blue velvet (1986) review
TRANSCRIPT
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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
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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.