Playing the Blues

I know full well what a strange film maker David Lynch is, even though I haven't seen most of his work. And I know that Blue Velvet is one of his strangest. But I felt motivated to check it out all the same.

Part of the reason was to see the performance of Dennis Hopper. Since his recent death, there's been a lot of talk about this movie as not only one of his most indelible performances, but as the movie that really launched his "comeback" after years outside the spotlight. Indeed, he demands your complete attention in every moment he's on screen. (But for your own good, you'd better not look at him. You know what I mean if you've seen the film.) His performance as a bizarre, unhinged, and dangerous fetishist is powerful stuff, very unsettling to watch, and completely credible.

His is just one of several great performances in the movie too. Kyle MacLachlan stars (as it seems he must in any David Lynch film) as an innocent young man caught in this disturbing web of depravity and crime. He effectively portrays the island of normalcy in the midst of the the insanity... though even his character isn't so straight. (You have to question the thought process of a man whose first inclination upon learning about a possible murder -- after going to the cops, at least -- is to break into the suspect's house.)

Isabella Rossellini is interesting as the object of both men's obsessions. Honestly, her acting is overpowered by others in the movie, as you'd expect, but it is a raw performance that gets you feeling great sympathy for the character. Dean Stockwell shows up in what only amounts to an extended cameo, but it's a part that leaves a strong (and weird) impression.

But for its strong performances, the movie just isn't that interesting. It does creep you out a bit at times. It maybe even makes you wonder what people you know would think of you if they knew you were watching a movie like that. But the visceral thrills are widely spaced by long stretches of artistic-for-its-own-sake dialogue. I'm also not really sure the movie has anything to say other than "can you believe we were able to put this on film in the mid-1980s?"

So overall, I'd call Blue Velvet a middle of the road C. Dennis Hopper fans will want to watch it for sure... but then if you are a Dennis Hopper fan, you probably already have. To everyone else? Well, use your own discretion. If I might be a little uncomfortable at the thought of being caught watching it, I surely won't be caught recommending it.