What Did Jack Do? Analysis

 What Did Jack Do? is a surreal short film written and directed by David Lynch. It's shot in black-and-white and centres around a detective, played by Lynch himself interrogating the titular character, who is a monkey that is wanted for murder in a locked down train station. This of course puts the film into the narrative category of  a narrative that portrays a conflict between two characters, which in this case is between Jack and the detective. It is also in the narrative category of films that include enigmas, as the entire film is essentially an enigma. The majority of the film uses a shot-reverse-shot between the detective and Jack. This builds tension as they are shown on equal footing in this argument, with the space between the cuts reducing with each line. Despite this, a lot of the dialogue in this film is incoherent and nonsensical. This heightens the enigma that the film creates as there are large portions of the film where we are unsure of what either characters are talking about, leaving it up to audience interpretation and analysis to decipher the meaning behind it, if there is anything at all. The tension, and structure of a tight, dialogue-driven thriller is eventually broken by a musical number by Jack, making the film even more surreal and enigmatic due to it's unusual placement. We are also unsure as to why the character of Jack is a monkey, as this character could have easily been a human. The film also carries a film noir aesthetic through the use of black and white as well as the distinct use of low-key lighting to create a shadowy, dark atmosphere. There are many things from What Did Jack Do? that I can apply to my own short film. I am interested in surrealism in film, and David Lynch is a both a big inspiration for me as well as one of my favourite directors. I also enjoy the distinct style of film noir, so I can find a way to implement that into my work.