The Grandmother: Analysis#2

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 THE GRANDMOTHER 

DAVID LYNCH

How does David Lynch use film techniques to portray ordinary life as nightmarish?

David Lynch uses several different filmmaker techniques in order to portray the film as nightmarish and surreal. His style is very distinctive so his techniques are easy to point out when compared to other films. For instance, his use of colour in the film includes grey undertones with an overall dark ambiance making the environment seem cold and unexpressive. Furthermore, the pasty white colour that consume their faces are made vivid by the high contrast editing, overall making the boy seem sickly. In addition, the red lipstick suggests that dialogue is forbidden, as the colour red holds negative connotations of danger and threat. 

Moreover, another frequent technique that Lynch utilises is his cinematography. The jarring nature of frequent cuts when the parents are on screen makes them seem unpredictable and unfamiliar towards the audience. this adds to the tension as well as making the viewer feel uneasy and frightened, which could be perceived as a projection of the boy's feelings, particularly when he's surrounded by his parents. On the other hand, his use of close-up zooms when the grandmother is on screen symbolises warmth and protection, contradicting the current ambience he is in. 

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