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A review by valariesmith
The Women of David Lynch: A Collection of Essays by Scott Ryan, David Bushman
1.0
David Lynch's presentation of women is complicated. On one hand, he returned the Twin Peaks story to Laura Palmer, where it rightfully belonged, in Fire Walk with Me. He also provided a wide array of women who pass the Bechdel test on Twin Peaks; each one with her own personality, intelligence and desires. On the other hand, The Return has multiple instances of violence being done to unnecessarily naked or scantily clad women; it also features a female FBI agent whose only real role is to have her ass ogled by her superiors and to walk like she's on a runway while she fetches coffee for her male superiors.
But none of this is actually addressed in a book of essays devoted to the role of women in David Lynch's films. In fact, the intro outright positions this book as an apologetic, saying that the only people who think Lynch is a misogynist are arrogant men, and that women know better, without providing data or theory to back up this claim. Let's just say that is exactly the opposite of my experience, and it's a perfect example of the lack of academic rigor in this book.
There are interesting essays here, particularly the ones that focus on Jade and the lack of diversity in casting. But as with Laura's Ghost, another book featuring women discussing Lynch's work, there is an elephant in the room that goes unaddressed, and I'm still yearning to find the book or article that engages in a serious, nuanced discussion about the duality of David Lynch, and how he both indefatigably champions actresses and quality female roles while also providing clear evidence of misogyny in his films.
But none of this is actually addressed in a book of essays devoted to the role of women in David Lynch's films. In fact, the intro outright positions this book as an apologetic, saying that the only people who think Lynch is a misogynist are arrogant men, and that women know better, without providing data or theory to back up this claim. Let's just say that is exactly the opposite of my experience, and it's a perfect example of the lack of academic rigor in this book.
There are interesting essays here, particularly the ones that focus on Jade and the lack of diversity in casting. But as with Laura's Ghost, another book featuring women discussing Lynch's work, there is an elephant in the room that goes unaddressed, and I'm still yearning to find the book or article that engages in a serious, nuanced discussion about the duality of David Lynch, and how he both indefatigably champions actresses and quality female roles while also providing clear evidence of misogyny in his films.