During the late 1970s, Stanley Kubrick embarked on the direction of “The Shining,” an unparalleled horror film known for its surreal, unsettling, and intricate nature. Defying the conventional norms of horror cinema, “The Shining” captivated audiences with its blend of mystery and suspense, encouraging contemplation of its complex layers. Amid this unique filmmaking journey, Kubrick discovered a kindred spirit in a 1977 horror movie crafted by a then-novice director, which he considered his all-time favorite. Kubrick shared this film, titled “Eraserhead,” with the cast and crew of “The Shining,” using it as a guiding example for the style and tone they aimed to achieve.
“Eraserhead,” released in 1977, marked the debut feature of visionary filmmaker David Lynch. Created during Lynch’s tenure as a student at the American Film Institute Conservatory throughout the 1970s, the film encountered production and funding challenges that prolonged its development over the decade. However, the end result was a high-concept venture into body horror, swiftly earning cult-classic status through midnight screenings. Branded “David Lynch’s Dream of Dark and Troubling Things,” “Eraserhead” captivated audiences with its nightmarish exploration of themes like life and death, identity and infanticide, as well as sexuality and sound.
Notably enigmatic, “Eraserhead” has resisted definitive interpretation, a trait emblematic of Lynch’s oeuvre. The film revolves around Henry Spencer (played by Jack Nance), a solitary man left to care for his grotesquely deformed prematurely-born child. Within this narrative, the storyline takes unexpected and unexplainable twists, including a musical interlude by a deformed woman residing in Henry’s radiator and a sequence wherein Henry’s head detaches, transforming into the titular eraserheads. This introduction marked the inception of Lynch’s surrealist filmmaking style, a theme that would recurrently appear in works like “Lost Highway,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Inland Empire,” and “Twin Peaks.”
Lynch’s films, including “Eraserhead,” prioritize viewer appreciation and individual interpretation over straightforward comprehension. This attribute likely influenced Stanley Kubrick, who aimed to infuse Stephen King’s “The Shining” with layered meanings and subliminal themes, making “Eraserhead” an essential source of inspiration.
In his book “Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity,” Lynch recounts a significant honor he received early in his career from Kubrick. Fellow filmmakers informed Lynch that Kubrick had showcased his favorite film during a gathering, unveiling none other than “Eraserhead.” This compliment carried immense weight for the budding director, as “Eraserhead” marked his cinematic debut, and the admiration came from a twelve-time Academy Award-nominated director responsible for acclaimed films like “Dr. Strangelove,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “A Clockwork Orange,” and more.
Kubrick revealed to Lynch that he had shared “Eraserhead” with the cast and crew of “The Shining” to set the desired mood for the project. Despite the dissimilarities in plot, the films share a resonant ambiance. Themes of isolation and emasculation, along with unsettling portrayals of family and fatherhood, underscore both narratives. A sense of quasi-supernatural presence pervades both works, blurring the lines between reality and imagination in the characters’ minds. Both films operate as latent psychological thrillers within the horror genre.
The convergence of the films extends to their artistic craftsmanship. While “The Shining” employs well-illuminated scenes to create a distinctive horror atmosphere, “Eraserhead” often delves into incomprehensible darkness, yet both prioritize visual storytelling over extensive dialogue. Notably, “The Shining” showcases a signature Lynchian use of sound, renowned for its unsettling ambient noises. Similarly, “Eraserhead” adheres to this approach, allowing scenes to unfold with unidentifiable background sounds contributing to the eerie ambiance.
However, the most striking similarity between the two films lies in their narrative resistance to straightforward explanation. Both “Eraserhead” and “The Shining” defy definitive interpretations, with neither Lynch nor Kubrick offering conclusive insights into their works. Over the decades, fans, cinephiles, and scholars have engaged in elaborate analyses, yielding diverse conclusions about the films’ meanings. “Eraserhead” has been viewed through lenses as varied as pro-life and pro-choice, pro-feminism and anti-feminism, anti-family and anticapitalist, and even as having pornographic elements. In a parallel manner, some enthusiasts have speculated that Kubrick embedded hints about his alleged involvement in faking the moon landing within “The Shining,” leveraging special effects from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The films remain open canvases for endlessly subjective interpretation.
The legacy of “Eraserhead” extends beyond its impact on “The Shining.” Alongside Kubrick, Mel Brooks was captivated by “Eraserhead,” prompting him to invite Lynch to direct “The Elephant Man.” This pivotal opportunity led to Lynch’s Best Director Oscar nomination and propelled him into mainstream filmmaking. Moreover, George Lucas extended an offer to Lynch to direct “Return of the Jedi,” a proposition Lynch declined, leaving audiences to ponder the unexplored realm of a David Lynch-helmed “Star Wars.”
Notably, the distinct appearance of the “Eraserhead” baby influenced H.R. Giger’s design of the Xenomorph in “Alien,” while Henry’s distinctive hairstyle echoed in The Coen Brothers’ “Barton Fink.” Additionally, “Eraserhead” inspired the creative and tonal direction of films like Darren Aronofsky’s “Pi” and “Requiem for a Dream,” as well as Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil.” The film emerged as a touchstone for innovative filmmakers.
“The Shining,” on the other hand, has exceeded “Eraserhead” in terms of viewership and cultural influence, inspiring and directly referencing works like “Ready Player One,” “It,” and its sequel, “Doctor Sleep.” Kubrick effectively crafted a film akin to the enigmatic essence of “Eraserhead,” inviting audiences to contemplate its intricate details through repeated viewings, embracing its enigmatic nightmarish quality.
