Tim Burton Big Fish Stylistic Analysis

From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, to Big Fish, master storyteller Tim Burton accomplished the act of significantly connecting with the modern day audience. Burton obtains fantastical elements of magic to cast his audience under a spell from the ongoing theme of contrasting reality and fantasy. Tim Burton uses camera angles, non- diegetic sound, and lighting as gates for the audience to enter the eyes of Tim Burton's view on life.

To inaugurate, Tim Burton creates a sense of dominance within his characters presented to the audience through the use of camera angles. Burton approaches this act through low and high angles in his film Big Fish. For example, during a conversation between characters Edward Bloom and Karl the Giant, high and low angles are established between them. A low angle is positioned on Edward showing that he appears small and weak. The low angle creates the feeling as though he is pathetic and one can look down upon him. Karl is pictured using a high angle providing an outlook of appearing larger and more powerful than he already is. These angles provide information resulting to conclude that, in this statement, Karl is superior from Edward. This allows the audience to witness Tim Burton's pattern of superiority within his characters.

Burton's pattern of superiority not only appears in Big Fish, but in Edward Scissorhands. For example, during the scene where Edward is making an ice sculpture, Kim is shot in a high angle while she dances. This signifies that she is glee and provides the audience her feeling of being on top of the world. Although in this scene she is not superior over anyone in particular the audience can feel for Kim and rejoice with her at the beauty of Edward's creation.
Tim Burton presents yet another, but minor example that can also be found later in the film when Jim dies. Jim's dead body is presented through a low angle showing he is weak and defeated. One cannot get any lower then death. By the use of high and low angles Burton creates a visual during similar scenes on which character of the two overpowers the other. The audience can witness two different examples of superiority, and while one may feel for Edward Bloom with such gigantic acquaintance, they also feel rejoiceful with Kim feeling as though she is on top of the world and nothing can bring her down.
Not only does Tim Burton use camera angles to create a sense of dominance, he also makes use of the contrast between low and high key lighting to illustrate an ongoing theme. The theme of reality versus fantasy. For example, in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory high key lighting is displayed to represent fantasy in the scene of the day the factory would open. The vast color contrast and open brightness of the lighting is used in Willy Wonka’s factory showing that it is every kid’s dream to visit it. Although it is his fantasy, Charlie knows that a fantasy is all it ever will be. To support this notion, low key lighting is used in Charlie’s home to show the reality of his life and to bring the feeling of living in poverty. By incorporating the lighting, Tim Burton allows the audience to share and feel the life touching experience with Charlie. The lighting also opens the audience to not only go through the coming of age of reality and fantasy, but through this process a personal relationship with Charlie is created.
Burton’s lighting pattern continues its pursuit from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Edward Scissorhands. For example, the town that Edward is introduced to, is completely flooded in high lighting to signify that it is the life that he never had. Edward pursues to be accepted and loved as he once was with his inventor, and this is the utopian like society “appears” to be the perfect place for him. The audience receives the knowledge that his fantasy is unrealistic and there is no way he can live normally, to try to fit in and reject his differences. Unfortunately, for Edward, the outcome of the film results his sad life continuing inside the empty mansion consumed of low key lighting signifying the lonely reality of his home. By making use of low and high key lighting, Burton provides the audience to comprehend the idea of what is real and what is only a fantasy. Though the notion of reality and fantasy can be identified by the audience through lighting, but low key lighting patterns in his films where the outcast character such as Edward and Willy Wonka ( for a temporary period of time ) is imprisoned to his or her own life unable to join the rest of the world.
Tim Burton does this to show that life is actually quite boring and monotonous, and that the people who we think of as being human and unique, are actually more dull and robotic than those that are actually robots; we think of ourselves as unique and creative individuals , but we are actually just stuck in the same routines, doing the same things without any variation or personality.
Finally, Tim Burton uses non-diegetic orchestral sound to shape a sense of a mournful, and rather ominous mood into the audience’s mind. For example, Tim Burton uses a non-diegetic flute solo in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to emphasize the small light of hope in the face of adversity. In the scene where Charlie walks through the town after his disappointing experience of not receiving the golden ticket, a flute solo is performed through the dark mourning melody of the violins. The flute solo represents a small hope for Charlie and the audience, that there is still an opportunity to receive the golden ticket. Once again Burton accomplishes the effect of the audience feeling with Charlie as if they were there with him. The audience also can foreshadow from the hopeful solo in the middle of a dark sad tune that a positive event is about to take place.
Additionally, Burton uses an ominous choir throughout his films creating a sense of mystery and fear for the audience. An example is presented in Edward Scissorhands when Peg approaches the dark corner the rising and falling crescendos of the choir build up,emphasizing each of her steps. Through non-diegetic music Burton drowns the audience into the particular mood established within scenes, in this case mystery and fear, due to the fact that by the chorus rising it’s volume the audience may worry regarding Peg’s safety.
Through the course of all director Tim Burton’s films, various cinematic elements are put to use to create a connecting theme, of reality versus fantasy, with the modern society.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, and Edward Scissorhands are all flooded with the magical elements of camera angles, lighting, and non-diegetic sound to create various moods, allowing the audience to enter life in the eyes of Tim Burton. The films would not be able to achieve the desired effect on the audience without Burton’s delivery of these powerful techniques. Burton’s mastery in the art of storytelling through film definitely rewards him the the title, “Burton the Wonder Wizard of

Film”.