Movie: Blue Velvet

This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Plot Overview

“Blue Velvet” opens with a flowing blue velvet curtain fading to a bygone era circa 1950s–early 1960s. The birds are chirping, the roses are abloom, a fire­man waves his blessing from a gleaming red engine, and happy WASP suburbanites water their lush green lawns. Tom Beaumont (Jack Harvey) tugging at a kink in his water hose suffers a seizure, falls flat on his back, and water­spouts the air, Sparky the dog lapping it up. “The mighty WOOD, the musical voice of Lumberton,” announces, “it's 9:30. There's a whole lotta wood waitin' out there, so let's get goin'.”

A young man visiting home from college checks in on his dad (“Mr. Beaumont, your son Jeffrey is here to see you.”) Walking home from the hospital through the park Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers a severed ear in the detritus on the ground. He brings it to his neighbor, Detective John Williams (George Dickerson), who takes it to the coroner's office, but they don't make an ID. A grid search yields no more leads. Jeffrey is told to keep what he knows to him­self so as not to inter­fere with an ongoing investigation.

The detective's 18-year-old daughter Sandy (Laura Dern) passes on to Jeffrey what she'd heard at home, that it had some­thing to do with night club singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini). Jeffrey persuades Sandy to do a low risk B&E job with him to search for clues, thinking no-one would suspect these innocents were crazy enough to do such a stunt. This involves him in the seedy under­belly of the town, and a question from Sandy, “I can't figure out if you're a detective or a pervert.” His reply, “Well, that's for me to know and you to find out.”

Ideology

Jeffrey uncovers human and police corruption, prostitution, kidnapping, murder, and drugs. It's pretty grotesque. It makes one think of, (Eccl. 5:8) “If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent per­verting of judg­ment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.” Visually the highest perspective is represented by Little Donny (Jon Jon Snipes)'s propeller beanie (“that hat”) decorated with stars and musical notes—music of the spheres. Not all the police are corrupt, fortunately.

Continuing, (Eccl. 5:9) “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.” The wooden picket fences are adorned by flowers growing in the fertile earth complete with bugs that the robins eat. It's the dirty influences of sleaze­bag Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) and “The Blue Lady” Dorothy (“You put your disease in me”) on Jeffrey that seasons the college lad making him desirable to doe-eyed high school senior Sandy and competitive with her big football player boy­friend Mike (Ken Stovitz). The call that “Lunch is ready” had its beginning “served by the field.”

Production Values

The film, “Blue Velvet” (1986) was written and directed by David Lynch. It stars Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, and Laura Dern. Isabella Rossellini is pitch perfect in a difficult part. Kyle MacLachlan comes through as a choice young man with guts. Laura Dern is superb as a teenager. Dennis Hopper veritably exudes evil.

“Blue Velvet” is justifiably rated R. The film is extremely macabre with intermin­able profanity, explicit violence, raw nudity, and rough sex. It's not for the faint of heart. David Lynch was once a visual artist in painting and sculpture. His talent has carried over to the screen. The title song, “Blue Velvet,” is heard in the film now and again.

Review Conclusion w/ Christian Recommendation

The romance is touching in an Addams Family kind of way, but it gets overshadowed by shady dealings. I can tolerate a wide range of movie malice, but this one takes the cake. It's good, but it's also bad, in other words not too sweet.

Movie Ratings

Action factor: Edge of your seat intense action. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Wake up and smell the 1990s technology. Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day. Suspense: Don't watch this movie alone. Overall product rating: Four stars out of five.