“Hey, have you seen this movie? What did you think about THAT SCENE?!” We have all used that phrase at one point during our discussions of movies with the other person’s eyebrows raising, “Oh yeah, THAT SCENE!” You go on to pick that memorable scene apart by listing what you loved or didn’t like, how it made you feel, and the impression it left on you.
In this series, we will do just that. We will take a scene from a movie and discuss its impact on us. Some of these scenes may be frightening, weird, iconic, controversial, hilarious, and everything in between. Let us know your impression of the scene and its impact on you the first time you watched it below in the comments. Enjoy!
*Warning: May Contain Spoilers*
Movie: Blue Velvet (1986)
Scene: Franks Intro
THE PLAYERS
Director: David Lynch
Characters: Dennis Hopper (Frank Booth), Isabella Rossellini (Dorothy) and Kyle MacLachlan (Jeffrey)
THE SETUP
In the picturesque town of Lumberton hides a sinister underbelly as Jeffrey Beaumont, discovers this when he stumbles upon a severed ear, leading him into a world of mystery, corruption, and psychological turmoil. Jeffrey’s investigation intertwines him with the tormented nightclub singer, Dorothy Vallens, and the menacing criminal, Frank Booth. Dorothy’s son has been kidnapped by Frank, forcing her into a twisted relationship with him. As Jeffrey delves deeper, he finds himself drawn into Dorothy’s world, a world controlled by Frank Booth. Jeffery has broken into Dorothy’s apartment where she catches and forces him to strip at knife point. He has to retreat to the closet once Frank Booth arrives at the apartment. This brings us to our scene.
THAT SCENE
THE EXECUTION
Multiple actors turned down the role of Frank Booth because they considered the character too repulsive and intense. Dennis Hopper was the only actor fighting for the part because he reportedly said, “I’ve got to play Frank, because I am Frank!” I don’t exactly know what to make of that but he certainly embodied the unpredictable psychopath we meet here as he sucks on gas from a container while slipping between fits of violent rage and sobbing. It’s a scene that’s both terrifying but also makes you want to uncomfortably laugh at the absurdity.
David Lynch does a masterful job here of letting Dennis Hopper control the room but also setting an uncomfortable atmosphere with the dim lighting and the building tension of if Jeffery was going to be caught or not. This lets us know that we don’t know what the hell to expect going forward except that Frank is an awful human and is the the central threat moving forward.
Blue Velvet also made our 100 Most Controversial Movie of All Time list. Click here to find out where it landed.
What do you think of this scene? Did you find it intense and well done?