MovieChat Forums > Blue Velvet (1986) Discussion > Dorothy's Knife (spoilers)

Dorothy's Knife (spoilers)

posted 9 years ago by thelandon
5 replies | jump to latest

(This discussion contains plot spoilers.)

Did anyone else think that the knife Dorothy threatened Jeffery with would be the weapon used to kill Frank at the end of the movie?

Just a reminder of the situation and scene... Dorothy hears Jeffery hiding in the closet. She walks over to the kitchen and grabs a large knife. Then she opens the closet, finds Jeffery, cuts his face a little, and threatens him with the knife. She forces him to strip naked and then starts kissing his body while still threatening him with the knife. She then hears a knock at the door, forces Jeffery back into the closet, and puts the knife down on the radiator, which then falls behind the radiator. Frank then comes in a awkwardly baby rapes her on the floor.

When the knife slipped behind the radiator I though FOR SURE we would see the knife again. I thought Jeffery or Dorothy might grab the knife and try and stop the rape right away, but that didn't happen. Then when it became apparent the climax of the film would take place in that same apartment and Jeffery and Frank were going to have a fatal showdown I just KNEW that somehow the knife would come into play again. I figured Frank and Jeffery would get into a fight, Frank would beat him up knock, him down, and then probably mount him in the same position he raped Dorothy in. Frank would hold a gun to Jeffery's head but pause to breath in his gas mask before killing him. In the last possible moment Jeffery would turn his head, see the knife, grab it and slash Frank's throat while he was sucking in the gas.

But that didn't happen, and Jeffery ended up finding a gun in the Yellow Man's coat pocket and shooting Frank in the face after hiding in the closet again. I really liked the ending and especially the callback to the closet... but I couldn't help but thinking it may have been even better if Frank met his fate at the end of the knife instead of a gun.

Did anyone else have these thoughts when watching the movie the first time and what do you think about the ending scene?

[–] Guasti-Q-Guasti 9 years ago

On the Special Edition French Blu-Ray there is a deleted scene where Frank (in a post-rape, hunger induced rage) threatens Dorothy with the knife for not properly using it to remove the crusts from a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich he demands she prepare for him.

[–] thelandon 9 years ago

Oh wow, thanks for the info!
I guess my instincts were partially correct. I'll have to see if I can find that scene on YouTube somewhere.

[–] Guasti-Q-Guasti 9 years ago

No problem. Unfortunately the deleted PB&J crust retribution scene is not currently
on YouTube. I have seen dubbed versions of it at various times appear on certain Russian porn sites, usually ones featuring videos involving some form of animal husbandry and/or the use of sock puppets. However most Walmart Supercenters do carry the special edition French Blu-ray which contains the scene.

[–] Zeppelin75 8 years ago

Maybe he wanted to trick us into thinking that lost knife would become a MacGuffin.

When she dropped the knife into the radiator I remember thinking that it was done very blatantly, but I forgot about it as the movie went on.

[–] Melton (4486) 6 months ago

In another deleted scene, the knife hits The Lady In The Radiator on the head while she’s trying to sing and dance.