Sin #15: Beneath the Grass

Is the symbolism of the opening scene for “Blue Velvet” a little too obvious? As the camera focuses on a man watering his lawn and falling to the ground and then zooms to reveal the hidden world beneath the grass, it’s clear that this is David Lynch’s way of hinting at us that behind suburbia and the American myths lies a dark and foreboding layer of violence and sexuality.

In the beginning we’re introduced to Jeffrey, a shy and quiet young man. One day, while he is walking through a field, he finds a human ear on the ground and alerts the police; his curiosity leads him to dig deeper until he finds a connection to a club singer named Dorothy Vallens. In one of the most famous and disturbing sequences, he hides in her closet and watches as a man abuses her both emotionally and sexually. Dorothy then realizes Jeffrey is hiding and forces him to hit her.

“Blue Velvet” is erotically charged and contains haunting and brutal images. The acting is really powerful (especially from Isabella Rossellini as a wounded soul and Dennis Hopper as a perverted monster) and the story is far more linear than Lynch’s experimental efforts like his debut “Eraserhead” or his latest film “Inland Empire”; one could even say the ending is optimistic.

What the movie does is show his affection for dark stories born out of local and ordinary towns and the confrontation between pure and honest people and true evil (much like his acclaimed series “Twin Peaks” also starring Kyle Maclachlan in a very different role). Lynch’s movies are truly fascinating ventures that go beyond our expectations and linger in our subconscious, almost like weird, beautiful dreams.

His films have a lot of replay value since you always find something different to cherish at each viewing. As aural experiences they are also invaluable since Lynch gives equal importance to the music as the visuals (for a truly mesmerizing experience, I recommend “Industrial Symphony No. 1” a live hypnotic performance by Julee Cruise).

Lynch hasn’t directed a movie in a while but he is busy working in several interesting projects like a series of online interviews called “Interview Project” (which can be seen in his official web page) and a musical collaboration with Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse called “Dark Night of the Soul” (a terrific album). Lynch’s imagination is certainly not a bad place to get lost into.