Tim Burton, Style Analysis
Tim Burton Style Analysis Film Essay
By John Visgaitis
Period 6-7
The well-respected and established director Tim Burton has always been credited for the uniqueness of his many films. In one of his most popular movies, Edward Scissorhands, he reveals his true potential as a filmmaker and a modern allegorical poet. Within Edward Scissorhands and many more of his works, Burton uses a wide variety of stylistic techniques, including setting, point of view, and motifs. In Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton uses the simple technique of setting in a way that some would call genius. The setting of the dark manor of the inventor and now Edward can be ironically connected to character and uniqueness. In comparison, the urbanized and conformist society down the hill which is filled with vibrant colors such as in the 70s. It seems that Tim Burton purposely set that dramatic comparison of settings. Ironically, the gothic manor is a more happy and creative place to be than the peppy, neon-colored suburbs. A similar setting comparison to this is seen in another Tim Burton film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In that film, there is a dramatic change of color from the colorful past to the colorless present and from the colorless world outside the factory and the colorful world inside. Setting is essential to any piece of literature, but Tim Burton makes it art. The use of point of view by Tim Burton is unique also, in the sense that there are all three points of view throughout all of Edward Scissorhands. The movie is mainly told in third person, because the narrator is merely reflecting on her experience with Edward. The story switches to first person when Edward is making flashbacks within the narrator’s flashback. It also switches to second person when Edward is being paraded in front of the community. This gives a striking similarity to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where all three points of view were also used. First person was used when
By John Visgaitis
Period 6-7
The well-respected and established director Tim Burton has always been credited for the uniqueness of his many films. In one of his most popular movies, Edward Scissorhands, he reveals his true potential as a filmmaker and a modern allegorical poet. Within Edward Scissorhands and many more of his works, Burton uses a wide variety of stylistic techniques, including setting, point of view, and motifs. In Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton uses the simple technique of setting in a way that some would call genius. The setting of the dark manor of the inventor and now Edward can be ironically connected to character and uniqueness. In comparison, the urbanized and conformist society down the hill which is filled with vibrant colors such as in the 70s. It seems that Tim Burton purposely set that dramatic comparison of settings. Ironically, the gothic manor is a more happy and creative place to be than the peppy, neon-colored suburbs. A similar setting comparison to this is seen in another Tim Burton film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In that film, there is a dramatic change of color from the colorful past to the colorless present and from the colorless world outside the factory and the colorful world inside. Setting is essential to any piece of literature, but Tim Burton makes it art. The use of point of view by Tim Burton is unique also, in the sense that there are all three points of view throughout all of Edward Scissorhands. The movie is mainly told in third person, because the narrator is merely reflecting on her experience with Edward. The story switches to first person when Edward is making flashbacks within the narrator’s flashback. It also switches to second person when Edward is being paraded in front of the community. This gives a striking similarity to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where all three points of view were also used. First person was used when