David Lynch and Reagan: How Fear of Government Shapes Art

David Lynch, acclaimed director of such films as Blue Velvet (1986) and Mulholland Dr. (2001) is famous for his stylish subversion of American values. Blue Velvet, for example, exposes the squalid underbelly of suburban life. Likewise, Mulholland Dr. depicts the human mind, destroyed by unfulfilled dreams. Despite the often-cynical subtext of his films, Lynch still prizes harmony above all else. An avid meditator and activist, Lynch famously says, “Negativity is the enemy of creativity.” So how can such a positive person produce such negative material? According to Lynch, “Life is [ ] complicated, and so films should be allowed to be, too.”

Lynch is notoriously enigmatic when discussing his films, which he says speak for themselves. His works follow a fixed structure: a plucky protagonist descends into an oppressive dream world to get the girl and restore normalcy. At the heart of each story is paranoia. In Blue Velvet, a mysterious underground crime ring suffocates the culture of a small town. In Mulholland Dr., the corrupt establishment makes success unattainable for Naomi Watts’ heroine. Each film is, as Lynch describes, a Reaganist fantasy.

Though “not a political person,” Lynch has built a career on Ronald Reagan’s principles. He honors tradition, especially in gender roles. Women in Lynch films are mothers, and men are cowboys. This perspective, if reductive, is a result of a Reaganesque philosophy. Author Richard A. Barney remarks, “The two most famous men of the 1980s who called their women “Mommy” were [Blue Velvet’s] Frank Booth and Ronald Reagan.” In Lynch’s eyes, the ruling body should be one that encourages creativity without hindering it. When that body fails, characters unravel, clinging desperately to constructs of masculinity or femininity. The aforementioned villain of Blue Velvet loathingly refers to his paramour as “Mommy.” In Wild at Heart (1990), Diane Ladd’s character loses her mind and frantically smears lipstick over her face. These perverse appropriations of gender tradition are in response to overwhelming disorder.

Similarly, it is the job of Lynch’s male archetype to confront the establishment. Lynch’s collaborations with Kyle MacLachlan are perhaps the best example. Blue Velvet sees MacLachlan’s protagonist destroy a domineering criminal organization. In Twin Peaks (1990), MacLachlan’s character challenges a small town’s status quo in order to solve a crime. Many have speculated that these characters are wish fulfillment for Lynch. Both characters preach harmony and use positivity to combat cruelty. Both are agents of unification, as Lynch sees Reagan.

Another Reaganistic element of Lynch’s films is the idea of the “welfare queen.” Many Lynch films feature characters unjustly “living off the system.” Such characters appear in Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, and Twin Peaks. Lynch usually depicts these characters as irredeemable freeloaders. In Wild at Heart, Lynch laments that the system favors Willem Dafoe’s deranged miscreant character, while Sherilyn Fenn’s character is left betrayed and bleeding out on the side of the road.

Even today, Reagan stands out as a pinnacle of American values. The people united around him because he promised opportunity and realignment. His ideas live on because he gave a voice to those in fear of being oppressed. As a filmmaker, David Lynch has built upon Reagan’s notion of trusting the people. Lynch has created a nightmarish landscape in his films, presenting what he sees as the alternative to Reaganism: dependency.