Edward Scissorhands: A Short Film Analysis

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.

Lighting and color choice is utilized in the two films to indicate the isolation of Wonka, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward from Edward Scissorhands from the rest of the towns they live in. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka lives in the illuminant chocolate factory

while the rest of the townspeople live in the greyscale buildings and the foggy environment. Also, most of the opening scenes are shown in the Bucket’s home, which is broken down with very little color and shows Charlie’s background. When the ticket winners walk into the bright and edible room, they are introduced to a new environment from the outside of the factory where all the shops and stores are. The factory is very bright and happy which sets Wonka apart from all the rest and also reveals Wonka’s imaginative mind. Likewise, Edward comes from a place that is set apart from the rest of the town. Although this time, the outcast lives in the gloomier setting, and the town lives in the more joyous place rather than vice versa. Many shots at the beginning of Edward Scissorhands show the liveliness of the neighborhood. Along with the buzzing of the town, most of the citizens’ colors correlate with the attitude of the townspeople. For example, Peg’s outward appearance of bright and flashy colors correspond with her light-hearted attitude as is with the other townspeople. Edward however, has a blander complexion; it is not necessarily dark, but a lighter gray which contributes to his innocent and humble attitude because he is not as outgoing and bold. Although Edward may seem like a dark character because of his hands, he is very kind and gentle which catches the neighbors off guard. Therefore, lighting is utilized to set the two outcasts apart and convey their attitudes.
Burton uses low angles to show how the factory and mansion are uncommunicative and separate from the rest of the town. In Edward Scissorhands, the townspeople run around in their daily lives as if nothing could go wrong. However, when Peggy drives to the mouth of the mansion, the view she has is shown through a low angle which shows the authority of the mansion and how Peg fears it. Edward comes into the lives of the civilians and makes a big impact on their society. All the actions Edward takes after he cuts the first hedge make a big repercussion on the rest of the people. When Edward starts sculpting topiaries for the neighbors, they all want to be friends with him, but when Edward harms someone or does something wrong, the neighbors want to stay away from him. In fact, the only person who was unaffected by Edward was the creepy organ lady saying Edward was a demon. On the other hand, a low angle is used with Charlie looking up at the factory to the dominance and ruling it has over him. In a previous scene, Charlie had opened a chocolate bar hoping to find a golden ticket but had failed. Looking up at the factory along with a dejected face shows how much he wants to travel the mysteries of the factory while thinking he never will. Along with Wonka firing all of his workers, Charlie with the rest of the town are distanced from Wonka and the chocolate delights made. Therefore, the low angle separates both the mansion and the factory from the two towns because of the fear created from the authority given to the factory and mansion.
Tim Burton uses long shots to create the effect of monotony throughout the towns.

In Edward Scissorhands, the cars from the citizens are shown coming in and out of town at the same time in two separate shots. These scenes come before Edward is brought to the character lineup so the viewer has a sense of uniformity between the neighbors. As Edward gets introduced to the town, the uniformity is broken and Edward is singled out because he is separated from the rest. Despite the neighbors liking him at first, the spotlight from his isolation makes a big impact on the whole town. Furthermore, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the opening view of the film is a long shot which pans over the town showing the residential houses along with the stores. However, the chocolate factory is red in a sea of black and white. All the houses in the small town Charlie lives in are very similar and have the same structure. As the scene shifts toward the factory, the thought of imbalance runs across the mind so Willy Wonka from the beginning of the movie is set as an outcast who lives his life in

solitude
Burton’s use of long shots, lighting and color, and low angles conjecture that once fears of fitting in are triumphed, the possibilities for happiness are endless. Outcasts are often shunned in modern day society but are showcased once their talent is discovered. Similarly, Edward and Wonka were isolated from society, but because of their differences, they were able to achieve success as should modern day society. Many people worry about fitting in while shunning others. If everyone was not afraid to be themselves, our society would have a richer culture because of the wide variety of personalities and the world could be a better place.