1. AnalysingOpeningSequence
Eraserhead
Release Date:1977
Genre:surrealistbodyhorror
Director:DavidLynch
The filmstarts withwhite textinaTimesNew Romanfontagainsta pitch-blackbackground.The text
says“David Lynch” ina large size and “presents”ina smallertext,whichimpliesthatDavidLynch
directedthe filmthatisaboutto be shown.The black backgrounddoesnottell usmuch aboutthe
filmwe are about to see,asif it istryingto be keptsecretand not meantto know muchabout the
film.Itcan alsoshowthat the filmisshot inblackand white.The screenthencutsto the title,which
isin the same style as before.Underneaththe title itshowsaclose upmediumshotof a man on a
horizontal slantinthe foregroundthathasa translucentlooktohimas you can see a large rock
throughhisforehead,whichisseparate fromhim.The man’sface movesaroundthe screenfreely
but looksveryparanoidanddisturbed.The manmovesoutof the screen’sview andthe camera
zoomstowardsthe large rock, whichnow seemstoresemble the Moon.The shotchangesto a high
angle shot,whichlooksdownonthe groundof the moontrackingto show a pathwayonthe moon.
The screeneventuallyfadestoblackandcuts to an establishingshotof whatseemstobe a
makeshifthouse onthe planetbutitisnotquite clearto see if it isor not. The camera zoomsintoa
hole inthe house to the pointwhere againthe screenturnsto completelypitchblack.The camera
thentracks out of the pitch blackscreento show a man whoisvisiblydeformedandunlike other
humanssat lookingoutof a windowinwhatisassumedthe house fromthe previousshot.We then
see the man fromthe openingscene still onahorizontal angle openinghismouthinaforceful way.
He doesnotlooklike he isincontrol of whatis happeningandcanalmostbe seenas screaming.It
thencuts back to the same shot of the man on the planetwhohasa sharpreactionin hisarm and
movesitforwardslightly.We thencutback to the man whohas a translucentspermatozoonshaped
creature comingout of hismouth.
The creature themfullycomesoutof hismouthand goesbeside hishead.Rightnow itisvirtually
impossible totryand explainwhatisgoingonhere asnothinghas reallymade sense uptothispoint.
It againturns to the man on the planetwhoturnshisheadveryslowlyandhasanothertwitchinhis
arm, thistime as if he is tryingtoreach an object.The camera thencuts to a low angle lookingupat
the man on the planetwhoislookingatsome levers.He rocksback and forthslowlybefore reaching
for one of the levers.The cameracuts to a close up mediumshotof the man onthe planetandpulls
a leverbackwardsina painful like manner.The creature nexttothe horizontal manthemmovesto

2. the right of the screenuntil itisout of view asif the leverhascalledthe creature to go towardsthe
man on the planet.The manon the planetisprobablyhavinganeffectonthe horizontal manas the
scenescorrelate andcut back to one another.
The horizontal manseemscalmand unaware of whatis goingonduringthissequence.The camera
thencuts to anotherlowangle of the man on the planetwhoproceedstopull anotherleverinhis
room butseemsmuchlesspainful aboutpullingthislever.The manonthe planetisclearlywanting
thiscreature that came outof the horizontal man’smouthforsome reason.The cameracuts to a
highangle shotof a crater inthe planet.Itseemstofull of a liquidbutitishard to identifyproperly.
The camera thencuts back to the man on the planetwhoproceedstopull athird leverinamuch
more relaxedmanner.Itthengoesbackto the crater on the planetandthe creature fromthe man’s
mouthfallsfromthe skyand dropsinto the liquid.We thengetasuperclose up the liquidbubbling
and ripplingdue tothe creature fallingintothe liquid.The waterisripplingveryviolentlywhichmay
or may not be deliberatelyexaggerated.The manonthe planetmay be tryingto kill saidcreature.
The camera turns to a trackingclose up shotof the liquidfromanangle thatshowsthe ripplingfrom
an under-waterpointof view.The camera tracks downwardsasyoularge air bubblesrisingtothe
top anda large array of smallerbubblesthatcouldshow somethingdisintegratingbutitisprobably
usedas a transitionora visual effect.
The screenthencuts to blackfor a seeminglyextendedtime.AtthispointIthinkthatwhenthe
screenturnsto blackit ismeantto symbolize adrasticchange of locationandset.You thensee a
white badly-shapedcirclemove slowlytothe centre of the screenfromthe left.The circle isbright
white soitstands outprettyeasilyformthe blackbackground.The camera thenzoomsintothe hole
like ithason otherscenes.Youcan see some objectsaroundthe hole asyou getcloser,itlooksa lot
like grassbut itis reallynothatobvious.If itis grassthe hole couldbe a portal to earthbut isreally
unclear.The openingscene endshere asthe screengoesablindingwhitecolour.Thisisacontrast to
the previoussectionsinwhichthe screengoespitchblackbetweenscenes.Thismaybe asignthat
the filmis goingto a brand newlocation,possiblyearth.