Blue Velvet

Blue Velvet is a seminal work by David Lynch, establishing a unique micro-genre that eschews traditional horror for a profound sense of deep discomfort, eeriness, and unsettling psychological landscapes.

It is not overtly terrifying or scary, but rather immerses its audience in a pervasive disquietude, a hallmark of Lynch's distinct artistic voice that is difficult to escape.

The film forms part of Lynch's interconnected universe, where his various works often seem to exist within a single overarching narrative, revealing dissociative aspects of reality.

Filmmaker's Vision and Influence

Lynch's vision is singular and uncompromised, leading to a dedicated fanbase who recognise its uniqueness within the spectrum of filmmaking. His works, including Blue Velvet, are complex and highly symbolic, imbued with a palpable anxiety that defines his style. The film is understood as Lynch's particular, often grim, perspective on the world as it truly is, rather than a mere satirical take on the dark underbelly of the American dream.

The genesis of Lynch's artistic sensibilities is deeply rooted in his personal history. His childhood, growing up in Technicolor Idaho contrasted with the perceived darkness of Alexandria, Virginia, directly informed the visual and thematic elements of his films.

Encounters with bizarre and disturbing figures in Philadelphia, such as a woman crawling like a dog or parents cursing their children, contributed to his artistic portrayal of an "open air insane asylum" in post-war urban sprawl.

A formative childhood experience of witnessing a nude, plaster-White woman with blood-red around her mouth emerge from darkness appears to have shaped the recurring psychosexual elements and disembodied spirits in his paintings and films.

Furthermore, Lynch's visit to a morgue, seeing cadavers, became a starting point for his stories, often prompting a non-linear narrative that begins with death and traces back to its origin, a characteristic evident in Blue Velvet.

Lynch's paintings, which he reportedly took most seriously, are dark and grim, reminiscent of Francis Bacon's work, depicting screaming mouths and hellish silhouettes. This visual aesthetic translates directly to the screen, where the vivid and rich colours of Blue Velvet are paradoxically overlaid with a thin, hazy film, contributing to the unsettling atmosphere.

Every element in Lynch's films, down to the visual and auditory textures, is intentional, serving a specific purpose, even if its meaning is not immediately apparent.

Thematic Exploration

Blue Velvet presents an initial, idyllic All-American vision of post-war America, saturated with 1950s and early 1960s nostalgia, which is swiftly contrasted with the darkness and depravity of adulthood that exists in plain sight within small-town America. This stark dichotomy between youthful glow and hidden corruption, while now a cinematic cliché, largely originates from Lynch's work.

Key themes and motifs:

• Dissociation and Psychological Fragmentation:

The film delves into the dissociative aspects of the human psyche, where characters may not know who they are, experiencing a form of psychogenic fugue or amnesia.

This suggests that people wear masks, appearing entirely different from their true selves, sometimes to the point of disembodying and entering other characters.

• Intrusion and Surveillance:

There is a pervasive sense of intrusion, not just into the private lives of characters, but into their very spirit. The feeling of being watched and recorded is a central element, even if not explicitly shown.

• Symbolism of Insects and Decay:

The film opens with a camera descending into the ground, revealing hundreds of black beetles scurrying beneath the idyllic grass, foreshadowing the dark realities hidden beneath the surface.

Similarly, the discovery of a disembodied ear covered in ants symbolises the corruption of life, serving as a microcosm for the world at large. The character of Frank Booth is even likened to a swarming beetle, embodying death and corruption.

• The Inversion of Goodness:

Blue Velvet offers very little that is uplifting or traditionally good; instead, goodness is often inverted into something dark or sinister.

The film's atmosphere is one of latent dread, with a larger, unseen disaster always lurking just off-screen, an elliptical technique that suggests danger through what is left unstated.

Narrative and Characterisation

The narrative of Blue Velvet is generally more linear compared to some of Lynch's other works, yet it still contains elements of surrealism and ambiguity that frustrate expectations of clear resolution. This deliberate lack of cohesion can evoke dread and a sense of meaninglessness, aligning with a postmodern, nihilistic worldview where simulation supersedes original meaning.

Notable characters and symbolic interactions include:

• Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan): A young, All-American figure who, after his father’s mysterious collapse, discovers the severed ear and is drawn into the town's dark underbelly. His seemingly normal appearance as an "exterminator" to gain entry to Dorothy Vallens's apartment, despite the surreal context, highlights the film's non-realistic portrayal of everyday situations.
• Sandy Williams (Laura Dern): Portrayed as "golden," an "All-American madelle," she becomes Jeffrey's confidante and romantic interest. Her dreams of Robins triumphing over black scarab beetles symbolise hope, yet the final image of a Robin with a beetle in its mouth suggests a precarious, possibly temporary, victory of good over evil.
• Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini): A lounge singer whose troubled life is connected to the severed ear. Her performances, while central, are intentionally terrible, lacking stage presence, underscoring the film's pervasive sense of unease. Her repeated accusation that Jeffrey put his "disease" in her metaphorically refers to the infection of fear and corruption.
• Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper): A truly psychopathic and demonic figure, described as an "insectoid beast" embodying total chaos and uncertainty. His grotesque and disturbing acts, combined with his stunted emotional maturity and use of nitrous oxide, make him utterly unpredictable. He puts on lipstick and kisses Jeffrey, displaying a subtly effeminate yet threatening quality.
• The Yellow Man: This character, appearing in a yellow blazer, is linked to malevolence and crime, reminiscent of the "yellow King" in Carcosa. His presence often signals involvement in Frank's illicit activities, such as drug dealing and rival elimination.
• Ben (Dean Stockwell): A pale, White-faced figure, almost like a "death mask," he serves as a "Master of Ceremonies," a Mephisto-like character whose unsettling rendition of Roy Orbison's In Dreams momentarily calms Frank Booth.

The film's ending, where Jeffrey returns to an idyllic suburban life after his traumatic experiences and Frank's death, is viewed ambiguously. While it could symbolise an uncorrupted spirit, it is also interpreted as a problematic, almost naive, return to normality, suggesting that true escape from such profound psychological trauma is elusive.

The pervasive feeling is that once one crosses into the abyss, there is no true return to a previous state of innocence.

Blue Velvet is a cinematic experience that, despite its unsettling nature, leaves a lasting impression due to its profound artistry and relentless exploration of the human subconscious and the hidden evils within seemingly ordinary life.