Abstract and Methodological Approach

David Lynch’s 2002 web series entitled RABBITS is a comfortably confounding addition to his

oeuvre, depicting rabbits as personified animal deities existing within their own uncanny, sitcom-infused nightmare. Lynch’s rabbits exist as a unique symbol from a singular artist that are in keeping with previously surreal uses of the rabbit animal within different forms of media. A curious thing occurs when Lynch adapts his own work within his feature film, Inland Empire (2006). The titular rabbits within RABBITS become a metaphorical bedrock in an otherwise enigmatic film. Including the rabbit web series’ characters within this film creates a familiarity for the viewer because Lynch provides a very specific television sitcom aesthetic framework.

The tradition for rabbits to be used generally to depict surreal dreamscapes can be traced back in

media to such literary classics such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865), and also in more recent filmic iterations such as Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko (2001). The rich tradition of rabbits existing as mysterious, liminal entities has been well established. As a result, the web series RABBITS is fairly easy to grasp as an extension of David Lynch’s investment in dreams and dreamlike imagery. RABBITS is also heavily influenced aesthetically by sitcoms, which not only contribute to the nightmare through its ironic contrast to other, more inherently disturbing narratives or aesthetic choices, but also create a familiar atmosphere.

Inland Empire also contains the humanoid rabbits within RABBITS along with changes and

additions: the rabbits now exist outside of their sitcom set; characters within Inland Empire visit the sitcom set of RABBITS; and people within the film also watch the rabbits on their television sets. Lynch’s use of RABBITS within Inland Empire creates a distinct metatextual and metanarrative layer. This video essay analyzes and juxtaposes the web series RABBITS and its reappearance within Inland Empire, while meditating on the effect of having RABBITS adapted and existing in these different forms.

List of Clips from Media (in the order used):

Donnie Darko. Directed by Richard Kelly, Pandora Films, 2001.

Harvey. Directed by Henry Koster, Universal, 1950.

Alice in Wonderland. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske, Disney, 1951.

Alice. Directed by Jan Svankmajer, Condor Films, 1988.

Rabbit Of Seville. Directed by Chuck Jones, Warner Bros., 1950.Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, Touchstone Pictures, 1988.

RABBITS. Directed by David Lynch, Asymmetrical Productions, 2002.

“It May Look Like a Walnut.” The Dick Van Dyke Show. Directed by Jerry Paris, Calvada Productions, 1963.

Inland Empire. Directed by David Lynch, StudioCanal, 2006.

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