Blue Velvet

"Blue Velvet is a disturbing film that delves into the darkest reaches of psycho-sexual brutality and simply isn't for everyone. But for a viewer who wants to see the cinematic world rocked off its foundations, David Lynch delivers a nightmarish masterpiece" says Sean Axmaker on Amazon.

"Blue Velvet, like American Beauty and Todd Solontz's Happiness, places sex at the base of domestic trauma. So much so, in fact, that what Lynch delivered to his audiences was considered reprehensible by many. This is because it was taken literally. But as Isabella Rossellini, who plays the masochistic nightclub singer, has said, Lynch's films are not so much psychological studies of character as surreal impressions - "more of a sensation than a story". says the Guardian in an article on Derek Malcolm's 100 greatest movies. Where does BV come? Number 55!! The article goes on to say "The film is one of the most uncomfortable I have seen, and it is by no means flawless. For instance, Hopper's character is never fully explained" but if you watch surrealism, surely it's supposed to jar. Why quote these people? Because I'm still trying to work out whether D-A-V-I-D L-Y-N-C-H is an anagram of L-U-I-S B-U-N-U-E-L!

Did I like it? No, too brutal and unsubtle. Bunuel does it better. Too many questions which I feel I shouldn't ask as I'll look ignorant, but glad others ask them too!

QUESTION: Why an ear and not a finger, for example? ANSWER: It had to be an ear because it's an opening. An ear is wide and you can go down into it. It goes somewhere vast. [Reviewed by 'Nuff Said Nuthatch]

Blue Velvet is an intriguing film that kept my attention throughout with its no-holds-barred portrayal of deviant sexuality and its moments of utter surrealism (were we meant to believe the policeman was standing up after being shot dead?). It is a film of jarring contrasts. The violence at the heart of the film's male-female relationships is at odds with the sentimental theme tune sung by Isabella Rossellini. The snippets from the local radio station which accompany some of the scenes portray a normality and decency that seem far removed from the lives of the main characters. The characters fascinate and repel and the viewer is drawn in and at the same time distanced. I can't say I'd want to see it again but it's one I won't forget.

[Reviewed by Nightjar]

Thankfully I've managed to forget most of this horrible film; unfortunately a little still remains in the back of my mind. All I can remember is Hopper's hideously disturbing character acting out his fantasies while our protagonist watches helpless from the closet. I can only say that I hope that even this small memory of it will fade in time. [Reviewed by Stonechat]