Review of Blue Velvet (1986) by Shawn B — 17 Jan 2011

I was a little overhyped for this I think, but I still find it fascinating. The way Lynch dives into the dark subterranean lives of these suburbanites, and proves, through Jeffrey, that we are all capable of being this way, is brutally honest and thought provoking.

I didn't feel as much emotional weight as I expected to feel, which comes from the detachment Lynch creates with us going in and out between Dern and Rossellini. The two worlds juxtaposed are certainly interesting, but simply weren't allowing me to react to the visceral scenes as much as I would have otherwise.

This isn't to say I wanted those scenes to be longer or anything, just that something about said juxtaposition would leave me a little detached from the characters. Lynch, I think, led the way for satirizing the depths and hypocrisies of suburban life, preceding a film like American Beauty.