The Freudian “uncanny” in David Lynch’s Lost Highway

Abstract

The “uncanny” is discussed by Sigmund Freud as an aesthetic concept in his essay published in 1919. The original German term is “unheimlich,” which means ‘uncanny’ or ‘eerie.’ Its most common definition is attributed to Schelling: “everything that is secret, and thus should have remained hidden, yet has revealed itself.” This means that certain psychological contents are repressed, becoming unconscious, and the individual experiences the uncanny as a result of the consciousness of these contents. In his essay, Freud emphasized the uncanny nature of doppelgängers, which later became one of the most actively discussed phenomena in the discourse related to the concept. According to Otto Rank, doppelgängers serve as a means of defense against death, while Freud saw them as fulfilling an infantile wish-fulfillment function. The uncanny as an aesthetic concept is also frequently employed in the interpretation of David Lynch’s films. In my analysis, the guiding line is provided by the psychological functioning of the doppelgängers and the defensive functions they perform, the organization of which gives the film its uncanny character. At the center of the film is the murder committed by the protagonist, Fred, and its psychological consequences. Fred creates an idealized doppelgänger and a fantasy world in order to avoid confronting his own actions and to live a life he truly desires. The function of doppelgängers aligns with the notions articulated by Rank and Freud and is supplemented by a defense against destruction, which serves to preserve the self-image. The uncanny nature of the film arises from the transformation of unconscious contents and instincts into doppelgängers, as well as the blurring of the fantasy world and reality. My paper contributes to a broader understanding of the uncanny and reinforces and complements previous analyses of David Lynch’s films.