8/3/2019 Blue Velvet (1986) Review

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StevenPayne UnitThreeEnvironment

BlueVelvet(1986)

Dir.DavidLynch

BlueVelvetisafilmonbothendsofthespectrum.By

many,itisconsideredDavidLynchsmagnumopus,andyet

bymanyothersitisseentobeacinematicdisaster.

BlueVelvetsurroundsthemwithastorythatsmarredwithsophomoricsatireandcheapshots.The

directoriseitherdenyingthestrengthofhismaterialor

tryingtodefuseitbypretendingitsallpartofacampyin-

joke.(Ebert,1986)

Opinionaside,thereisnodenyingthatBlueVelvetis

certainlyaninterestingfilm,frombothavisualanda

storytellingperspective.

Thequaint,homelytownofLumbertonisyetanother

exampleofafilmusinganextremeexaggerationofthe

perfectAmericanlifestyletoemphasizethedramaofthe

devioushappeningsbehindcloseddoors(see EdwardScissorhands,AmericanBeauty,TheTrumanShow,The

StepfordWivestonameafew).ThevisualsinBlueVelvet

contributeasmuchtotheexperienceasthestoryitself,asiscommonwiththeworkof

DavidLynch.

Fromheavilystylizeddepictionsoficonicimages,likewhitepicketfencesand

flowers,toanequallyiconicpresentationoffamiliardrug-associatedimagery,Lynchrelies

onapictographicsystemofstorytellingevenmorethanhedoesnarrativeaction

(Plath,2011)

Lynchincorporatesvariousdirectorialmethodsinordertototallyimmersethe

audienceinthetownofLumberton.Whilsttheaudienceisstillseeingtheeventsunfold

fromathirdpersonperspective,itstillfeelsasifyouareconstantlylookingoverJeffreysshoulder,byhissideeverystepoftheway.Thefearofbeingcaughtintheapartmentisas

intensefortheaudienceasitisforJeffrey.Placingthecamerawithintheclosetmakesthe

audiencepartoftheexperience,theaudiencefeelingthesamelevelofsuspenseasJeffrey.

ItdoesntfeelasifwearesimplyseeingfromJeffreysperspective,butmorelikeifthat

closetdoorwastoflyopen,wedbetheonestumblingout.

Everymovie-goerisaninherentvoyeur,afactthatLynchnotonlyrecognizes,but

exploits.(Kendrick,2011)

Thefilmtakesadvantageofthefactoftheaudiencesnaturaldesiretowatch,and

puttingtheaudienceinthepositiontodosomakesJeffreyallthatmorerelatable.The

audiencehasasmuchcuriosityashedoes,andtheirdesiretoknowmoredrivesthefilm

andkeepstheaudiencegripped.

BlueVelvetisdifficulttounderstandtosomedegree(anotherdirectorialtraitof

Lynch),butthisfeelingsoondissipatesasyoubecomemoreimmersedintheworldLynch

hasfabricated.ThesituationisasconfusingforJeffreyasitisfortheaudience,andfollowing

himthroughitisasifyouregettingaguidedtourthroughthemadness.

Fig1BlueVelvetMoviePoster

8/3/2019 Blue Velvet (1986) Review

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StevenPayne UnitThreeEnvironment

Bibliography

Quotes

Ebert,R.(1986)BlueVelvet.In:rogerebert.suntimes.com19.9.86[online]

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19860919/REVIEWS/609190301

(Accessedon19/1/12)

Plath,J.(2011)BlueVelvet.In:moviemet.com29.12.11[online]

http://moviemet.com/review/blue-velvet-blu-ray-review(Accessedon19/1/12)

Kendrick,J.(1981)BlueVelvet.In:qnetwork.com10.11.11[online]

http://www.qnetwork.com/index.php?page=review&id=2664(Accessedon19/1/12)

ListofIllustrations

Fig.1.BlueVelvetMoviePosterFrom:BlueVelvetDirectedby:DavidLynch.[filmposter]US: De

LaurentiisEntertainmentGroup.