Blue Green (David Lynch, 2007, USA)

Blue Green is one of David Lynch's more effective short films. Shot in 2007, the film takes place in one of Lynch's favorite settings - an abandoned factory. It centers on a boy running around with a red ribbon. In counterpoint to this young boy is a woman in a blue dress who is also roaming the factory. The sound design is one of the best aspects of this film. It is classic Lynch and recalls many of his earlier short films. There is a droning sound that permeates through much of the film, almost like the sound of a radiator humming. This is often intercut with the sound of a baby crying. The humming radiator sound is associated with the boy. Meanwhile, the crying baby is associated with the woman. There is also evil laughter associated with the woman, and large cavernous footstep sounds.

While there is no real plot to speak of in this short film, like many of Lynch's films it seems to combine the themes of innocence and terror. The boy somehow seems to represent this innocence, while the woman seems to be a figure of terror. The film is quite spooky and dread-inducing throughout, and we seem to be waiting for something terrible to happen the entire time. This film was supposedly supposed to be an extra on the DVD for the film Inland Empire, and that makes a lot of sense, considering the visual style is very similar here to what was shown in Inland Empire. Like that film, Blue Green is also shot on digital video and deals with industrial and cavernous spaces. Like in that film as well, there is also a woman seemingly in trouble. Blue Green is one of the more memorable short films in David Lynch's filmography and is worth seeking out.

7/10