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Big fish film summary
Blackfish movie analysis
Big fish magical realism
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Big Fish is like an incomprehensible film, which never ceases to stop surprising its viewers. The story is an amazing fantasy created by Tim Burton, which transports the viewer to another dimension by means of the main character’s experiences and adventures through the film. In the story the viewer finds a father, Edward Bloom, and a son, Will Bloom. The father is an extravagant storyteller, in which his son grew up hearing his tales and begins to doubt their credibility. Throughout the film the viewer can catch a glimpse of numerous acts of magical realism, but overall identifies the characteristic of mirror reversals which adds a special touch to the story when intertwined with the father and the son as they undergo a life changing journey.
Incorporated all throughout Big Fish are several characteristics of magical realism. However, one characteristic that stands out is mirror reversals. Mirror reversals are the act of people or effects switching places, and taking on a new persona. This characteristic is not widely known, but is commonly used throughout countless films and stories. The viewer can identify mirror reversals by beginning to look for certain characters and understand their role and watch closely for them to undertake another role or personality. Successively when this characteristic is identified the viewer is then able to acknowledge the story’s deeper meaning. Mirror reversals are not present from beginning to end of the film, but rather towards the end when Tim Burton ties together the aspects of the father and son’s relationship.
Of all the examples of magical realism, the characteristic which enhances the utmost dramatic effect are the mirror reversals. The primary main character is Edward Bloom, from a litt...
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...om his stories; the uncatchable fish. After Will’s father died, he self-confessed that “he became what he always was, a big fish”, which admits that something magical has taken place, and was set perfectly in the film (Burton). Mirror reversals are a powerful characteristic that insert a new meaning to the film as well as helping its viewers develop a deeper understanding by transforming a character into another through an aforementioned character. By including this characteristic Tim Burton added a captivating effect that gave the viewer an additional perspective of Edward turning into the big fish he always spoke of. Through this tactic, Big Fish was an amazing well put together film, and it would not be the same without the multiple acts of magical realism.
Works Cited
Big Fish. Dir. Tim Burton. Perf. Ewan McGregor. S GOLD The Entertainment Network, 2003. DVD.
Northrop Frye is the author of The Educated Imagination. The book talks about literature and methods that improve and enthralls the reader from common fallacies, to how an author can manipulate what is put in the text. These lesson can be put to use outside in the real world such as advertising. These can also be connected to other media pieces such as other books and movies. The movie Big Fish directed by Tim Burton is one of those media pieces that can be connected to Northrop Frye work. The movie is about a son who trying to learn more about his dying father by listening to stories and myths about his life. The purpose of this reflection is to show that in the educated imagination the chapter
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.
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.
Concerning the genre spectrum, Big Fish and Cold Mountain are miles apart. The first is a magical assortment of reality and fantasy driven by a man running from a loved one; the second is a historical fiction propelled by a man seeking a loved one. In addition to the dramatic and thematic differences, the underscoring of both films is opposing in the methods used to achieve similar ends; namely, serving the five functions. Danny Elfman, the composer for this Tim Burton film, interlaced an intricate and organized underscoring for the film, forming a piece that rivals that of Edward Scissor Hands.
Within the very beginning of the film, the wonderful portrayal of William by Billy Crudup gives the audience a lasting impression by Burton of the blatant resentment and distain William has towards his father and his mythological stories. Wallace, while more subtle in his method to reveal the underlying anger of William towards Edward, does not make it any less apparent than Burton of the obvious indifference William feels towards his father. In Burton’s ...
Most people tend to look at their glass have empty then to look at their glass half full. Tim Burton on the other hand, looks at his glass over-filled with mysterious sea monsters that lurk in the deep abyss of his glass. Most people identify Burton’s movies as dark, unusual, and spine-chilling, but his movies always end with the main character earning success and gratification. Since, Burton has a well-blended twist to his movies, he is a well-known and
This story if a little fish that stole a larger fish’s hat is not your ordinary children’s book, and definetly does not have a happy ending. Throughout the book the little fish continues to inform the reader that he is safe and that the big fish will not take his hat back. Towards the end of the book the little fish disappears into a forest if underwater plants letting the reader know he will not be found. But we as the reader see it differently when the big fish swims away with his hat. This ending is interesting because depending on the age of the child can be taken differently. A young child will most likely think that the fish just took the hat while older children may jump to the conclusion that the big fish ate the little fish. The illustrations on the book tie the whole story together. The choice of dark colors keeps the message and story constant throughout the book. What I liked about the book the most is the combination of the language used and the illustrations. Without either one of these the book would be completely different. The language is simple and straight to the point allowing the children to understand what is happening. And the images are very detailed and paint the picture for what is happening in the story. These combination of these two are what a child needs to read to keep their brains working and becoming intellectually better.
For these reasons, based on the examination of these two works, one cannot assume that Sublime literature and Magical Realist literature are the same, nor can one assume that they are genres of one another. They seem to have many characteristics in common, and therefore one would assume that they maintain a close relationship, although independently. By comparing and contrasting another genre of literature with Magical Realism, the defining boundaries that make up Magical Realism are narrowed.
In the novel Big Fish by Daniel Wallace, we are told the story of Edward Bloom, a man of many adventures, who is somewhat of a myth. Big Fish is a collection of the tall tales Edward tells his son about his life, and also of the effect his tales had on his son. The novel comes from an American author from Alabama, while the movie comes from Hollywood and is directed by Tim Burton, who is also American. This story is not an ancient sacred text, so the story’s function(s) is to entertain and to make money.
Mere parts of a whole, contrast and theme are glued together with many other elements to form Burton’s style: a paradox of misery and utter joy. Burton’s soul resides inside his movies, and we can use that connection to understand him. Famous and popular yet an outcast, Burton is a contradiction himself, which oddly resembles Burton’s style. Through our link with him, we can gain insight into life that few will ever give.
“A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes his stories.” (Big Fish). The movie Big Fish, directed by Tim Burton, tells the story of a recently married William Bloom. William Bloom’s father, Edward Bloom has told stories about his life many times. William tries to discover who his father really is by reliving the stories Edward always told, and in this way seeks to separate the man from the myth. One of the motifs from Big Fish is the big fish that is shown in Edward’s stories. This motif appears many times throughout the film to emphasize the theme by symbolizing Edward and his ambition and purity. The motif of the big fish demonstrates the message that you should never give up on your goal, even if it seems there are obstacles
In both Hans Christian Andersons “The Little Mermaid,” and Disney’s version of the story, the main character— a young and beautiful mermaid— waits anxiously for her fifteenth birthday to venture from her father’s underwater castle to the world above the water. As the story carries on the mermaids priorities change; her modest and selfless nature is revealed towards the end in Andersen’s version. However, Disney’s version encompasses a rather shallow ending and plot throughout. The theme found in comparing the two versions reveal that Andersen’s substance trumps Disney’s entertainment factor in fairy tales.
The movie Mirror Mirror is based off of the classic Disney movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. The story follows Snow White as she lives with her evil stepmother who becomes jealous of Snow’s kind heart and innocent looks that make her the fairest of them all. Within the modern interpretation, the storyline takes on a new perspective that molds the characters to have different traits than the original. Even though the basic concept remains, the fact that the creators tweaked each personality results in a more intense and adventurous story. Disney fans will be drawn to this movie because not only does it add more life to a classic fairytale and gives the characters a stronger personality, but is also ties in other Disney fairytales into the details. Feminism is also viewed in this film, and creates a healthy balance
Peter Pan. A movie about nostalgia, childish fun, following your dreams and.. abducting children. I’m serious. You see, Peter Pan’s shadow is the one that does his bidding, that separates from him and convinces Wendy and her brothers to follow him to Neverland. It never talks, it only imitates what its owner does, but with slight variations that get it in trouble. Now, Peter Pan is a lighthearted story with positive messages meant to resonate on children, but the shadow that the tale holds is one that we all do. The difference between our shadow and Peter Pan’s, however, is that his always listened to him, and meanwhile, we always listen to ours. This shadow, constantly following us around is a choice that we make- a choice to be manipulated
On which grounds ‘Dr. Faustus’ in Marlow’s play ‘The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus’, was mending his life in urge for becoming a master of all things? How did the ghost of old Hamlet play its role in the play ‘Hamlet’ by Shakespeare? What role did the embroidery handkerchief perform in the play Othello by Shakespeare? How the female protagonists, ‘Sethe’, of Toni Morrison’s novel, ‘Beloved’ come into life after death? What were Tituba and Abigail doing in the whole paly ‘The Crucible’ by Arthur Miller? The answers of all these questions will bring many logical, illogical, rational, irrational, real, unreal and spiritual thinking into mind. Although all that is not magical realism but have a sense so the term magical realism is not a new statement, it is an old and a perfect genre of writing