Blue Velvet (1986) Dir: David Lynch

Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXMSvyCjcUv/?igsh=MXBoZDE3OGtiYTkxeQ==

As I have traversed the weird and the wonderful that is the filmography of the iconic David Lynch, I have come to appreciate his abilities as a filmmaker tremendously. His characterisation, love of mystery, and commitment to create dreamlike, wacky, and altogether immersive narratives, is something every cinephile and aspiring filmmaker should explore and learn from. This 1986 film is often touted as his best work, and is often featured in lists of the best films of all-time. It took me a long time to finally watch it, however, but I had high hopes.

The film featured a typically excellent soundtrack, which transported the viewer into the world of Lynch's imagination, with the titular song 'Blue Velvet', originally performed by Bobby Vinton, as well as another classic; Roy Orbison's 'In Dreams' being particularly memorable, not least of all because they are two of my favourite songs from the Sixties. This praise is especially true for the film's namesake song, which is performed wonderfully by Isabella Rossellini in the film.

The cinematography, of course, oozed Lynch's oh-so-memorable and individual auteuristic style. I found myself noticing several of his trademark features - he even included the now-iconic red curtain, which he used so effectively, and ironically, in the cult phenomenon; 'Twin Peaks'. The film is also crammed with intriguing and unusual imagery, which only accentuated the tantalising sense of being drawn into someone else's dream - one that holds a deep and all-consuming truth that you feel you must discover.

Nobody does mystery like Lynch, particularly when it comes to mixing dreamlike sequences with often horrifyingly dark undertones, all whilst maintaining an unwavering amount of heart at its core. The narrative was deeply compelling, in a smooth, seductive, and familiarly Lynchian way - there's that word again. The iconic filmmaker has a great talent for making his mysteries feel tantalising and irresistible - you just can't look away.

Kyle MacLachlan provided a spirited, likeable, and altogether hopeful protagonist, which felt not too dissimilar to his iconic 'Twin Peaks' character. I really took to his performance, particularly in how he interacted with the other characters in the film. His ability to portray his character's need to delve deeper into the mystery that enveloped him made the story that much more interesting.

It was the iconic Isabella Rossellini who provided the most intriguing performance in the entire film, however. Seeing her portray her character's desperation and emotional turbulence was as impressive as it was marvellous. The scenes in which she was singing were particularly of note, for how transfixing and charismatic she was on the screen. Meanwhile, Dennis Hooper's antagonist ranged from strange, to disturbing, to downright scary, as the actor went to great lengths to make his character feel as deranged and dangerous as possible. It was both memorable and bizarre in abundance.

Everytime I see Laura Dern in one of David Lynch's films, I think; "I get it. I would put Laura Dern in all of my films too." She is just so talented, and you could really tell that she loved working on this film. Her performance was wonderful - her bright-eyed and loyal character brought so much life to the film. Hope Lange also deserves a mention for her supporting performance, albeit it was a much smaller role than those named above her.

Overall, this was a superb film, which I found to be well and truly deserving of the title of 'classic'. Lynch's fascinating and mysterious screenplay made every scene feel important and compelling. There is always an innate feeling of fantasy in these films, even when none of the explicit elements fit the genre - its a special, and altogether unique, aspect of Lynch's filmmaking. The phenomenal soundtrack underlines the film exquisitely, and creates a peculiar and fascinating sense of nostalgia, romance, and dread. Put simply, this is one of the very best films of the Eighties, and, arguably, the Twentieth Century.