Review of Blue Velvet (1986) by Christopher L — 12 Apr 2010

Cult director David Lynch's oddly intriguing masterpeice is a good example of a film that really challenges your response to it, as evident in early reviews of the film, with some critics declaring it to be sick & unmoral, while others thought of the film as the highlight of David Lynch's carrer. The film is quite shocking at times, with scenes of extreme sadomasicism and violence, with some critics exclamining their disapproval of elements of dark comedy in the film, but Lynch wants us to laugh during this film. He also wants us to feel shocked, sick, surprised & sad, he wants us to challenge our own expectations for the film. He intents to have you change your mood during the film, because that is what keeps a film intresting.

The film stars Kyle MacLachlan as Jeffrey, a quite & shy college student who one day, while returning home from college after his father fall's ill, finds a severed human ear. He takes the ear to the police, & starts a friendship one of the policeman's daughter, Sandy (Laura Dern). Sandy tells Kyle that a woman named Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) maybe connected to the case. Kyle becomes incresingly obessed with the case, & he is soon thrown in the middle of a bizzare situation involving a violent psychopath named Frank Booth (in an ecstatic performance by Dennis Hooper).

Critical reception for Blue Velvet has grown over time & is now regarded as one of the best films of the 80's. Blue Velvet is certainly a film that needs to be seen more then once. The first viewing, your too taken aback by the shocking scenes in the film, while (at least for me) during the second viewing, you can seen how talanted David Lynch is as many directors would crumble while trying to make such a controversial & touchy subject for a film.