Blue Velvet Categorization Analysis - Research Paper Example

?Introduction The concept of categorization with different types of films is one which becomes complex because of the distinct techniques and expressions which are used. As the films build in diversity, there is also a sense of mis-categorization which occurs, as well as the inability to create a distinct line toward what type of film one belongs to. When examining the film, “Blue Velvet,” it can be seen that it becomes a hybrid film, or “Coming of Age Noir.” The different themes, aesthetic styles and the story structure blend together with the past Film Noir techniques and experimental implications which allows the film to stand apart from others. Films like this are important to examine not only because of the elements which create a hybrid piece, but also because it shows the realities of categorization. This makes the ideal of categorization one which only limits the essence and expression of films. Categorization of Blue Velvet The categorization of “Blue Velvet” into Coming of Age Noir, also known as a hybrid and experimental form, is based on the mixture of styles which are used. The traditional concept of film noir is one which grew out of the rebellion of the popular styles of movies and the need to create a sense of experimentation with the film. The concept of film noir is one which became recognizable because of the various elements both with the aesthetics and experimentation of plot. However, since the classic films have been produced, is the same spirit of film noir which is based on the idea of experimentation and using a variety of elements to create a specific story line. The ideal is one which is based on moving outside of experimentation and definition of cinematic presentation. “It has always been easier to recognize a film noir than to define the term….There is in fact no completely satisfactory way to organize the category, and nobody is sure whether the films in question constitute a period, a genre, a cycle, a style, or simply a phenomenon” (Naremore, 12). Despite the inability to understand the film noir, there is a synthesis and fusion that has been known throughout the history of the cinema, specifically to add in the traditional elements and to change the scenes of the film (Naremore, 12). The coming of age noir fits with “Blue Velvet” specifically because it carries through with the traditional elements, combines and fuses together various elements and works toward new experimentation that redefines the cinema into a coming of age noir. The hybrid elements of “Blue Velvet” are not only from the characteristics of traditional film noir with the newer ideals. This is furthered by the different aspects which create the story and show the intertwining of several ideals. The story structure is the first component which shows this. The twist in genres is one which is based on a mystery of finding who took off the ear of a man. This is combined with the dramatic features, specifically as Dorothy reveals the truth of her psychotic lover, Frank. The drama is furthered with surrealist elements and the aesthetics that further the plot line. The intertwining of the individuals lives as well as the characteristics of each are able to create the overall thematic material which was known to film noir, specifically as one moves beyond the basic mystery and into the elements of each of the characters lives and the levels of dementia which surround each of the character desires (Dimendberg, 5). Another aspect which relates to the Coming of Age Noir and the intertwining of types of movies is through the character types. The character types traditionally known in Film Noir were based on the concept of having the madness of a character which moves into evil and which is attracted to the darkness of the story. This is combined with the characters who fall victim to this or which begin as good and move over to the dark side. The characters of Dorothy and Frank reveal this, specifically with Frank and his addiction to drugs and his ability to move into the darker sides of hurting others and doping. Dorothy stays on the edge of this and is covered by her singing career; however, when the mystery is revealed over the violent acts she takes, such as desiring to be hit and cutting off Frank’s ear, there is a movement into the darker side. The character types move one step further to show individuals that stay without knowing and which show the American dream, such as Jeffrey who is innocent because of his college years and Sandy who has the same innocence and sense of holding the American dream. Each of these character types noir narration, specifically which leaves out the details and shows them instead through the aesthetics. The aesthetics are combined with telling a story with depth and several layers of judgment which have to be continuously examined in order to identify human behavior. “Regardless of the shape and combination, the narration effectively molds our experience of the film’s dark events, while also evoking a correlative darkness or depth in the consciousness from which this telling ensues. Rather than permitting us to perceive and impose judgment upon a pattern of causality, then, the narrative tension brackets cause, motivation, and human behavior and prompts us to reassess them” (Telotte, 42). The dress of the characters, actions they take and overall attitudes become the narration. The extremity of characters such as Frank and his continuous cursing and yelling further create a hybrid set of characters that fit into the dysfunctional aspects of Film Noir while being a part of the characteristics under romance, drama or mystery. These each change the genre form and create continuous reassessment because of the several motivations and ideologies that describe the behaviors of the characters. The aesthetic style furthers this, specifically with the combination of experimentation for a new type of film with the classical elements. For instance, when Dorothy is seen in the bar singing, the colors of red in the background combine with the blue velvet which she wears and the mysteriousness of the setting. When she turns, there is shading which is specific to Film Noir. Another point which shows the deeper colors and aesthetics specific to Film Noir is from the beginning of the movie. The movement from the father of Jeffrey having a stroke moves to showing a close up of the grass then moving into the underground where the beetles begin to move. The richer colors and the contrast are able to work metaphorically with reference to the underground. At the same time, it is able to provide the aesthetics of the film with close up shots to the deeper meaning of the plot. This combines the more experimental features of Film Noir with the traditional elements used in the past aesthetic concepts. The approaches which are taken for the Coming of Age Noir are able to take all the traditional elements and push the ideas forward with a mix of genres not only from characters and aesthetics, but also in reference to director notes and the ending. The ending is one which reveals the mystery and shows the reality of what occurred. This is furthered with the director notes specific to revealing the true character of Dorothy while creating a sense of sympathy for this character. The importance of this is one which moves away from Film Noir to show the depth of meaning. In other films, the unknowing of the end and the uncertainties is more refined. At the same time, there aren’t as many surrealistic effects and close ups, such as through the aesthetics which carry metaphorical meanings. This combines the traditions of film noir with the newer elements of genre, specifically to create a newer genre out of the expectations from the film (Silver et al, 1850). Analysis of Other Films The concepts in “Blue Velvet,” which lead to the hybrid attempts to film and the evolution of Film Noir also relate to other films which show the same elements. One which has this specific relationship is “The Maltese Falcon,” released in 1941. Even though this particular film was released before “Blue Velvet,” there is a direct relationship between the two with plot line, expectations with the Film Noir formulas and the sense of experimentation which drove the film forward. Both use similar elements in terms of plot, character and the aesthetics of the film. The difference is based on a type of evolution and progression which is seen in the updated technology as well as the hybrid elements which combine several parts of the scenes together. The concepts of both “The Maltese Falcon” and “Blue Velvet” are seen specifically with the progression of the characters, aesthetics and plot line. Both show a similar plot line of trying to find a murder while revealing at the end that it is the least suspected character that has turned to evil. This is followed with the characters that have several different sides to them in “The Maltese Falcon,” all which represent a different element of society becoming a part of the murder. The three suspects, detective and the involvement with secondary characters are similar in both movies, specifically to heighten the interest in the film. This is followed by the aesthetics of both, specifically which combines the camera contrasts with shadow and light to represent the evil and good of the movie. For instance, in “The Maltese Falcon,” there is a scene where the detective is speaking specifically with the woman about the murder. The aesthetics are based on shadowing the detective while holding the woman in light. This is similar to the scene of “Blue Velvet” in which Jeffrey is alone with Dorothy and becomes seduced by her presence. Both follow by revealing the darker side of the characters and show elements of the complex characters (Aitken, Zonn, 119). The difference with “Blue Velvet” is based on the contemporary setting and the mixture of other elements which have evolved from the traditional Film Noir. The same concept can be seen in the movie “The Lady from Shanghai.” With this particular film, there is the same complexity of a murder case which comes from one who is innocent and ends up in a murder case because of his interest in a woman. This is followed by aesthetics, experimental shots and characteristics that reveal the same complexity. For instance, in the movie there is glamour of crime, similar to “Blue Velvet,” as well as the ability for the main character to show the several complex sides of belonging to the darker side. “What really sets film noir apart from other genres is striking, even elegant, visual style which contrasts sharply with its stark subject matter. Film noir always has a way of glamorizing corruption, and giving corruption an aesthetic allure all of its own” (Welles, 1). The masks and mirrors are similar with the aesthetics which work as the metaphors throughout the film, such as the use of light and dark through the film and the dramatic features of the camera lines used through the film. “Blue Velvet” uses the same ideals while experimenting one step further from the main ideal of Film Noir. This is completed with the use of showing the darker side while trying to make it into a lighter subject, both through the use of aesthetics and with character development (Welles, 1). The two films are able to show how there is a sense of keeping the basic outline of Film Noir while pushing a step further into more modern and hybrid genres with experimentation, which creates the Coming of Age Noir. While the films keep the same ideal of highlighting the darkness, there are some steps forward with “Blue Velvet” from “Lady of Shanghai. Conclusion When looking at Film Noir and the different types, it can be seen that there were several elements which worked together to create the genre. Story line, character complexities, overall themes and aesthetics were able to move into a sense of experimentation to communicate a specific message. However, there was also a sense of building the film on an idea, which led to the experimentation and freedom of the film. When looking at “Blue Velvet,” it can be seen as a representation of the ideal of Film Noir as well as one which carries several hybrid elements which work together to experiment. By pushing the film one step further, while keeping similar elements as seen in “Lady from Shanghai” and “The Maltese Falcon,” there is the ability to stay true to the genre while continuing to add into the capacity of creating film expressions. Works Cited Aitken, Stuart, Leo Zonn. Place, Power, Situation, and Spectacle: A Geography of Film. Rowman Littlefield: New York, 1994. Dimendberg, Edward. Film Noir and the Spaces of Modernity. Harvard University Press: Boston, 2004. Naremore, James. “American Film Noir: The History of an Idea.” Film Quarterly 49 (2), 1996. Silver, Alain, James Ursini, Paul Duncan. Film Noir Taschen: New York, 2004. Telotte, JP. Voices in the Dark: the Narrative Patterns of Film Noir. University of Illinois Press: Chicago, 1989. Welles, S. “The Lady from Shanghai Review.” Read More