Edward Scissorhands Film Style Analysis

Vincent opens on a young boy, locked away in his room, imagining himself as an evil mastermind, and reading Edgar Allen Poe. This short film is one of Tim Burton’s first works, and perfectly encapsulates his style. Although Burton worked for Disney during his creation of the film, his style differs greatly from that of Disney. Disney takes stories geared traditionally toward children and removes all dark aspects creating a completely wholesome story. However, Burton takes children’s stories and embellishes the dark elements, creating eerie stories. Throughout Tim Burton’s work a clearly unique directing style is showcased, defined, in particular, by his use of colour, music, and camera angles to create characterization, foreshadowing, and mood respectively.

Tim Burton often uses colour to portray the protagonist’s wants, as well as to

highlight the otherworldly aspects of a plot. For example, in Burton’s 2005 remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wonka’s factory is shown in bright colours, and high-key lighting. However, the rest of the town is portrayed in a more natural seeming state with very lowly saturated colours. For Charlie winning a golden ticket and making it to the factory was his single chance out of poverty. It means everything to him and his family. The bright colours, and lighting of the factory help to represent this childish hope, or magic that Charlie feels towards the factory. Similarly, in Edward Scissorhands the castle where Edward resides features many dark colours, and shadows, as well as colours that have nearly no saturation. One thing in the castle, however, is coloured -Edward’s shrine filled with newspaper clippings and pictures of the normal neighbourhood below the mountain where his mansion resides. The neighbourhood itself is also brightly coloured, in a nearly comical array of pastels. This brightly coloured setting, the neighbourhood, represent the normality and acceptance that Edward craves. Bold colours allow for the setting to stand out in comparison to others. This ability to stand out highlights this place as being perfect in Edward’s eyes. Again, in The Corpse Bride the living world is portrayed in very cool colours, mainly blacks, whites, and greys, with the occasional unsaturated blue tones. The underworld, adversely, is painted in bright, warm colours. While Victor didn’t want to die, he did want to fall in love, and marry. To do so, he must perfectly recite his vows. As he does so, he accidently marries Emily, the corpse bride, and is taken to the underworld as her husband. The colourful scenery provides a backdrop for the love story that he had longed for, although not anticipated. It paints the underworld as magical in comparison to the living world -much like the feeling of love that Victor previously described wanting. TRANSITION
Tim Burton uses music to show foreshadowing throughout the plot of a movie. For example, a bittersweet, lightly romantic instrumental song plays as the credits role to open The Corpse Bride. This very song plays every time Emily and Victor share a scene. It’s use throughout the movie, highlights their relationship and it’s importance. The song’s different conveyed emotions, embody the relationship between Victor and Emily. (Bittersweet as they find comfort in one another, but ultimately don’t stay together, and romantic as they are married.) Particularly, the use of this song in the opening credits signifies the overall importance of the relationship that Emily and Victor share. Foreshadowing, in particular, to the impact that meeting one another will have on both of the characters. Similar methods are used in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as music as a crucial key in foreshadowing. For instance, as the gates to the chocolate factory open, the music increases dramatically in volume. This change in volume, paired with suspenseful music, hints at the mysteries of the factory that lie ahead. An increase in volume makes the scene dramatic, while fast paced music creates a suspenseful feel that signals to the audience something important will happen next. Once more, in Edward Scissorhands, the opening credits feature a melody juxtaposing both woeful and light hearted tones. This song plays again as Kim and Edward share scenes with one another. The use of a gloomy sound features the end fact of their relationship, as Edward is forced into the castle, and Kim never sees him again. The lightness of the tune, varyingly highlights their brief bit of happiness together. While the overall use of the song in the credits signals the audience to the importance of Edward’s relationship with Kim. TRANSITION
Tim Burton uses camera angles to help create mood throughout his movies.

In Edward Scissorhands, a close-up is used on both Edward and Kim’s faces after Edward mistakenly drops a steak in Kim’s lap. This close-up allows for facial expressions to be seen clearly, in turn adding to the emotion of the scene. (In this case Edward’s apologetic embarrassment, and Kim’s annoyance.) As the characters display an obvious emotion, the mood syncs up with the emotions they feel. Similarly, in The Corpse Bride the camera tilts, sways, and bounces as Victor runs from Emily in the world of the dead. This creates a chaotic feel to the scene as tilted shots put the audience in Victor’s shoes as he panics. Finally, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a view is used to show Wonka and his tour group, as well as dancing Oompa Loompas while Augustus is stuck in the chocolate tube. Being able to see several different events taking place from above creates a chaotic atmosphere. Juxtaposed, however, by the “unprepared” order of the dance routine taking place below. These aspects work together to help create a suspicious, and chaotic mood to the

scene.
TRANSITION
Throughout Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride, and Edward Scissorhands Tim Burton showcases his unique style. His use of colour creates characterization by showing a character's wants, the most brightly coloured aspect of a film. Music creates foreshadowing, as opening credits music hint at the important relationships in a movie. The use of dramatic and suspenseful music are used to direct at the questionable events that lie ahead. Camera angles are used to create mood, whether it be a chaotic or emotional scene. These aspects of colour, music, and camera angles define Burton’s cinematic style.