By Tatsuya King
David Lynch’s short film, What did Jack do? is a 17-minute film where a detective (David Lynch) interrogates the monkey, Jack Cruz, who is suspected of murder. Throughout the story, viewers learn more about who Jack is, as well as why he might’ve committed such a crime. The entire film takes place on one set with only four actors/actresses, two of which are human. This, coupled with the closeup shots and black and white setting, give the film a very personal and gritty tone, in addition to being quite hilarious.
While Jack’s outward character seems distant and unlikeable, his rugged personality is juxtaposed by his small physical stature and monkey features. This juxtaposition is further added to by the suit that Jack wears and the fact that Jack is a real monkey with a CGI mouth. Because Jack is played by a real monkey, the film is very limited in shot type variety and acting. This is compensated for, however, by the well-written lines and enticing story.
While the actual film is incredibly comedic, in concept and execution, it is unclear whether or not David Lynch intended it to be that way. The film’s bizarreness, which could be interpreted as comedy, could also just as easily be interpreted as deep thinking and symbolism. Because of this, different viewers will experience the film in different ways. While the dark themes and adult language of the film might appeal to some, others might find the absurdity of a talking monkey interesting or comedic.
While the film is only 17 minutes long, so much is packed into those 17 minutes that most viewers would have to re-watch it 3 or more times to be able to understand it fully. This could either be from the seemingly random dialogue and clunky editing, but it could also come from the amount of meaning and hidden messages behind each line. In many other short films, the limited amount of time means that each line and shot has to be as efficient as possible. In this film, while the story does start immediately, first-time viewers will notice that many lines seem more like filler than relevant story. This is different from most short-films where every shot is relevant and important.
Because of the complexity of this film and the hard to understand dialogue and story, many viewers might feel overwhelmed in trying to understand it. Because of this, What did Jack do? is a great choice for someone who enjoys deep thought and hidden meaning. On the other hand, someone who hates thinking would also enjoy this film for its funny talking animals and crude dialogue. In conclusion, no matter what kind of person you are, What did Jack do? will probably appeal to some part of your personality, whether it be someone just looking for a quick “HaHa”, or someone intent on finding something to study and think about.