TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME: Important Prequel To The Twin Peaks Universe

David Lynch has returned to Cannes to premiere his new Twin Peaks season 3 dubbedLynch had attended Cannes, it didn’t end well. His highly anticipated follow-up to Twin Peaks, a bizarre prequel that alienated fans of the series hoping for answers, got viciously booed. The disappointment came after finally revealing who killed Laura Palmer, and Twin Peaks‘ viewers and quality dipped, getting the show canceled after just 2 seasons. Unable to let it go, Lynch made a follow-up movie that angered many fans and critics at the time. Looking back at it now, Fire Walk With Me is a misunderstood gem that is the heart of the world of Twin Peaks.

Fire Walk With Me begins after the series’ events take place. It follows Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) last days of life and how she ended up washed up on the shore of Twin Peaks. Her family ties and her relationships to the community are explored in depth.

Lynch Without Constraint

From the start of Fire Walk With Me, we’re already warned that this will be different than the series. We are greeted by 2 new special agents, Agent Chester (Chris Isaak) and FBI Special Agent Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) outside of Twin Peaks. It becomes clear that Lynch isn’t forced into the tight guidelines of TV at the time and is free to explore whatever his little bizarre heart desires. In a way, as the film moves forward, the subject matter becomes increasingly more disturbing. However, through all of it, Lynch is composed, directing something tragic and forcing his viewers into the horrors that were only brushed in Twin Peaks.

Sheryl Lee gives her best performance as the troubled teen. We get to see an edgy version of Laura Palmer that we couldn’t see on television at the time. This Laura is much more sexually open, impulsive and daredevil. While all these traits were alluded to in the series, they couldn’t be explored due to the constraint of TV at that time; and seeing it here is a beauty to behold.

Straightforward Lynchian

Although it is part of a larger universe, the prequel stands well on its own as a tragic horrific tale. It has a straightforward narrative that’s easy to follow while also having Lynchian elements. There are truly uniquely surreal moments that are either very relaxing or terrifying. It’s that roller coaster ride that essentially captures Laura’s last days and her life as a whole.

Truly the shining work of David Lynch is front and center. Lynch‘s various decisions shine above all. The careful way he constructs each scene is wonderful to watch, especially the Roadhouse scene. His decision to crank up the music in the Roadhouse is brilliant. Characters screaming to each other are not easily comprehensible but it gives the impression that the viewer is there, in the club, dancing with the characters. This sense of closeness is especially terrifying at Laura’s ultimate demise, forcing the viewer to look closely at every painful hit.

Fire Walk With Me: A Tale Of Incest And Family

Lynch clearly knew where he wanted to go after the reveal of Laura Palmer’s killer. It was revealed that the killer was her father (Ray Wise) possessed by an evil spirit called BOB (Frank Silva). The spirit served as both a supernatural element and a lighter side of a darker story. In the series, it was alluded to that BOB used to sexually assault Laura. In the movie, Lynch is free to show us the darkest side, offering a scene where BOB becomes her father as he is on top of her. This alludes to the real story Lynch has wanted to tell from the beginning.

Twin Peaks has always been about people with dirty secrets, and what Fire Walk With Me does is that it makes its viewers come face to face with the darkness of our beloved show. This may be the reason why critics and fans alike have for years hated the prequel. It’s a darker, bolder look at the realities of incest and the harm it causes the victims, and is a jarring contrast to the more cheery TV series.

Conclusion

We should have known that David Lynch wasn’t going to give us what we were expecting. He uses film as a canvas for his absurd art in ways that might not be for everyone, even fans of his own show. Fire Walk With Me is not an easy watch by all means. Taking a peek at a troubled girl’s final days of life is bleak and Lynch only adds to it with the theme of incest.

However, as hard as it may be to watch, Fire Walk With Me is a beautiful underrated movie that is essential to Twin Peaks. In other words, it is Twin Peaks and now more than ever. David Lynch has recently said that Fire Walk With Me will be essential to season 3. If you’re going to be watching the return of Twin Peaks, you better visit the prequel first.

Have your thoughts changed on Fire Walk With Me since you’ve first seen it? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snP5dMsFoAY