“Don’t look at me!”

ZombieDog’s rating: Dark, brutal, and unforgiving.

ZombieDog’s review: I have been teaching for almost 20 years now, and whenever I have my students write papers, I always give them fair warning that if they use the stereotypical “Webster’s defines as” in their paper it will draw my wrath. I’m about to engage in what I would otherwise condemn because I think it is absolutely necessary. Film noir is defined as “a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.” I quote that because I want to talk about a film that is definitely on the dark side and directed by cult movie royalty David Lynch.

Blue Velvet (1986) is a prime example of the neo noir movement. Its timeframe is a bit ambiguous, undoubtedly done deliberately to create a dreamlike atmosphere. Lumberton, NC is small-town America, and David Lynch takes pleasure in smashing it to pieces.

At its core, Blue Velvet is a mystery thriller. Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle McLaughlin) is home from college when his father develops a serious medical condition. While walking back from the hospital, Jeffrey finds an ear in an abandoned field. He does exactly what he should do and takes it to the police. The police, as you would imagine, are extremely interested, and tell Jeffrey to take them to exactly where he found the ear.

This is also where David Lynch shows his skill at filmmaking and character development. The town is a backdrop to the story, and as it turns out, Jeffrey has known the detective his entire life. Yet when Jeffrey asks him for some details of the case, the detective promptly says he can’t talk about it. Afterward, he leaves and meets the detective’s girl-next-door daughter Sandy (Laura Dern). As it turns out, she’s also interested in the case and tells him that she knows a person of interest in the case. Jeffrey, unable to leave it be, decides to investigate the case himself.

There is certainly a Hardy Boys feel to this, yet it is also where the movie goes completely off the rails. Sally gives Jeffrey the address of the person of interest, and Jeffrey sets out to find a way to enter the building. After he gets into the apartment, he discovers that the situation is much worse than he thought. A woman, Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini), is being tortured by Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) — one of the most violent, sadistic, and chaotic figures I have ever watched. Hopper plays this character to the extreme with overpowering menacing tones. I would rarely say this, but the character of Frank Booth has to be seen to be believed. I’ve never seen another character like him. He is pure evil. The story spirals out of control when Frank discovers Jeffrey. Against his will, Jeffrey is yanked into the dangerous criminal underground.

Blue Velvet was David Lynch’s fourth film. While still in college, he directed the cult classic Eraserhead, which got him noticed in Hollywood. Mel Brooks offered Lynch the chance to direct a serious mainstream movie with 1980’s The Elephant Man, which was a masterwork that became nominated for eight Academy Awards. Because of The Elephant Man’s success, Hollywood thought that they had a unique team player director and offered him the opportunity to helm Dune. This turned out to be a box office and critical failure, and Lynch hated the end result so much that he had his name taken off as director. He blames studio interference for the way the film turned out, and even to this day you can still sense the anger he has for the whole experience when it’s brought up in interviews.

Blue Velvet feels like a movie done with a huge amount of passion — and probably some hatred for the studio system — so much so that I would say it is one of the best examples of neo-noir. There isn’t a single scene in the movie that doesn’t advance the story. Every line, every action takes us deeper into Lynch’s world. He not only uses elements of Alfred Hitchcock’s style but updates them in a profoundly effective way that marked the beginning of his love affair with noir. Lynch would continue to develop this style with Mulholland Dr., Lost Highway, and Twin Peaks.

This is an A-list cult film directed by a master of cult films. His casting is spot-on along with every other technique he uses to create a masterwork. Be warned though: This movie is not for the faint of heart. It has excessive violence, deviant sexual scenes, and extremely disturbing situations. I hadn’t seen the movie in quite some time and upon my rewatch, I was stunned by some of the violence. This movie is a slow burn, and at two hours, it will take a little bit of investment. It’s worth it.

Intermission!

• I Saw the Devil (2010) Is one of the most violent gripping movies I’ve ever seen.
• While David Lynch wants nothing to do with Dune (1984) there is a fan edit out there “Alternative Edition Redux [fanedit]” which adds about 30 more minutes and makes the film feel little bit more cohesive.
• The beginning of noir is really in the 1940s through the 50s. Seek some of these films out they are awesome.
• Quick picks to watch alongside this include Crimewave (1985), The Usual Suspects (1995), and Memento (2000)