A glimpse of David Lynch's genius talent that blossomed in "Blue Velvet"

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2019.10.19Hayato Otsuki

What is another “ear cutting incident” in the art world?

However, the considerations in the previous section may be a little premature. Lynch, who was also well versed in the art world, may have developed the idea based on another very famous ear-cutting incident. The ear-cutting incident in the art world is nothing more than the ``Van Gogh's ear-cutting incident''.

Vincent van Gogh is a famous painter who left many masterpieces such as ``Sunflowers'', ``Café Terrace at Night'', and ``Starry Night''. Speaking of Van Gogh, he is often the subject of films such as Vincente Minnelli's `` Van Gogh on Fire '' (1956) and the animated feature film ``Van Gogh's Last Letters'' (17), which was entirely painted in oil. Van Gogh lived with fellow artist Paul Gauguin in Arles, France, for about two months.

The two, with their strong personalities, sometimes had repeated discussions and worked hard together. However, one day, their awareness of art differed, and a big argument ensued. Then, on the night that Gauguin was about to leave the city of Arles in anger, Van Gogh cut off one of his own ears.

There are various theories as to why Van Gogh had one of his ears amputated, and the details are unknown. There are many reasons, including that he was mentally ill, and that Gauguin told him that the ears in his self-portraits were oddly shaped. Van Gogh's final moments were suicide with a pistol (there are various theories, including that this was also a murder). The whole truth is still shrouded in mystery. Similarly, the ear-cut incident in ``Blue Velvet'' remains unsolved and many mysteries remain.

David Lynch's films often leave a mystery behind. It is now almost impossible to unravel the full story of Van Gogh's ear cutting incident, and it is unlikely that we will be able to completely decipher ``Blue Velvet.'' By leaving such mysteries behind, David Lynch may be stimulating people's curiosity.

Text: Hayato Otsuki

Born in May 1993 in Sapporo, Hokkaido. Writer, editor. He started his writing career in 2016 and currently contributes columns, movie reviews, etc. to various media. By reading the creator's Arrival from a bird's-eye view, we incisively analyze and explain the original intention of the work. His writing publications include "THE RIVER", "IGN Japan", and "Real Sound Movie Club". My specialty is action and fantasy.

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