The aspect of human behavior that is the subconscious psyche is both fascinating and inexplicable. Even more intriguing is the existence of a darker, repressed side that individuals often deny. In the film “Blue Velvet,” directed by David Lynch, the character Jeffrey Beaumont’s psyche is explored, specifically the clash between his darker and “good” side. Through contrasting themes, Lynch provides insight into Jeffrey’s character and the struggle he faces. Jeffrey is in a transitional period of his life, experiencing both sexual and emotional growth. Lynch employs symbolism to characterize Jeffrey, each contrasted with another element in the film, illustrating the conflict within Jeffrey’s mind.
Jeffrey’s hometown, Lumberton, is portrayed as a typical town but harbors an unseen criminal underworld of sexual deviants and murderous drug dealers. Lumberton serves as a metaphor for Jeffrey and his mind, reflecting the duality within him. The film also explores the dichotomy between love and lust in relation to Jeffrey’s sexual choices, often symbolized by a staircase. Additionally, the presence of Frank Booth, a representation of Jeffrey’s inner darkness, raises concerns about his own potential future. The opening sequence of “Blue Velvet” immediately introduces the contrasting themes found throughout the film: the song “Blue Velvet” plays in the background as we see a clear blue sky.
Tilting down from the sky, there is a reveal of blood red roses, establishing an immediate contrast in color. The scene dissolves into a slow motion long shot of a firetruck driving on the street, featuring a fireman with a smiling expression who is waving while holding onto the truck’s side. This is followed by another dissolve to a long shot of a crossing guard and children crossing the street. Then, the scene dissolves once again to establish a shot of Jeffrey’s house. Subsequently, there is a long shot of Jeffrey’s father watering the lawn. The scene cuts to a medium shot of Jeffrey’s mother watching television inside the house, and through her eyeline we see a gun on the TV screen. This depiction of a gun on the television directly contrasts with the idealized American town portrayed so far in the mise-en-scene. The gun serves as an allusion to something more sinister lurking within the town, perhaps representing the inner subconscious sanctum of Jeffrey’s household.
Starting with a long shot of Jeffrey’s father watering the lawn, Lynch quickly cuts to a close-up of the faucet and the hose connected to it. The camera then rapidly switches between close-ups of the hose, faucet, and Jeffrey’s father until he collapses from an apparent stroke. Next, a long shot shows a dog trying to bite the water spraying from the hose, followed by a slow-motion close-up of the dog engaging in this behavior. While the non-diegetic sound of “Blue Velvet” fades out, an indistinct and faint sound takes its place, seemingly also non-diegetic. However, the camera zooms in extremely close to the grass and tracks through it, with the incomprehensible noise growing louder. The scene then dissolves to reveal a multitude of cockroaches infesting the soil. The previously non-diegetic sound now becomes the loud, diegetic sound of the insects’ movement. Suddenly, there is a cut to an establishing shot of Lumberton, a city, followed by a panning shot of the town. Meanwhile, a local radio station can be heard playing non-diegetic sounds, emphasizing that Lumberton is an idyllic American town.
Lynch employs stark contrast in order to establish differences in perception and the psyche. The opening sequence serves as a metaphor for Jeffrey’s state of mind throughout the film. He becomes aware of his dark side but tries, for the most part, to suppress it. Similarly, the town of Lumberton presents an idealized version of America and its inhabitants, yet it conceals hidden secrets and contradictions just like Jeffrey’s mind. One aspect of Jeffrey’s psyche explored is his internal struggle between innocent love for a young girl and animalistic lust for an older woman. Sandy represents the “good” or innocent side of Jeffrey, characterized by light-colored clothing, blue eyes, and perfectly groomed blonde hair.
The introduction of Sandy in the film involves her emerging from darkness into the light, seen in a medium shot. Lynch then presents a long reverse tracking two shot where Jeffrey and Sandy engage in casual conversation and innocent flirting. In contrast, Dorothy’s introduction is strikingly different. The audience and Jeffrey are first acquainted with Dorothy through a subjective shot from inside her closet. After Jeffrey breaks into Dorothy’s apartment and almost gets caught, he observes Dorothy undressing through her closet door, thus introducing the concept of voyeurism. The sequence includes a profile close-up shot of Jeffrey, followed by a subjective shot of Dorothy, and then switches back and forth between their faces. Dorothy is portrayed differently from Sandy; she wears black underwear, has black hair, and vibrant red lipstick. Visually, Dorothy represents Jeffrey’s primal desire as she is predominantly seen from a voyeuristic perspective within a dreamlike setting.
The scene in which Dorothy discovers Jeffrey in the closet is captured in various shots. Initially, there is a long shot showing Dorothy holding a knife in the air while yelling at Jeffrey to leave her closet. An over-the-shoulder shot follows, revealing Dorothy with the knife, accompanied by shot-reverse-shot sequences. Then, a point of view shot, from Dorothy’s perspective, occurs as she orders Jeffrey to undress. A long shot of both characters is shown, transitioning to a close-up of Jeffrey’s face, and then a shot-reverse-shot alternating between his face and Dorothy at his waist. Dorothy questions what Jeffrey wants, to which he uncertainly replies, “I don’t know,” showcasing his confusion in handling the situation. Furthermore, the scenes featuring Dorothy and Jeffrey are often framed separately, except when Dorothy is near Jeffrey’s naked waist, accentuating the sexual aspect from a woman’s viewpoint. Here, Jeffery becomes objectified and represents an object of pure desire.
The sequence starts with a long shot of Dorothy following Jeffrey to the couch, where she instructs him to lie down. They then share a kiss in a medium shot. The scene is interrupted by the sound of Frank knocking on Dorothy’s door. In contrast to the passionate and primal experience Jeffrey had with Dorothy, he and Sandy have a conversation about what occurred in Dorothy’s apartment. The scene begins with a long shot of a street, with Sandy and Jeffrey inside a car entering the frame. A church is included in the mise-en-scene, and as Sandy parks in front of it, the sound of a church organ can be heard in the background. Lynch employs standard shot-reverse-shot technique as Sandy and Jeffrey discuss the events, showing their distance in understanding what truly happened in Dorothy’s apartment, as Jeffrey withholds certain details from Sandy.
Cut to a medium shot of Sandy talking and sharing with Jeffrey about a dream she had. In her dream, she imagines a world without robins, which symbolize love. According to Sandy, the absence of robins creates a dark and loveless world. However, the sudden appearance of robins brings a powerful and blinding light of love, making all the difference. The organ’s sound intensifies as the church appears in the background, enhancing the mise-en-scene. The church remains on the screen for eight seconds after the car exits the frame. For Sandy, her perception of the world revolves around people’s inherent goodness, love, and the presence of robins. The image of the church further emphasizes these positive aspects in Sandy’s worldview. However, immediately after this scene, a high angle shot captures the staircase leading to Dorothy’s apartment. This symbolizes Jeffrey’s surrender to his desires and lust for Dorothy as he heads back to her place to engage in a sexual encounter.
The text illustrates the disregard Jeffrey has for his supposed love for Sandy. This is evident in a scene where Jeffrey knocks on Dorothy’s apartment door. The camera cuts to a close-up of the door, capturing Jeffrey’s hand. Then, another shot shows the interior of Dorothy’s apartment from behind her as she lets Jeffrey inside. The sound of howling wind accompanies the scene. The camera then switches to a separate framing, showing Jeffrey, before Dorothy suddenly appears in front of the closet where she previously found him hiding. There is another separate framing in which Jeffrey enters Dorothy’s frame, indicating her control in the relationship. Although it seems like Jeffrey wants to assist, he ultimately succumbs to his lustful desires for Dorothy. During a love scene, the camera zooms in on both Jeffrey and Dorothy in a tight shot, and Dorothy says.
In this scene, a woman asks a male character if he is a bad boy. She then asks him to hurt her, but he initially refuses. The male character, named Jeffrey, reassures the woman, named Dorothy, that he only wants to help her, not harm her. The scene cuts to a close-up of a flame and then goes black. During this blackout, the audience can hear Dorothy pleading to be hit. However, Jeffrey continues to reject her pleas. Dorothy pushes Jeffrey away, but he eventually gives in to her request and hits her in the face. The scene transitions to an extreme close-up of Dorothy’s lips and her chipped tooth as she smiles. After that, there is a distorted slow-motion shot of Jeffrey and Dorothy engaging in sexual activity. The sound changes from the voices of the characters (digetic) to sounds that are not part of the scene (non-digetic), resembling animalistic noises. This intense display of lust contrasts with what Jeffrey has been telling another character, Sandy, in previous scenes. It represents the internal conflict within Jeffrey between innocent love and animal instincts.
Lynch’s use of Frank Booth in “Blue Velvet” to represent Jeffrey’s potential is perhaps the most intriguing aspect. While Jeffrey embodies the archetypal all-American boy, Frank epitomizes the all-American nightmare. Frank’s character is characterized by driving fast cars, indulging in American beer, and dealing drugs, which makes him the complete opposite of Jeffrey. In the film, Frank is introduced from Jeffrey’s perspective as he hides in Dorothy’s closet. Through the closet door, a subjective long shot captures Dorothy, followed by Frank entering the frame. The camera then pans to the living room. As Dorothy greets him with “Hello baby,” Frank swiftly responds with “Shut up, it’s Daddy, shithead.” This exchange cuts to a medium shot of Frank holding a drink and ordering Dorothy to spread her legs wider. A shot-reverse-shot sequence captures their interaction, followed by a long shot of the pair sitting down.
Frank demands to see something, expressing aggression and explicitly telling the person not to gaze at him. The camera then shifts from a close-up of Dorothy to a medium shot of Frank, followed by a profile close-up of Jeffrey. Next, the focus turns to Frank inhaling nitrous oxide while uttering the word “Mommy” and becoming sexually aroused. In a dominant position compared to Dorothy within the mise-en-scene, Frank proceeds to sexually assault her in a medium shot. He displays animalistic behavior and upon finishing, violently punches Dorothy in the face. After Frank departs, Jeffrey enters the scene in a long shot and attempts to offer assistance to Dorothy. The camera pans over to reveal them on a couch, where Jeffrey tries to comfort her. Dorothy expresses her dislike for the situation, followed by a cut to a close-up of their embrace. Then, the focus shifts to a close-up of Dorothy’s red lips and mouth as she asks Jeffrey to physically harm her.
Initially resistant, Jeffrey eventually gives in to his primal desires and becomes like Frank, especially when he strikes Dorothy during a sexual encounter. Following this scene, a dream sequence ensues. It starts with Jeffrey walking out of darkness towards the camera in a medium shot. Then, top lighting completely engulfs him as he dissolves into a blurred image of his father. The sequence continues with a shot of Frank and transitions to a burning candle while Frank’s voice saying, “Now it’s dark” can be heard. Dorothy’s mouth is then shown saying, “Hit me,” followed by a close-up of Frank throwing a punch and the sound of Dorothy screaming, “No!” Lynch employs this dream sequence to delve into Jeffrey’s subconscious and demonstrate his growing association between Frank and his own father. This serves as a foreshadowing of Jeffrey’s future actions and highlights the increasing resemblance between him and Frank as the film progresses.
As previously mentioned, Jeffrey and Dorothy engage in a sexual encounter that appears to unleash Jeffrey’s darker side compared to Frank. After their encounter, the scene transitions to a medium shot of Frank and Dorothy standing outside her apartment door. This is followed by a medium shot of Frank walking down the hallway, and then back to a two-shot of Jeffrey and Dorothy. Next, there is a long shot of the three of them in the hallway, where Frank’s friends enter the background. The scene then cuts to a medium three-shot of Frank, Jeffrey, and Dorothy, with Dorothy positioned in the middle of the mise-en-scene between the two men. Dorothy symbolizes lust for both Jeffrey and Frank, while visually creating a separation between them at the same time.
After deciding to take Jeffrey “for a ride,” Frank’s actions are depicted through a series of cut scenes. First, there is a close-up of screeching tires, followed by a close-up of headlights. This is then followed by a long shot of Frank’s black car speeding into and out of the frame. Next, we see a close-up of Jeffrey inside the car. The scene then transitions to a three-shot, first showing one of Frank’s goons, then Dorothy, and finally Frank himself. This is immediately followed by another three-shot, this time featuring Frank’s friend and Jeffrey. The positioning of Jeffrey in the mise-en-scene suggests that he is gradually becoming more like Frank, although he is still distinct as he has not fully adopted Frank’s nature. The next shot is a long shot of Jeffrey exiting the car, with Frank dressed entirely in black and Jeffrey wearing a black jacket and white pants. The contrasting clothing symbolizes Jeffrey’s connection to Frank, with half representing good (the white) and half representing bad (the black), while all of Frank is portrayed as bad.
In another scene, there is a cut to a long shot of Frank’s car, followed by a medium shot of Frank and Dorothy. Then there is a shot-reverse-shot of Frank yelling at Jeffrey. Frank then huffs his nitrous oxide and remarks, “You’re like me.” This is followed by a close-up of Jeffrey, then a cut back to Frank and then back to Dorothy. Jeffrey tells Frank to leave Dorothy alone, which angers him. As Frank drags Jeffrey out of the car, there is a medium shot of the outside of the car. It is at this point that Frank applies lipstick and there’s an over-the-shoulder shot of Frank kissing Jeffrey saying, “Pretty, pretty, pretty.” At one point, Frank even puts the object of his fetishism, a piece of blue velvet, into Jeffrey’s mouth. Through homosexuality and sexual fetishism, Frank is revealing to Jeffrey a side of himself that he usually keeps hidden.
Frank represents the hidden aspects of Jeffrey’s personality, specifically his unexplored homosexuality and propensity for violence. On the other hand, Jeffrey’s encounters with Dorothy highlight the limitless possibilities of his progression. There is an ongoing struggle within Jeff to resist his instincts, while Frank fully embraces and allows them to dominate his life. The film “Blue Velvet” successfully delves into the uncharted territories of the human psyche. Through various visual symbolism, Lynch effectively enters Jeffrey’s mind and unveils the depths of human capability. While Jeffrey explores his dark side, he ultimately rejects it and chooses a conventional life with Sandy. The film accomplishes its objective but also suggests that hidden within all of us is a dormant dark side waiting to be unearthed.
