Blue Velvet
Blue Velvet is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery film, written and directed by David Lynch. The film stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern.
Set in a small American town, Blue Velvet is a dark, sensuous mystery involving the intertwining lives of four very different individuals after a young man finds a severed human ear that is somehow connected to a mysterious lounge singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
Kyle MacLachlan’s performance as the lead was great. His transformation throughout the film as he uncovers the dark lives of the people around him in a suburban town, a place that should have been filled with well-meaning people, was truly fascinating to watch. I think it’s safe to say that Jeffrey Beaumont became “infected” by the lust and overall corruption surrounding him. He became a version of Jeffrey completely different from the one we saw in the film’s first act.
Laura Dern’s performance as a supporting character was great, and Isabella Rossellini’s portrayal of a troubled housewife being taken advantage of was also excellent and compelling to watch. Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell’s performances as the antagonist and brief antagonist were terrifying, eerie, and overall menacing. We never truly know what Frank and Ben were plotting in Ben’s apartment, and the strange, dimly pink-lit setting made everything feel even more unsettling and creepy. They were harmoniously terrifying together.
The overall atmosphere feels surreal yet grounded. In my humble opinion this is a perfect story about a seemingly flawless, all-American neighborhood hiding darkness beneath the asphalt and the day-to-day lives of its people. That darkness is eventually forced into the light by a young man, accompanied by a young schoolgirl and an honest detective. It’s simple and complicated at the same time.