David Lynch's Wild at Heart remains a fascinating, intense combination of romance, road movie and surreal thriller. Its wildness is not merely decorative: love and danger constantly collide in this story of Sailor and Lula.
Sailor and Lula
Nicolas Cage plays Sailor, newly released from prison after killing in self-defence. Laura Dern's Lula loves him unwaveringly and wants to escape with him, above all from her controlling mother Marietta, played by Dern's own mother Diane Ladd. Marietta will go to extraordinary lengths to destroy their relationship, employing criminals and dubious investigators to separate them and remove Sailor from the picture.
Dark fairy-tale motifs
Lynch does not tell the story in a straightforward way. Bizarre, surreal and disturbing scenes surround it, with repeated references to The Wizard of Oz. Those dark fairy-tale motifs form a powerful contrast to the violence and harsh reality confronting the lovers.
Cage, Dern, Ladd and Dafoe
The performances are exceptional. Cage captures Sailor's rebelliousness and vulnerability, while Dern makes Lula sensual and fragile without becoming superficial. Ladd's intense, almost disturbing performance as Marietta deserved its Oscar nomination. Willem Dafoe also makes a lasting impression as the nightmarish Bobby Peru, strengthening the atmosphere of threat.
Images and music
Frederick Elmes's photography gives the film a dark, hypnotic appearance. Angelo Badalamenti's atmospheric, sometimes disturbing music intensifies its emotional force.
A divisive film
Wild at Heart is divisive. Lynch's boldness and uncompromising violence fascinate, but the fragmented storytelling can leave viewers perplexed. I find some of the violence excessive and would have preferred greater restraint. Despite that reservation, the film remains powerful and emotionally gripping: unmistakably Lynch.
Verdict
Wild at Heart has become a cult film and is, for me, among Lynch's most exciting and impressive works. Viewers who love demanding, unconventional and intense cinema should not overlook it.
Watch the film at home
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