Buoying corpses up: A journey between Sunset Blvd. (1950) and Twin Peaks (1990-2017)

Abstract

This article uses a comparative and hermeneutical analysis to explore the similarities and differences between the cinematographic work of Billy Wilder,in particular, Sunset Blvd. (1950), and David Lynch and the well-known television series Twin Peaks (David Lynch & Mark Frost, CBS, 1990-1991), as well as itswidely-expected continuation: Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch & Mark Frost, Showtime, 2017), paying special attention to the representation of the corpse both in narrative and historical terms. The hypothesis of the authors is that the figuration of the dead contains and symbolizes a specific model of representation at the same time as it anticipates the appearance of a new one. In conclusion, the body in suspension, located in the gap between life and death, functions as a hinge between the past and the future.