The 3rd in a series of "What about's" ...
Today's encounter is with Bobby Peru.
Based on the novel by Barry Gifford, David Lynch's tale of love, death, Elvis and The Wizard of Oz in
WILD AT HEART (1990) - Starring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, Harry Dean Stanton, Diane Ladd. *contains Spoilers*
Sailor and Bobby set out to rob a bank.
But, all doesn't go according to plan.
Wild At Heart is another gloriously crazy Lynch film. Though you could argue despite the usual oddball and unexplained moments this is one of his more straightforward films.
It's the story of Sailor Ripley (Nicholas Cage) and Lula Pace Fortune (Laura Dern)
A couple doomed from the outset, from Cape Fear North Carolina who run away together to get away from Lula's domineering and highly over protecting mother Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd) who's already tried to have Sailor killed and he was jailed for smashing the head of a knife wielding killer into pulp, they're briefly separated. Reunited they decide to run away together to California. Lula's mother has arranged private detective Johnnie Farragut (Harry Dean Stanton) to track them down and bring them back. johnnie agrees as he's in love with Marietta. She's also hired a gangster/part time lover Marcelles Santos (JE Freeman) to send Mr Reindeer (William Morgan Sheppard) to track them down and kill Sailor. Whilst on the road they bump into and meet an assortment of odd characters but then witness the aftermath of a bad car crash and see a woman die in front of them. Deciding this is a bad omen they change their plans and head to Big Tuna Texa, where Sailor believes an old friend Purdita Durango (Isabella Rossellini) can help him. Here though they bump into Bobby Peru, who talks Sailor into taking part in a bank robbery to help their financial situation. Bobby Peru however has also been hired to bump Sailor off. Unbeknown at first to Sailor he's an associate of Purdita Durango who is also connected to Marcelles Santos and Mr Reindeer.
Bobby Peru played with great panache by Willem Dafoe enters the frame around the final 3rd as the final tormentor to Sailor and Lula. A former United States Marine, creepy looking with his pencil moustache outlining his small teeth and over sized gums, he bears more than a passing resemblance to film director John Waters with his 50's 'rockabilly' steez he's got going on. His sexual innuendo adding to his creepy persona. He certainly gets some of the best lines in the film. During one scene he pays a visit to Lula in the motel room where he starts to sexually abuse her and it appears it's leading up to a rape, before he quickly snaps out of it and jokes it off. The bank scene in which he plans to use Sailor to help him get the cash then bump him off goes horribly wrong, bobby shoots a bank clerk whilst Sailor tells him to cool it, Bobby tells him he's next. Sailor shoots at Bobby before discovering he has blank bullets and Bobby tries to kill him, he runs out. However the gunshots Bobby has manically fired off and haven't gone unnoticed to the passing lawman. Sailor is spared when the policeman shoots at Bobby hitting him several times which causes him to lose balance and blow his own head off. Sailor now set for a stint in jail simply remarks "that poor bastard".
On his release from jail Sailor is reunited with Lula and his new son, he however decides he can't make them happy and parts company only to be beaten up and after a conscious visit from "Glenda The Good Witch" he realises he can't turn his back on love and chases after his love and child.
A mentalist film with a few stand outs, all the lead ensemble are on fine form. Then you have Crispin Glover's notable (yet perhaps needless) small role as Lula's wacky Cousin Dell, another odd small role from Freddie Jones ( The Elephant Man's nasty tormentor and current Emmerdale star) who squarks at the couple and warns them about pigeons but the stand out role here without doubt comes from Willem Dafoe as the crazy Bobby Peru.
Bobby meets his untimely messy end at a botched bank robbery.
Willem Dafoe Selected Filmography :
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Auto Focus (2002)
Animal Factory (2000)
Wild At Heart (1990)
The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
Platoon (1986)
To Live And Die In LA (1985)
It's the story of Sailor Ripley (Nicholas Cage) and Lula Pace Fortune (Laura Dern)
A couple doomed from the outset, from Cape Fear North Carolina who run away together to get away from Lula's domineering and highly over protecting mother Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd) who's already tried to have Sailor killed and he was jailed for smashing the head of a knife wielding killer into pulp, they're briefly separated. Reunited they decide to run away together to California. Lula's mother has arranged private detective Johnnie Farragut (Harry Dean Stanton) to track them down and bring them back. johnnie agrees as he's in love with Marietta. She's also hired a gangster/part time lover Marcelles Santos (JE Freeman) to send Mr Reindeer (William Morgan Sheppard) to track them down and kill Sailor. Whilst on the road they bump into and meet an assortment of odd characters but then witness the aftermath of a bad car crash and see a woman die in front of them. Deciding this is a bad omen they change their plans and head to Big Tuna Texa, where Sailor believes an old friend Purdita Durango (Isabella Rossellini) can help him. Here though they bump into Bobby Peru, who talks Sailor into taking part in a bank robbery to help their financial situation. Bobby Peru however has also been hired to bump Sailor off. Unbeknown at first to Sailor he's an associate of Purdita Durango who is also connected to Marcelles Santos and Mr Reindeer.
Bobby Peru played with great panache by Willem Dafoe enters the frame around the final 3rd as the final tormentor to Sailor and Lula. A former United States Marine, creepy looking with his pencil moustache outlining his small teeth and over sized gums, he bears more than a passing resemblance to film director John Waters with his 50's 'rockabilly' steez he's got going on. His sexual innuendo adding to his creepy persona. He certainly gets some of the best lines in the film. During one scene he pays a visit to Lula in the motel room where he starts to sexually abuse her and it appears it's leading up to a rape, before he quickly snaps out of it and jokes it off. The bank scene in which he plans to use Sailor to help him get the cash then bump him off goes horribly wrong, bobby shoots a bank clerk whilst Sailor tells him to cool it, Bobby tells him he's next. Sailor shoots at Bobby before discovering he has blank bullets and Bobby tries to kill him, he runs out. However the gunshots Bobby has manically fired off and haven't gone unnoticed to the passing lawman. Sailor is spared when the policeman shoots at Bobby hitting him several times which causes him to lose balance and blow his own head off. Sailor now set for a stint in jail simply remarks "that poor bastard".
On his release from jail Sailor is reunited with Lula and his new son, he however decides he can't make them happy and parts company only to be beaten up and after a conscious visit from "Glenda The Good Witch" he realises he can't turn his back on love and chases after his love and child.
A mentalist film with a few stand outs, all the lead ensemble are on fine form. Then you have Crispin Glover's notable (yet perhaps needless) small role as Lula's wacky Cousin Dell, another odd small role from Freddie Jones ( The Elephant Man's nasty tormentor and current Emmerdale star) who squarks at the couple and warns them about pigeons but the stand out role here without doubt comes from Willem Dafoe as the crazy Bobby Peru.
Bobby meets his untimely messy end at a botched bank robbery.
Willem Dafoe Selected Filmography :
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Auto Focus (2002)
Animal Factory (2000)
Wild At Heart (1990)
The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)
Platoon (1986)
To Live And Die In LA (1985)
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