''
Blue Velvet'' is a 1986 American
mystery film written and directed by
David Lynch
David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
. The movie exhibits elements of both
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
and
surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...
. The film features
Kyle MacLachlan,
Isabella Rossellini,
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in ''Giant'' (1956). In the next ten years ...
, and
Laura Dern. The title is taken from the 1963
Bobby Vinton song of the same name, which is featured in the film. Although initially detested by some mainstream critics, the film has now become widely acclaimed.
''Blue Velvet'' was a critical success for Rossellini and Hopper, earning both several awards for their roles—Hopper's portrayal of the film's antagonist Frank Booth earned him six nominations with four wins, and Rossellini was successful in her
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with Poly(methyl m ...
nomination for Best Female Lead—while the film also earned Lynch his second
Academy Award nomination for Best Director. As an example of a director casting against the norm, ''Blue Velvet'' is also noted for re-launching Hopper's career and for providing Rossellini with a dramatic outlet beyond the work as a fashion model and a cosmetics spokeswoman for which she had until then been known.
[Müller, p.325]
The film centers on
college student
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementary ...
Jeffrey Beaumont (MacLachlan), who, returning from a hospital visit to his ill father, discovers a human ear in a field in his hometown of Lumberton. He proceeds to investigate the ear with help from a high school student, Sandy Williams (Dern), who provides him with information and leads from her father, a local police detective. Jeffrey's investigation draws him deeper into his hometown's seedy underworld, and sees him forming a sexual relationship with the alluring
torch singer, Dorothy Vallens (Rossellini), and uncovering psychotic criminal
Frank Booth (Hopper), who engages in
drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...
, kidnapping, and sexual violence.
Awards and nominations
The film is recognized by the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
in the following lists:
*
AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – #96
*
AFI's 10 Top 10
''AFI's 10 Top 10'' honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various acto ...
– #8 Mystery Film
*
AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains: Frank Booth – #36 villain
See also
*
List of accolades received by David Lynch
Footnotes
References
*
External links
*
{{David Lynch
Awards Blue Velvet
Blue Velvet