When Jack takes his place on the sofa and dialogue does commence between this strange ensemble, it is initially remote and dislocated from time, ostensibly an unconnected barrage of non-sequiters. Dialogue is displaced, seemingly plucked from the ether or even channelled through the characters with lines like : “Do not forget that today is Friday”, and “When will you tell ?” All of these statements may initially be confusing but take on a broader meaning in episode two as the psychic resonance begins to form within the viewers mind. As actions and dialogue are repeated on screen with reference to lines said three or four lines back, the work starts to take on a unity of composition and form a pattern. Some of the sentences uttered by the individuals refer to questions and statements raised not only three of four lines back, but to announcements made in future episodes. It becomes apparent that time itself is distorted here. What it is also apparent is that Lynch is making further commentary on the role of the detective here who must rely on memory to help him solve crimes and mysteries. Lynch forces the viewer to actively participate in the proceedings by having them restructure events in their minds : this may be in contrast to the evidence that is actually depicted on the screen and calls into question the nature of memory, reality and truth. What Lynch has done is to employ the techniques akin to the Beat Generation’s William S. Burroughs in order to call into question the ways in which audiences interact with the subject matter dealt to them (13). By reinterpreting events, Lynch turns the flat space of the living room into a metaphysical prism of possibilities. This type of linear conjuring also prolongs the works shelf life by creating a work of art that is returned to time and time again.

Although this kaleidoscopic editing may ensure repeat viewings, to really come to terms with Lynch’s cut up technique one would need to reassemble the narrative by transcribing the episodes into a linear fashion and then look for the clues therein. But Lynch is far too astute to be caught out by that trick. In fact, if the individual employs such a manœuvre, it becomes evident that Lynch has compensated for such a shortfall by having the spoken lines grouped into ambiguous statements that can be arrived at by more than one point of entrance. For instance, when Jane says “There is something I would like to say to you Suzi”, the answer could be interpreted by any number of Suzie’s responses : A) “Oh”, B) “I have heard those things said before”, or C) “When will you tell it ?” The responses Suzi gives are not qualified by citing Jane’s name in the equation, and therefore her replies could just as easily be in response to statements made by Jack at an earlier point in time, perhaps even in a previous or future episode. This form of construction could be deemed pretentious and self indulgent by some quarters, nothing more than the equivalent of a cinematic crossword puzzles to solve, but this sort of argument negates Lynch’s power as an artist and denies the messages and themes that are prevalent throughout his oeuvre. Far from being wilfully difficult, David Lynch is creating an art form that touches upon philosophical and metaphysical concerns.