Jeffrey Beaumont: “It’s a strange world, isn’t it?”
Taking years as he reveled in the eccentric, outlandish neo-noir mystery thriller landscape he was writing, David Lynch then went on to direct his violent, erotic, drug infused crime caper, calling it Blue Velvet (1986) – with the 1963 song of the same name sung by Bobby Vinton being a big influence on the picture.
Though set in the time it was made, the suburban Lumberton feels like it is stuck in the 1950s. Airing a vibe that is more than a touch off-putting, there is no semblance of things being in the right – all seemingly out of time and place. The billboards resemble another era, most of the cars are thirty years old, and lounge singers are popular again.
In this jarring setting, college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home to visit his father, who has suffered a serious stroke while watering the grass. Finding a severed ear walking to and from the hospital each day, this is a Lewis Carroll-type discovery that takes him into a dangerous new wonderland.
Bringing his ghoulish find into the police, he meets Detective Williams (George Dickerson), who just so happens to live in his neighbourhood. A curious crux that draws Jeffrey in, he is soon visiting the detective in the evening, trying to learn about the case and the ear. Though little comes from the detective, his daughter, Sandy (Laura Dern – Marriage Story; Star Wars: The Last Jedi), is happy to share the information she hears from her dad’s office at night.
Somehow, the ear supposedly relates to lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini – Enemy). This tidbit is all Jeffrey needs to get further hooked by the mystery, as he starts amateur sleuthing around the dame, twisting Sandy into helping him with the mission as well.
Starting with coming up with a pest control bit to enter into her apartment, soon Sandy is unclear about Jeffrey. . . “I don’t know if you’re a detective or a pervert”. . . but that means she’s also falling for him (despite having a beau in highschool).
So engrossed is he in this perplexing mystery, he becomes a voyeur of Dorothy, soon witnessing the horrors of psychopathic blackmailer Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper – Red Rock West; River’s Edge) from her closet. As Jeffrey becomes ingrained in her sordid life, she too becomes linked to him, all while emulating Frank’s warped behaviour toward the college student.
As Jeffrey starts to surveil Frank and his associates more closely, he is playing a most dangerous game. Is it wise for him to continue such activities as an inexperienced college kid? Might danger rear its ugly head if he further pursues Frank? And, will he fall for the rather innocent Sandy or the femme Dorothy?
Living in many noirish archetypes, Jeffrey is trying to detect in a web of lies, Dorothy could be a femme fatale, dangerous gangsters abound, and there is also a cynical fear of discovering a corrupt world hiding right below the surface. Frank’s seedy terrain is indeed a scary one, as we get glimpses of his slimy allies and friends, including Raymond (Brad Dourif – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), lip-syncing Ben (Dean Stockwell), as well as crooked cops. Its themes of obsession, voyeurism, and Freudian desires also fit into this piece nicely. Another noticeable juxtaposition is that of the surface versus the subterranean, something both literally shown and symbolic, for this stunning 50s inspired place hides an infestation of wretched corruption just below its gorgeous facade.
A mesmeric unorthodox dreamlike film (or is it a nightmare), Blue Velvet stands out thanks to its uniqueness that melds old cinematic touches with splashes of the avant-garde. The type of feature that is sure to divide viewers, Roger Ebert hated it, while Gene Siskel thought that his compatriot had it all wrong. Featuring stellar performances, Hopper is perhaps in his most unhinged manic state, while Rossellini walks the difficult line of being both seductive and utterly tragic (a serious counterpoint to Dern’s pure teen). . . while MacLachlan does a good job looking like someone who is trying to survive the chaos of being trapped between two very different worlds. Matched by a hypnotic score by Angelo Badalamenti, also look for Rossellini’s rendition of the titular “Blue Velvet”, the emotional lip-synching of Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams”, and numerous other non musical memorable moments. . . the wind also plays an integral role – as if it is there to remind us of the danger hidden around the stagnant beauty and mundane calmness that exists just before the chaos. It is also worth noting that the great producer Dino De Laurentiis (think Barbarella; Flash Gordon) gave Lynch full creative control and shook on him having final cut as a tradeoff for a lower budget of 6 million dollars. Also watch for Hope Lange, who plays Mrs. Williams, as she also appeared in Peyton Place (another movie about dark secrets hidden in beautiful suburbia), while everyone’s favourite Happy Gilmore Grandma Frances Bay plays Jeffrey’s Aunt Barbara in this. Lastly, for real fans of eagle-eyed references, catch all of the ties to Abraham Lincoln – Dorothy lives on Lincoln Street, Frank has the same last name as his killer John Wilkes Booth, while there is also a death very similar to the assassinated President in this as well. So, don’t hide in the closet for this one, it’s worth getting a bird’s-eye view of this creepy cult classic.