David Lynch’s Guts

In David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers that he’s both a detective and a pervert. The lengthy, disturbing sequence—involving Jeffrey as a Peeping Tom who witnesses a rape—contributed to the controversy surrounding the film upon its release; mass walkouts and refund demands, and deeply polarized reviews that levied accusations of sadism and misogyny, were all part and parcel of the initial reception. It also helped cement Blue Velvet’s legacy as a major work in Lynch’s career and American cinema. I’ve been haunted and captivated by it ever since my first viewing.