Edward Scissorhands Research Paper

An Outcast in Society
The people of society have been programmed to stick to the status quo. Burton, a filmmaker widely known for being different, defies societies’ robot-like expectations. As shown in his films, Burton prefers to separate himself from societies’ guidelines, known as the status quo. Through contrasting settings and outcast characters, Burton develops the theme abnormal is preferred over the status quo.
Burton implements an outcast protagonist to emphasize you do not have to stick to the status quo to be happy or successful. When Peg and Edward are strolling through the neighborhood, Burton uses medium and shot-reverse-shots to show how much Edward sticks out from the rest of the community. Early on, this develops Edward as
an outcast character from rest of society. But, even though Edward is depicted as weird and an outcast, he is still happy no matter what. Lastly, it also sets the tone for the people in the neighborhood because the people give Edward weird looks and judge him because of his out of the normal looks. From Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton distinguishes Charlie as an outcast character by implementing 2-shots and medium shots into the film. These medium shots immediately show Charlie is much different from the rest of society. Not only does this develop him as an outcast character, it makes the Golden Ticket a lot more important in his eyes. Also, the 2-shots compare Charlie’s poor family from the rest of the peoples’ rich and spoiled families. These 2-shots further develop Charlie as an outcast character because him and his family stick out like a sore thumb in comparison to others.
Burton inputs a multitude of cinematic techniques in his films to develop the contrasting settings.
To develop the contrasting settings in Edward Scissorhands, Burton uses shot-reverse-shots. These shot-reverse-shots show the dark, lifeless mansion contrasted with the bright, lively neighborhood. These two contrasting settings show how two outrageously different things/people can still be together and be happy. Also, it sets up the rest of the movie by expressing whatever/whoever lives in that ominous mansion must be frightening. Another example of contrasting settings is when Peg is in Edward’s house and when Edward is in Peg’s house. Burton shows this by using long shots to show how people who come from two very different places can be happy together. Also, this develops Edward as an outcast character by showing how much different he is compared to Peg’s typical life. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Burton uses long shots to show the difference between the Factory and Charlie’s house. These long shots develop the amazing factory and Charlie’s raggedy house as contrasting settings. In addition, the long shots put emphasis on how old and raggedy Charlie’s house and living conditions are by comparing them to the fantastical factory. Not only do these long shots show Charlie’s old and raggedy house, they also display how amazing and superior the factory is to everything else. This makes it a bigger deal to get the golden ticket, especially for Charlie because people view
the factory superior and amazing. Lastly, these contrasting settings develop Charlie as an outcast because he lives in an old poor house compared to the factory and everybody else. This also makes the golden ticket look even more superior and amazing.