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Relive David Lynch's Most Suspenseful Moments in Sound

Spoilers: Jacob T. Swinney's latest supercut, 'Lynchian Ambiance,' is creepy.
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David Lynch's films simmer, moving slowly as they build tension like an oncoming storm. Say what you will—they're a lot of things, but as editor Jacob T. Swinney points out in his new supercut, Lynchian Ambience, they're almost never silent.

"Moments of silence are rather rare occurrences in the films of David Lynch. Even during absences of bizarre dialogue and ominous scoring, a Lynch film is never truly quiet. Buzzing light fixtures, inexplicable roars, and mechanical hisses often deny us the relief of quiet, creating an atmosphere that defines the Lynchian style," Swinney explains in a blog post he wrote for film site Fandor, who also sponsored the film. "Toying with the boundaries of diegetic and non-diegetic, Lynch’s unique approach to ambient noise is a crucial ingredient to what makes his films feel so disorienting and abrasive. What are these sounds? Where are they coming from? Are these noises heard by the characters? Like most Lynch related queries, maybe these are better left unexplained."

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Swinney has a knack for zeroing in on compelling aspects of cinematic structure that hide in plain sight, like the relationship between the first and final frames, or the thematic implications of the fade to white. Watch his analysis of subtle sound in Lost Highway, Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, and more in Lynchian Ambience, below.

See more of Jacob T. Swinney's films on his Vimeo channel.

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