In 1986, this event took place when “Blue Velvet” showed up on the scene. In fact, the original screenplay of the film had fuller explanations about what led up to the ear in the field, the kidnapping of the husband and son, why Frank chose this form of punishment, and more background detail in other ways. In Blue Velvet’s case, the themes have become a lot more psycho-sexual, and the imagery that can be shown in the film is allowed to be much more graphic than noir of the past could have been. You’ve likely written these occurrences off as a common human response, but the cause is far more complex than that. There has always been a tension in his best work between “the normal” and the many bizarre and surreal events or aspects which can, and often do, surround the seemingly mundane. It emits a cool calming peace, gives us a boost of positive mental energy that improves concentration and clarifies our mind, and creates a balance that clears the path to spiritual growth. This can lead the audience to interpret the image of a robin eating a bug as good triumphing over evil. In real life, any sensible person would leave it at that, but Jeffrey goes to visit the home of the police detective in charge of the case, only to have the man sensibly tell him to leave it alone. As researchers continue to delve into the many facets of the color wheel, new information is continually revealing itself. It is also believed that dreaming of the color blue could mean corruption, dishonesty, and disloyalty. To help you discover the celebrated phenomenon of colors, here’s an overview of each of their meanings, what they symbolize and how they affect human emotion and behavior. Moving onto Jeffery, it is obvious that he falls into the hero role in this story, but like other noir, his moral outlook is quite questionable, brought up explicitly when Sandy wonders whether or not he is a ‘detective or a pervert’. The theme: Small-Town Americana at its Most Surreal. Blue has a calming and relaxing effect on our psyche, that gives us peace and makes us feel confident and secure. Then the scene cuts to a typical middle-aged man watering the lawn while his wife is sitting with her coffee in their comfortable, cozy-looking living room, watching a mystery/crime film on TV. With a healthy dose of awareness, you can somewhat manage the moods and emotions that colors produce. If you’re interested in learning how to pick the best colors for your designs, begin reading about color theory. In keeping with the films surrealist and neo-noir underpinnings, it is obvious that Blue Velvet would delve into strange and shocking imagery, whether in terms of graphic violence or sexual depravity, that also provided clues for the audience to better understand the movie. Even among those elites, David Lynch has long been a magical presence, a true artist in a business where the bottom financial line too often rules. Alas, for him (and thankfully for the film) the detective’s comely young teenage daughter, Sandy (Laura Dern), listens to her father’s professional talk from her room above his office and she secretly meets up with Jeffrey, telling him the ear has a connection to a local nitery and the exotic woman (Isabella Rossellini) who sings there. As noted, the mystery which begins with the severed ear will escalate into a nightmare of aberrant sexuality, cruelty, and violence. This prospect promises great hope for future research. Blue Velvet recognizes a lot of these tropes, and both makes use of and ignores them to help with its deconstruction. The psychology behind color is fascinating and ever-expanding. For example, blue is the most heavily used color in the film, whether in the title of the movie, the opening and closing credits of the film, and the dress worn by Dorothy in the majority of her screen time, among others. However there were also character archetypes that were usually followed to the letter by most film noir’s. This is a more blunt image however, and there are more subtle use of symbolism found in the movie, especially in the use of colors and lighting that can still be easily related to the plot of the movie. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. It truly embodied the aforementioned aspects and still does. This is also the first scene that includes the controversial violent and sexual content found in the movie. Every once in a very great while a film comes along that will be well and truly remembered. ( Log Out /  Blue is the color of the fifth or throat chakra. Often seen at formal and prestigious events, this mysterious marvel arouses and seduces our senses with its elegance and sexiness. Read more about the color blue. The song also playing in the scene, ‘In Dreams’ by Roy Orbison, is also about a lost love, which could also contribute to the film’s heavy implication of jealousy on Frank’s part. All rights reserved. To truly grasp the meaning of color, we must learn to accept this. While the film deconstructs other elements of noir, the character archetypes are mostly kept, but expanded upon to better fit the narrative of the film and the imagery. Well, the Hardy Boys surely never had a mystery quite like that. Pink is also a feminine and intuitive color that is bursting with pure romance. However, the main example when it comes to characters and how the film deconstructs and explores archetypes, Frank Booth is the most important and analyzable character in the film. As to why it does, this article hopes to shine some light on this film, which many consider a touchstone in American independent and surrealistic cinema (though many others consider to be a sick waste of celluloid).The following are seven aspects to consider in discussing this film. By having this element, it ensures that Blue Velvet is a film that can change everything about itself on a whim and still feel natural and cohesive. All of this deconstruction allows for a very post-modern text that shows a copy of a small-town in America, and uses it to show in a visual way what is never usually shown in other depictions of small-town America. 3. The color of trust and loyalty. A Lynch film will typically embody the qualities that will be discussed at greater length in this article’s later entries, and though he’s surely had his imitators, there is no mistaking frames from a Lynch film from those of anyone else. In present-day U.S. culture, black is usually associated with mourning, unless it is in the form of a little, black cocktail dress in which case it signifies sophistication and elegance. This was the stage for one of the boldest and most original films ever to be commercially released widely and commercially in the US. Used in spells the color Blue can summon the cleansing energy of water or a cool breeze that whispers messages that will offer you new clarity. Gray is neutral, conservative and unemotional. The appearance of the mask is designed to be bug-like, relating to the previous imagery of bugs in the film, and their representation of evil. Anyone growing up in the US during the 20th century (and maybe the 21st century) would surely be acquainted with a famed group of juvenile mystery books, ‘The Hardy Boys’, and their female counterpart, ‘Nancy Drew’. Change ). To conclude, Blue Velvet uses many different elements, such as surrealistic and thematic imagery, a major tonal shift a third into the movie and the deconstruction of film noir tropes such as the use of dark lighting, character archetypes and controversial themes in order to be a deconstruction of various aspects of small-town America, such as family life, the innocence portrayed by other depictions of small-town America and even the family unit. Blue is the least commonly occurring color in food. Even worse, the effects of this degradation seems to have either turned the despairing Dorothy into a sexual masochist, for after discovering Jeffrey in her closet, she forces him into a similar relationship with demands that he hit her. Red is ubiquitously used to warn and signal caution and danger. In fact, the film will be not only remembered but quoted, sworn by, and one which later such films will be judged against. Images, colors and symbolism. The notion that colors are so dynamic may seem absurd to some, but there’s no refuting this truth. Gray avoids attention but offers mature, insightful advice to anyone who asks. Such films include Blade Runner, Get Carter, Chinatown and even more modern films like Oldboy and Drive. The color of calmness and clarity. The color of purity and innocence. The fact that so many were upset (especially by Frank’s ultimate degradation of Dorothy) shows how well Lynch accomplished his goal. It also gives us hope, with promises of growth and prosperity, and it provides a little bit of luck to help us along the way. Jeffrey (Lynch discovery Kyle MacLachlan), the son of the man watering the lawn, has come home from college to help during his father’s health crisis. However, the most interesting angle in the movie, is his brief relationship with Jeffery, which is complicated and strange, but volatile and built on anger. White is a true balance of all colors and is associated with cleanliness, simplicity and perfection. Spiritual Meaning of Blue. It makes learning easier as it affects the logical part of the brain, stimulating mentality and perception. The fact that even such knowing and responsible critics as Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin dismissed the film due to its disturbing sexual violence attests to the film’s power (and both men’s genuine, non-knee-jerk reactions are to be respected since they were going off of authentic reactions). What’s more, our minds are in a perpetual state of evolvement. It is obvious that there are other motives for his continued investigation of Dorothy, mostly sexual, as seen in the film’s frequent sex scenes. As the camera goes deeper and deeper into the grass, we see a large mass of bugs seemingly eating themselves alive. It balances our emotions and leaves us feeling safe and secure. Consider, for example, the current meanings of colors. Certain hues can evoke fond memories.