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Movies and its influence
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“Edward Scissorhands”, directed by Tim Burton, is a gothic romance film inspired by the issues experienced by the director during his teen years. The film is about the main character Edward who was brutally excluded from the ‘perfect’ society. The main characters represent the need to be a powerful individual in a world threatened by conformity. The three protagonist characters that highlight this vital message in the film are Edward, Peg and Kim. Edward is different in every way, both physically and mentally. Edward is a creation of whom his inventor died, leaving Edward incomplete and living in a dark, creepy and unwelcome looking mansion on top of a mountain away from suburbia. No one had ventured there until Peg spotted the mansion from
her side car mirror and decided to visit to sell cosmetics as no females from suburbia wanted the products. In this peaceful and supposedly perfect town where Edward had been introduced to, all the hedges were rectangles and the dogs remained ungroomed. Edward’s presence caused commotions amongst the gossiping women as Peg headed towards her house. For the first time since Edward’s inventor had died, he is able to communicate with society, which he initially is shy. Edward had shown his creativity by fantasising as well as styling the hedges, dogs’ looks and even ladies’ hairs.
Edward would make topiary for every neighbor, give them haircuts, and groom their pets. Before this, Peg’s daughter, Kim, finds Edward in her bed. Edward had seen pictures of Kim and she had instantly become of Edward’s interest.
Discourses of Conformity in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Advice to Young Ladies
As Nathaniel Brandon once said “…first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” In Edward Scissorhands directed by Tim Burton, the society are all very aware of Edward’s differences but they are reluctant to change their views and fully accept him.The film reveals how Edward is isolated because he is different and how society selfishly exploits the unique talents of Edward and then when their feelings change and they regard him as dangerous, they reject him. However the Bogg family provide a sense of belonging and acceptance for Edward. Edward Scissorhands makes important comments about society’s inhumane treatment of people who differ from the norm, ignoring that all people deserve to be treated equally and with respect.
Edward Scissorhands is an unfinished experiment that is afraid of the human race. Brought to the town by Peg, Edward is like a tool to the rest of the townspeople. They only accept him for what he can do and prejudice him as inhuman because of his hands. Edward is a caring person but, his wrong actions outweigh the good deeds that he has done in society. The color scheme of Edward compared to society is different, the townspeople all wear and decorate their houses with very vibrant and attention seeking colors (colorful houses, cars, clothing, hair, etc.). Edward, on the other hand, wears very dark and gloomy colors (full outfit is black, black hair, paler than the townspeople, etc.). As Edward becomes more used to society, he starts to wear human clothing like a white suit shirt and black pants but, never anything too bright like the townspeople. Edwards isolation and rejection from society makes it so that he is afraid of humans and how they will view him. When Edward went to jail, destroyed the plant sculptures, accidentally scratched up Kevin and, attacked Kevin, Society shunned him. They think he is a monster and forces him to become alone again. This change in character development proves that society never accepted Edward. The red the townspeople were wearing when Edward scratched up Kevin symbolizes how he is not human with his scissor hands, cursed to destroy
When auteurs craft their work, they provide themes to the audience. These may be about love, death, or the importance for family, among other things. They use these themes to provoke an emotional response within an audience, or send home a message to the viewer. Edward Scissorhands is certainly a prime example of showing how themes influence a film. The themes that Tim Burton addresses in Edward Scissorhands are those of the connections that we have with other people, and the relationships and the bonds that we form with them. Non-conformity is used in the film as a highly prioritised theme, as well as the importance of friendship and the portrayed innocence that Johnny Depp's character reveals to us. Through this film, the themes of relationships
Using the production elements of symbolism; especially hands themselves, and the use of allusion to elements from other genres; particularly those from fairytale and gothic romance/horror films, Tim Burton has directed the film in such a manner to illustrate, emphasise and ridicule the materialism and lack of imagination of society. The film however, is prominently a satire which has certain elements from fairytale, comedy and horror genres. Through the choices made by the director, the audience is invited to become aware of the inhumanity present in the way society functions, especially in its prejudiced treatment towards people who do not conform. The use of allusion in Edward Scissorhands is one of the most important choices in production that has been made by director Tim Burton. In order to fully appreciate and understand the plot, the movie is dependant on the audience being able to recognise certain references and elements emulated from other films.
Individuality is rejection, whether it be a rejection of society or a rejection by society. Burton explores the consequences that can derive from rejection and how appearances may differ from reality. The work of Tim Burton consists of a unique style unlike any other. Not only do his films convey his ideas of individuality to the audience, it is done in a distinctive Burton way. Burton’s style of the formal elements of German Expressionism, gothic horror, and unique characters allow him to convey his ideas. His views of individuality are evident through the work of his film 'Edward Scissorhands' and short film 'Vincent'.
What is the deciding factor in determining what is sane: what is natural, or what is socially acceptable? In Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and later the movie the novel inspired, this conflict is ever present in its Oregon setting of a psychiatric hospital. Throughout the novel, characters with minor quirks and disabilities are shamed and manipulated by the tyrannical Nurse Ratched in an attempt to make them “normal”—that is, conforming to her rigid standards. In fact, the only time these characters overcome their personal challenges is when they are emboldened by the confidence of an outsider, McMurphy, who encourages embracing natural instincts and rejecting conformity. In one particularly apt scene, McMurphy’s recounting
Everyone has that one friend who is a complete goofball: the one who is just different from the rest and can be a little abstract. The misfit may be easy to spot in a crowd and be judged; however, Tim Burton accepts the oddball and takes the concept of character dramatization one step further. Through his movies, Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the outcast tries to break through the social barrier by reaching out to the community and trying to fit in. With Burton’s imaginative characters, Burton shows how being an outcast gives a person the potential for success.
Tim Burton’s films depict his lashing back from a tortured childhood. Somehow, his movies tell his story. His first big budget movie, Batman, was a huge hit. He then chose to make Edward Scissorhands, his most personal film. Despite the fact that Batman was a hit, movie executives were reluctant to give Burton authorization. His use of cinematic techniques displays his unique style.
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” These are the words of, once president of the United States, John Francis Kennedy. He relays a message of strength and a lecture on what it means to perform one’s duty as a member of a modern, accepting society. Likewise, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein exploits one of mankind's most persistent and destructive flaws that has never died down over the thousands of years of our existence, prejudice. From his very beginning, the creature was abandoned and left to question his very existence. Nearly every character in the novel assumes that the monster must be dangerous based on its outward appearance, when in truth the monster is essentially warm and open-hearted. Continuously the monster
The most appealing films are those that keep audiences guessing, surprise them at the most unexpected times and break conventional film boundaries. Edward Scissorhands (1990) directed by Tim Burton, is a feature film that does exactly that. It blends a fairy tale story with a gothic horror film, to engage the viewer right from beginning until the resolution. It tells the tale of Edward, who was the creation of an inventor who died before he could give Edward proper hands, and was left with scissors as hands. When he was taken from his gothic mansion, into a “normal” suburban community, he was at first welcomed, but then heartbreakingly rejected when things went wrong. The character of the “monster” is an important feature to many gothic horror texts, and examining Edward and other various characters helps to bring about interesting ideas and concepts about this key role. Burton also draws on the relationship between the princess and the prince, commonly found in fairy tales. By using various features found in the gothic horror genre and the fairy tale genre, Edward Scissorhands is able to sway us to think about the consequences of judging people who are different, it influences us to question what true love is and changes the way we view who can be the prince and princess.
Edward Scissorhands, written by Tim Burton, tells the tale of a young man who is lovable, childlike and sensitive, bewildered by the humanity around him, yet is terrifying- someone who has scissors, the deadly weaponry, for hands. Many viewers may read this film as a “Tim Burton” type of fairytale which includes both an alternative aspect and romance. However, through the presentation of mise-en-scene in this film, Burton drives in a much more serious subject of social criticism by establishing two different understandings of life in the movie.
The question of individualism vs. conformity comes to mind when dealing with the human psyche. Some people value being independent and self-sufficient, while some like to keep themselves in the confines of conformity. The American society tends to lean towards the conformist point of view and it is mostly due to the effects of media. Americans crave the idea of association and strive to become the individuals that the media deems worthy. Conformity is a quality that is present in the hierarchy of American society. It brings a psychological feeling of correlating with a group and creates the notion of liberation from solitude.
What makes an outcast in society? A stutter, an addiction, being gay or a mental illness? In this novel, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” By Ken Kesey, explores this topic of conformity and individuality. R.P McMurphy is the main character and he wins the struggle between him and the nurse over this issue. McMurphy wins this war because he alleviates the stress of being ‘odd’ in the ward for the patients, he also demonstrated that being upset with the rules of the ward is okay and it was their right and lastly, McMurphy leaves a legacy as a reminder of his values and lessons.