David Lynch’s Blue Velvet has been slowly climbing up to be one of my all-time favourite movies. Its simple story and stunning imagery will keep on the edge of your seat.
Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) is a young man living in an idyllic little town. One day, after discovering a severed human ear in a field, Jeffrey invokes the police, but they remain idle. He decides to investigate the case on his own, with the help of detective William’s daughter Sandy (Laura Dern), only to be thrown into a dark underworld beneath their small village.
Blue Velvet’s story is, in essence, quite straightforward. There are no supernatural demons, no dream worlds, and time linearly flows forward. The real beauty of this film is the strong imagery: colorful roses against an immaculate white fence, darkly lit corridors, unsettlingly tidy apartment rooms.
The actors’ performances are all simply great. For example, MacLachlan’s character is convincingly innocent—or maybe exactly the opposite. However, every single character is blown out of the water by Dennis Hopper, who plays a disturbingly psychotic and evil character—probably Hopper’s all-time best role.
Blue Velvet contains quite a bit of music. Most noticeable is Bobby Vinton’s song after which the film is named, but there is also Roy Orbison’s In Dreams, used in a scene that won’t get out of your head once you’ve seen it.
It is striking that some scenes have no music at all, leaving them open to interpretation. In scenes with music, the score, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, greatly contributes to the film’s atmosphere. In other words, music is used carefully but effectively.
Blue Velvet is probably Lynch’s masterpiece. This film will slowly drag you down, and won’t release its grip until long after you’ve finished watching this movie. A must-see for everyone who likes psychological thrillers.
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