The Alphabet (1969)

In David Lynch's unnerving exploration of the English language, 'The Alphabet' (1969), a dreamlike fusion of eerie stop-motion animation and unsettling live-action invites viewers into a nightmarish carnival of the alphabet. As the film unfolds, the twenty-six letters transform before our eyes, emerging as symbols of decay and the menacing tools of an unseen, insidious force. The film's haunting 'Alphabet Song', performed by Robert Chadwick, provides an unsettling soundtrack to this surreal journey, as twisted visions, abstract terrors, and subconscious fears populate the dreams of a young girl. In this extraordinary dreamscape, an organic entity, small yet potent, brings forth the letters of the alphabet amidst a realm of strange shapes and textures. As children's voices and operatic notes weave a hypnotic tune, the figure's head implodes, ushering in a downpour of blood onto the dreaming girl. The climax crescendos into a vivid sequence of her convulsing in a violent release of blood. 'The Alphabet' is an unrelenting descent into the dark side of language, a journey where each letter births a new wave of malignant mutations, culminating in a climax painted in stark, bright-red horror. It's a captivating reminder of the inescapability of our fears, as if we are forever trapped in the relentless cycle of the ABCs of dread. As Lynch's macabre masterpiece ends, one can't help but wonder - is there truly an escape from the oppressive grip of the alphabet?

The Alphabet is an animation movie featuring Peggy Lynch.

The Alphabet is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.