Review of Blue Velvet (1986) by Daniel M — 09 Jan 2013

One of my all-time favorite films. This lush, near perfect melodrama is a testament to the power of film and how is speaks to us.

Blue Velvet is many things. A psycho-horror, an insidious comedy, a story of good and evil, an examination of our willingness to do both and an exploitation of the thoughts we don't admit to ourselves when faced with certain emotions protected on screen. David Lynch opened up the possibilities of film language by proving that the differences between truth in life and truth in film are far and wide. In that some images can move us without any plausible explanation or reason for their existence. There's a theatricality to some scenes that is unlike anything I've experienced. It's "American Surrealism" in the words of the late, great Dennis Hopper.

Speaking of which, the performances range from the boldly charismatic to the astoundingly brave. Highlights are Isabella Rosselini, haunted and haunting, playing it like a subversive, almost deconstructive femme fatale and Dennis Hopper in what's arguably his definitive performance as the embodiment of evil that is Frank Booth. I haven't come across a more pure villain then Booth. One that retains enough weakness to be engaging, unpredictable enough to be amusing even, yet still undeniably a human atrocity. Perverse, dependent and even tragic, one of the greatest performances ever from an American actor.

You owe it to yourself to find out what cinema really means and watch this masterpiece.