Exercise 3 response
I think it‘s incredibly lucky to have been assigned, in part, an exploration of Lynchian themes the year Promising Young Woman, by Emerald Fennell, was released. The opening sequence of Blue Velvet, when everything is still idyllic, communicates something I’ve been trying to articulate about my own visual art, and something we see in Promising Young Woman — the same humidity of potential. The tension of an eternal summer giving way to a rock being lifted and turned over, metaphorically.
The sensuality of the classic “Blue Velvet,” the song, is almost responded to by the pan of PYW protagonist Cassie’s braid early in the movie, as the music builds — “Whispered something in your ear/ It was a perverted thing to say/ But I said it anyway” — Met with the chorus of “Nothing’s gonna hurt you, baby/ As long as you’re with me, you’ll be just fine.”
If we watched the film first twice within 24 hours like many did, we know the cracking of façade that is revealed. Top of her class in medical school. This pan of her braid, in a completely defiant commentary on fetishization, is not unlike David Lynch’s shot of the red flowers on a white fence. Lots of sunlight. Flowers on Cassie’s dresses, and ruffles, too.
It is absolutely no mistake that the opening sequence of Blue Velvet is derailed by the uncontrollable force that is the flow of water. We know that man often falls when confronted by nature. We know that he is not the most important animal. We are in the dirt with the beetles. We see him being insulted by a playful dog.
Ultimately, if we are not deviant, we reify. If we are not analyzing, we are accepting. The status quo is an incredibly violent thing, and David Lynch knows this. Twin Peaks, released four years after Blue Velvet, explores this even further, and the iconography of a perfect blonde young woman with her entire life ahead of her is probably one of America’s greatest tragic metaphors. It is instantly understood.
But why? Whiteness is a mythology, as is America. A project. An ideology. And it must be dissected like a cadaver.
Hi Charlie, I'm wondering what you mean by "humidity of potential," in the first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, I'm pleasantly stirred by your thoughtful and poetic writing, Charlie. On that note, I encourage you to consider enrolling in my History and Criticism of Film course in the fall. It is a seminar, as opposed to production, and there are lots of opportunities for creative/critical writing. That said, this particular bog post does not meet the assignment prompt, which asks you to address a wide range of the reference clips through the lens of sequence and juxtaposition in time-based media. While Lynch is an incredible artist to analyze in this respect, there are many other various references in the screening, for fine arts, to videographic essay, to performance. Your deep dive into Lynch's work is compelling and I hope you keep fleshing out your points in essay form and in your work—so much to dissect!
ReplyDelete