‘Since I was Twelve’: Fire Walk With Me as a Trauma Film

Abstract

This chapter analyses the first scene of David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me that gives insight into the dynamic within the Palmer household. It cites the scene of the evening that Laura realises Bob's true identity, which provides a clear view of the dysfunctional situation in the Palmer home. It also discusses the home as a site of horror that is a common genre trope, with the breakdown of the family unit at the centre of many horror films, such as Rosemary's Baby, Halloween, and Poltergeist. The chapter talks about how Fire Walk With Me presents an inversion of the Oedipal trajectory and exposes unconscious desires which Freud theorised as driving stages of sexual development. It mentions how Fire Walk With Me provide a narrative of family violence and trauma, following Laura as she tries to navigate her way and work through the ongoing abuse that she endures.