David Lynch is a director I am very fond of and have been for a fair number of years. Ever since the '70s (when his debut film Eraserhead was first released) Lynch has been churning out a least one standout achievement for every decade, something few directors can muster and one of the numerous reasons as to why I consider Lynch an auteur of the modern surrealist scene. Over the years the director has received continually mixed reviews, with renowned film critic Roger Ebert developing a frustrated distaste for the man's work, while other film critics have hailed many of his pictures as "modern masterpieces." In the '80s, Lynch wrote and directed Blue Velvet; he was at the prime of his career, after crafting the unexpected, Oscar-winning The Elephant Man and the big-budget flop, Dune. Six years after his Oscar-winner, Lynch found his mojo and released Blue Velvet, to mostly unanimous approval.
Explaining the general premise, themes and filming techniques used throughout Blue Velvet is reasonably tricky (sorry to sound informal, but it is). At least, in simple terms, Blue Velvet is a film set in the picket-fence town of Lumberton, North Carolina; a place where everything "seems" perfect, until one day the illusion is shattered when a young college student stumbles upon a severed ear (the "bodily hole" is a persistent metaphor). Sound peculiar? Well, it is relatively normal when compared to other Lynch films, and ranks among the "three accessible features" (a.k.a. The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and The Straight Story). Such a piece was crafted long before depictions of the inner struggles, nightmarish realities and dishonesty behind suburban life became a generic and clichéd premise, and so such an image has persistently influenced film-makers from all generations. The underlying perversions conveyed during the film is what makes it all the more intriguing, showing that the seemingly good-natured, yet dangerously inquisitive protagonist is lured by a battling sense of danger and sexual discovery.
Lynch was once quoted to have said "the home is a place where things go wrong"; this is a recurring theme which plagiarises a fair few of the director's projects. The constant battle of good vs. evil in modern socialisation is also commonly found, repeatedly displaying a clear winner, while keeping a lurking sense of the prevailing force in close proximity, but with the objector merely concealing itself. The dysfunctional lifestyle found in today's culture echoes through a heavy use of symbolisation and meticulously-weaved narrative. Our anxieties in life are hinted through our mannerisms; Jeffrey Beamount (the central character) is not simply out to solve his curiosities, but to awaken his sexual desires, as shown via his avoidance to become reluctant and the fulfilling of sexual instincts. Many individuals are oblivious to the troubles of life and choose to treat severed ears as normal, rather than a case for fearfulness. Is this an example of desensitisation, or a sheer longing to shy away from the bitter truth? Personally, I will opt for the latter interpretation, but with the additional idea that innocence and curiosity are two emotions that can be easily confused and preferably warped.
The infamous opening, whereby Jeffrey's father is seen collapsing from a seizure on a clear summer's day, in the postcard-perfect environment speaks so much. I think Lynch pinpoints the naïve lives led by those who exist in close-knitted, all-too-perfect communities, saying how danger is always present and volatile. Accusations of Blue Velvet being misogynistic can be endlessly discussed and all I can say for the matter is that Blue Velvet is allegory for domestic violence, particularly the violence women face in the supposed "safety net" of the home. Violence is everywhere and even if we are not apart of it, the threat is still ongoing, meaning that a true level of contentment cannot be reached. At least, this is what Lynch seems to boldly implicate. The dualities of the themes are open to discussion, but the opportunity to freely interpret is available to. Upon viewing please note the use of reversing roles, shown through the depiction of one character dominating the other when faced with varying situations of dilemma.
Told in a way that closely establishes a tone of film-noir, Blue Velvet uses the reoccurring features found in the genre, enabling the piece to become a neo-noir. Components include femme fatale and a case of mixed morals directed towards the viewer from the dubious outlook of the central protagonist. His deep-seated desires remain unspoken, but physically visible. This beautifully hypnotic, dangerously perverse and infuriatingly honest take on life will forever be foreseeable (like the foreshadowing shown through repeated imagery). Are we all in search of a distant and implausible normality? Many of us are, particularly when living in a blurred reality fuelled by its own false ideologies. If more truth be told, it is a strange world.
Explaining the general premise, themes and filming techniques used throughout Blue Velvet is reasonably tricky (sorry to sound informal, but it is). At least, in simple terms, Blue Velvet is a film set in the picket-fence town of Lumberton, North Carolina; a place where everything "seems" perfect, until one day the illusion is shattered when a young college student stumbles upon a severed ear (the "bodily hole" is a persistent metaphor). Sound peculiar? Well, it is relatively normal when compared to other Lynch films, and ranks among the "three accessible features" (a.k.a. The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet and The Straight Story). Such a piece was crafted long before depictions of the inner struggles, nightmarish realities and dishonesty behind suburban life became a generic and clichéd premise, and so such an image has persistently influenced film-makers from all generations. The underlying perversions conveyed during the film is what makes it all the more intriguing, showing that the seemingly good-natured, yet dangerously inquisitive protagonist is lured by a battling sense of danger and sexual discovery.
Lynch was once quoted to have said "the home is a place where things go wrong"; this is a recurring theme which plagiarises a fair few of the director's projects. The constant battle of good vs. evil in modern socialisation is also commonly found, repeatedly displaying a clear winner, while keeping a lurking sense of the prevailing force in close proximity, but with the objector merely concealing itself. The dysfunctional lifestyle found in today's culture echoes through a heavy use of symbolisation and meticulously-weaved narrative. Our anxieties in life are hinted through our mannerisms; Jeffrey Beamount (the central character) is not simply out to solve his curiosities, but to awaken his sexual desires, as shown via his avoidance to become reluctant and the fulfilling of sexual instincts. Many individuals are oblivious to the troubles of life and choose to treat severed ears as normal, rather than a case for fearfulness. Is this an example of desensitisation, or a sheer longing to shy away from the bitter truth? Personally, I will opt for the latter interpretation, but with the additional idea that innocence and curiosity are two emotions that can be easily confused and preferably warped.
The infamous opening, whereby Jeffrey's father is seen collapsing from a seizure on a clear summer's day, in the postcard-perfect environment speaks so much. I think Lynch pinpoints the naïve lives led by those who exist in close-knitted, all-too-perfect communities, saying how danger is always present and volatile. Accusations of Blue Velvet being misogynistic can be endlessly discussed and all I can say for the matter is that Blue Velvet is allegory for domestic violence, particularly the violence women face in the supposed "safety net" of the home. Violence is everywhere and even if we are not apart of it, the threat is still ongoing, meaning that a true level of contentment cannot be reached. At least, this is what Lynch seems to boldly implicate. The dualities of the themes are open to discussion, but the opportunity to freely interpret is available to. Upon viewing please note the use of reversing roles, shown through the depiction of one character dominating the other when faced with varying situations of dilemma.
Told in a way that closely establishes a tone of film-noir, Blue Velvet uses the reoccurring features found in the genre, enabling the piece to become a neo-noir. Components include femme fatale and a case of mixed morals directed towards the viewer from the dubious outlook of the central protagonist. His deep-seated desires remain unspoken, but physically visible. This beautifully hypnotic, dangerously perverse and infuriatingly honest take on life will forever be foreseeable (like the foreshadowing shown through repeated imagery). Are we all in search of a distant and implausible normality? Many of us are, particularly when living in a blurred reality fuelled by its own false ideologies. If more truth be told, it is a strange world.