becomes one bolstered by admiration.

To provide a more in-depth idea of the film’s structure, each chapter is from the perspective of a filmmaker or critic: Amy Nicholson, Rodney Ascher, John Waters, Karyn Kusama, Aaron Moorhead with Justin Benson, and David Lowery are the narrators of their own experiences. They chronicle their observations of Lynch’s films and relate them back to The Wizard of Oz. Visually; the film is a clip show that utilizes a split screen most of the time. It almost entirely comprises of clips of Lynch films the narrators reference. Phillipe compares the films side by side, piecing together similar scenes. These are the consequences of popularizing the YouTube narrative essay videos. The film can feel dry visually, not offering anything unique in terms of visuals or structure. However, it is within this familiar formula that the film can find its footing. The standout segments are Karyn Kusama and John Waters because they speak so personally and with such emotional intelligence.

The structure of the film is important because it highlights the two standouts. Kusama and Waters exemplified the importance of inspiration. Kusama has a couple of great quotes, but the standout is, “Reinterpretation is the rule, not the exception.” She was referring to Lynch’s usage of characters' dreams to reveal their true selves. In this specific instance, she treats  Mulholland Drive as the “inverse of Oz.” The reality of Diane Selwyn (the protagonist from Mulholland Drive) is not one to which she wants to return. This contrasts the goal of The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy Gale, who wants nothing more than to get back to her home in Kansas. This quote works in the context of the film, as well as within the context of inspiration. Kusama tells a story of how she went and saw Mulholland Drive at the IFC Center in New York for the 2001 premiere, followed by a Q&A with Lynch. She tells this story with such reverence that we can clearly feel the impact Lynch had on her as a filmmaker. It felt so completely and utterly inspiring to have an accomplished filmmaker talk so openly about a filmmaker they looked up to. It emphasized the idea we are all just borrowing from each other, and that it is okay to speak openly about where you find ideas.

Just before Kusama’s segment was John Waters, the legendary Filth Elder. Waters is for sure the most comparable contemporary of Lynch in the whole bunch. Waters was already an established filmmaker by the time Lynch made his debut feature, Eraserhead. He was one of the most notable proselytizers of that film, even mentioning a famous picture of the two filmmakers from around that time. Waters stands out because he of course talks about the influence The Wizard of Oz had on everyone, but he communicates an idea that overanalyzing every detail of something is not necessarily the path toward appreciation. He will say things like, “I guess I was inspired by The Wizard of Oz, but who wasn’t?” He consistently reinforces the idea that we can all have these shared inspirations. One anecdote that stood out  was when he somewhat inquisitively asked if Lynch was into puppets. He talks about how many directors will grow up and be very much into puppetry, then later in life will hear something from an actor similar to “We aren’t your puppets, you know.” His entire segment lives in this territory. We can find different forms of inspiration from anything and the same things. We do not interpret any one thing in the same way and we can each add something unique to the greater story of humanity. 

The rest of the narrators are great and thoughtful as well, they engage in the thesis very well and demonstrate such adulation for Lynch and The Wizard of Oz; well, except Lowery who talks about his remake of Pete’s Dragon more than any single Lynch film. Maybe he got in on some sort of name mixup where they just saw David L. and thought they were getting it from the horse's mouth. It was just Kusama and Waters that resonated the most because their admiration for filmmaking is so palpable. 

As mentioned before, there are not a whole lot of new ideas in terms of the visual language of the film. It is not the documentary to look for if you are expecting a multitude of archival footage or unseen interviews. Presenting the film in this way offers a sort of familiar structure to the audience. This film talks about one of the best blenders of auditory and visual images of all time. Lynch is a director who can create such evocative pictures both on screen and within your imagination. It falls in line with the tone of the film to be overt with what is on screen. Piecing together the clips of the films only gives weight to the words of the narrator. The film is speculation, so it has to use the images that the filmmakers understand. It has to take what these narrators have experienced and translate that to the audience. This style of documentary does not really present as informative, rather it presents as enriching to the experience the narrators have had with these images.

Lynch/Oz is thoughtful and underwhelming in its familiarity. There are no new techniques in terms of storytelling, and more than likely you will not walk away with all the answers to Lynch’s films. However, I do not think that means it cannot be endearing. I think there is something special about asking yourself questions. It should be encouraged to walk out of a film you either love or hate and ask yourself why you loved or hated it. Deeper analysis helps create deeper connections and deeper connections foster inspiration for future art. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is one of my favorite films of all time. I watched it apropos of nothing and with no connection to the original series. Yet, I was so moved, haunted, and taken by the film that I needed more. I wanted to know why I felt these things. I wanted to understand my connection. Lynch/Oz spawned from a similar place. Philippe is an obvious cinephile who wanted to explore specific feelings regarding some of his favorite films. The seven narrators all felt similarly, and they wanted to talk about their inspirations. They wanted to talk about a thing that they love. Approaching Lynch/Oz with the idea it is revelatory or a new take on the Lynch mythos would leave you feeling dissatisfied. I want to encourage everyone to watch this film as an exercise in self-analysis and soul-searching. Lynch/Oz offers a familiar path toward the examination of your inspirations, and if you try to find the “why” behind your inspiration instead of within your inspiration, art will continue to flourish.

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