Many actors find inspiration in the cinematic environments of their childhood, which often shape their future careers. In the case of ‘Jurassic Park‘ actress Laura Dern, a lifelong experience playing diverse roles on the silver screen has given her a unique perspective on the changing landscape of artistic representation. Although a blood connection to Hollywood elites may have contributed to the start of her career, her discovery of cinematic classics has helped her define herself as an artist and subsequently influenced all her artistic decisions.
Her choice of boundary-pushing projects and performances clearly reflects her innate talent for intricate, female-centric psychological narratives. In fact, Dern explicitly identifies Luis Buñuel‘s 1967 masterpiece, ‘Belle de Jour,’ as the primary template for her artistic endeavors.
Laura Dern’s Cinematic Origins And Hollywood Acting Training
Born into a distinguished family of actors—Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd—the actress received a natural education in the art of movie-making at an early age. She played a child role in Martin Scorsese’s ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore‘ and in ‘White Lightning‘ in the 1970s.
Yet, it was in the 1980s when her skills as an actor were demonstrated in leading roles. For example, in the 1985 drama ‘Smooth Talk,’ she portrayed Connie, a teenage girl experiencing difficult adult emotions, with maturity and sensitivity rarely shown by other actresses her age.
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Her interest in playing intricate, multifaceted female characters later earned her an Academy Award for her role in ‘Marriage Story.’ Although her parents’ acting skills undoubtedly acted as an immediate source of inspiration for her, she has always sought out the influence of European art cinema.
The Enduring Impact Of Catherine Deneuve
Upon visiting the famous Criterion Closet, the actress expressed her deep appreciation for Catherine Deneuve’s performance in Luis Buñuel’s surrealist 1967 erotic drama, ‘Belle de Jour.’
The movie tells the story of Séverine, a bored bourgeois housewife who seeks to resolve her conflicts with femininity by working as a high-class s– worker in Paris.
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Dressed in beautiful outfits designed by Yves Saint Laurent, she explores the realms of sensuality through surreal psychological games of domination and submission, a style rarely seen in movies prior to its release.
“She brings innocence to brokenness, and she brings innocence to s——– in a way I had never seen, and [it] was such an influence on me as an actor,” said Dern.
Intriguingly, Dern found similar beauty in this film’s complexity that resonated with her future artistic direction. Her long-term collaboration with David Lynch on ‘Blue Velvet‘ and ‘Inland Empire‘ brilliantly showcased her unique take on psychological drama—an approach that fellow actresses Charlotte Gainsbourg and Isabelle Huppert deeply admired.
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