13th March 2015, 4:12 PM
(This post was last modified: 13th March 2015, 5:23 PM by Sacred Jellybean.)
Quote:I do have to ask though, are you sure that baby's defects are supposed to be taken literally? I mean that's a pretty "real" interpretation of what that baby's all about, considering how unreal most of the scenes involving it actually are. I had assumed it was intended as metaphor more than anything else.
That's a good point, I don't think I ever considered that. Distilled to its essence, a baby is a creation. A duplicate of ones self. Henry gives birth by accident to something that's not only repulsive, but a burden. Henry is responsible for this thing he created, even if under the worst circumstances. If it's a symbol for anything, I think it could be one for art itself. Lynch of course was living in Philadelphia at the time as an art student. One who likely struggled and was insecure. Perhaps he felt inadequate about the things he would create. Perhaps he felt as lost and isolated as Henry.
Quote:I think the reason I don't really "connect" to this movie is I find the main character extremely unlikable. He just seems like a terrible person, constantly reacting like nothing that's happening is his own fault. To be sure, that's true about some things in this Kafkaesque nightmare he calls a city, but just about everything involving his relationship, especially the baby, is DIRECTLY his own fault and he acts like it's just something that "happened", out of his control.
Huh, I didn't really see that. The baby was an accident, but Henry doesn't seem neglectful of it. I think that his relationship with Mary is toxic but I don't think he's to blame. I can't think of any instance where he's reckless or harms others, he seems to spend most his time alone and introspective. The worst you could lay at his feet is the mercy killing.