David Lynch’s "Blue Velvet" (1986) in relation to Freudian theories

Have you ever found yourself so struck by a movie that you can’t seem to get it out of your mind? Well, that’s exactly the effect that David Lynch’s films have on me. Apart from being known as controversial, his movies are often very thought-provoking. Some of them give you a trace to follow, making them easier to understand, others…not so much. Despite my belief that the purpose of art is to be experienced, more than understood, some artworks deserve observation and analysis. Just as its complex and mysterious characters, Blue Velvet has secrets that you might not be able to identify at first glance. After watching the film for the second time, from a more technical point of view, I found some interesting similarities between the way the characters are constructed and Sigmund Freud’s theories about sexual development and the components of the human mind. I am fully aware of the fact that David Lynch may have not intentionally applied these theories when writing the storyline, as he often describes the creation process as unintentional and random. However, the reason why I intend to discuss the link between the Freudian theories and the characters in Blue Velvet is that I believe it will change your perspective regarding the film, allowing new further interpretations to be made.

(source https://www.imdb.com/ )

The storyline presents Jeffrey transitioning to adulthood and facing new experiences that challenge his conscience and emotional intelligence. To understand the character’s inner development, we need to consider Freud’s theory about the components of the mind. He presents us with the image of an iceberg, saying that above the water, where the conscious part is, there are the ego and the superego, and underneath, deep in the unconscious, there is the id. The id basically concentrates only on selfish desires and basic, animal instincts. The superego represents the moral values each individual has. Often, the id and the superego are in contradiction, when a person desires something which their morality doesn’t accept. Such a situation would result in anxiety and even depression if it weren’t for the ego that acts as a buffer zone between the superego and the id. The ego is the only one that keeps track of reality and tempers both our deep and dark desires and our idealistic moral views on the world. That being said, we can state that the movie portrays an inner battle between Jeffrey’s id and superego. When Dorothy repeatedly asks him to hit her during their intercourse, at first, his superego determines him to decline, as he feels it is against his moral beliefs. However, during the same scene, there is a sudden change in his behaviour, which occurs when he eventually gives in to his id that channels the animal-like aggression and desire for dominance. It is the id that determines him to hit Dorothy, unleashing his inner anger. Another relevant scene takes place when Ben plays the song “In Dreams” by Roy Orbison to Frank and he seems completely captivated by it. The lyrics basically describe a man who cannot fulfil his desires in reality and, therefore, escapes in a world of dreams (“In dreams, you’re mine all of the time”). As Freud says, that happens when the superego doesn’t allow deep, dark desires to be materialized in the real world and the id keeps them in the unconscious part of the mind and releases them at night, when dreams are formed. Therefore, considering Lynch’s affirmation that “the music has to marry the picture”, we could interpret this song as an indirect way of signalling Frank’s distress determined by his incapacity to fulfil his powerful sex drive, which is why he is so emotionally involved in this scene.

The contradiction between the superego and the id has been illustrated since the beginning of the movie. We are presented with an aesthetically-pleasing portrayal of an apparently quiet and peaceful neighbourhood. While we admire the beautiful houses, the perfectly mowed lawn and flower gardens, the camera descends into the grass, where we can see a pile of cockroaches digging into the filthy soil. This symbolic image may indicate that, beneath the normal humane appearance, lie dark, disgusting habits, which are part of our nature. Moreover, the line “It’s a strange world” becomes a leitmotif throughout the whole movie. In fact, this is a main theme in many of Lynch’s films: the dark side of everyday life.

 In the case of Blue Velvet, it is the discovery of a half-rotten human ear on a field that leads the protagonist to uncover disturbing secrets, not only about local gangs but also about himself. The symbol of the ear is very relevant to the narrative, as Lynch says: “It needed to be an opening of a part of the body, a hole into something else. The ear sits on the head and goes right into the mind, so it felt perfect”. This affirmation couldn’t be more relevant, as, throughout the movie, we are provided with insights into the character’s mind. Due to these insights, we can have a better understanding of the protagonist’s development.

(source https://www.imdb.com/ )

Furthermore, when it comes to this development, sexuality is a factor that has to be taken into consideration, which is why we can get a better grasp on Jeffrey’s behaviour if we link it to Freud’s theory on the psychosexual development stages. According to Freud, the third stage of development, called the phallic stage, is when children attach feelings to their parents and even experience sexual attraction towards them. When the parents aren’t somehow present in their lives, children can get stuck in that stage of sexual development and, later on, show signs of, what we call now, daddy/mommy issues. Meaning, they continue their search for a parental figure to fulfil the need for affection. When it comes to Blue Velvet, the estranged son is forced to return to his home town to take care of his family, for his father had a stroke and is no longer capable of fulfilling his duties. His connections to his mother are visibly poor, which might be the reason why he spends as little time with her as possible. The murder investigation provides him with the opportunity to meet Dorothy, an older woman, who is also a mother. During his first encounter with her, Jeffrey is as obedient as a child is to his mother, as he responds to her demands and fulfils her wishes without any questioning. Consequently, he finds the motherly affection he lacked in his relationship with Dorothy. However, in the end, Jeffrey’s superego and its moral principles win the battle against the id, determining him to give up the relationship with Dorothy, save her from Frank and offer her a chance to start over and raise her child. When Jeffrey ends up in a healthy relationship with the innocent Sandy, it is clear that the character has managed to overcome his issues from the phallic stage.

All in all, whether David Lynch was inspired by Freudian theories or not remains questionable, but one thing is certain: his creative imagery never ceases to amaze. I do hope my research has offered you a different perspective on this story of transcendence into adulthood and also contributed to a better understanding of the plot and the characters.