Signature Touch: David Lynch and the Art of Music in Cinema

Cinema is a visual art. As such, many filmmakers are instantly recognizable for their cinematography, but the signature touch of a David Lynch film is a dreadfully wonderful combination of aesthetic, sound, and, perhaps most importantly, how that sound influences our perception of the visuals and narrative; the sum of which far exceeds light simply reflecting from a silver screen.

While many Directors lack a background in advanced musical knowledge, some are compelled to influence the sound design to complete their vision. Stanley Kubric – one such filmmaker – while not a composer, often worked with collage elements of prerecorded material in order to control this specific dimension of his films (e.g.: The Shining). David Lynch, however, goes beyond. Widely credited for his influence as a filmmaker, Lynch’s eccentric talent is not limited to visual arts. A composer and true collaborator himself, Lynch was often unapologetically hands-on in the involvement of the soundtrack and acoustic design of his films; working closely with other composers and musicians such as Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise.

In this Olio, we’ll watch selections of Lynch’s most iconic projects: Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive and explore the process under which the music was created, how it serves the narrative and visuals, and what parallels these moments expose – in what I call the “Lynch Vocabulary.” A unique language created and refined over his continuing body of works.