Similarities Between Tim Burton And Edward Scissorhands

Born in Burbank California in 1958, director Tim Burton grew up with a fascination for Roald Dahl and Edgar Allen Poe works. He enjoyed how these authors were able to blend humor and horror to create a work of art that viewers were both disgusted, and intrigued by. The effect of these influences were eventually reflected in his remarkable films. From Edward Scissorhands, where the main character has scissors for hands instead of real hands, to Alice in Wonderland, where the main character is thrown into a strange land with gruesome creatures and maniac queens, Burton’s unique talent of twisting innocent stories into darker, more sinister versions, is evident. To do so, He often incorporates the use of specific cinematic techniques that help
For example, when Peg first walked into the mansion where Edward had been living, low key lighting was used; thus exaggerating the shadows and making the scene appear hostile and eerie. In doing so, Burton sets a suspenseful mood that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. On the contrary, in the previous scene when Peg strolled around admiring the shuberry in the garden surrounding the house, high key lighting is used. In effect, the scene appeared bright and colorful, which therefore set a lighthearted mood. By doing this, Burton made clear the difference in lighting; had he not used high key lighting in the first scene, the low key lighting in the mansion would not have been as different from the lighting in the previous scene and thus less prominent. This manipulation made the mood set up by each lighting more prominent as well. The cheerful, bright mood in the first scene greatly contrasted from the dark, suspenseful mood in the second, and as a result, both were made more prominent to the audience. Another example this technique was when front lighting was used in the scene where Edward and Kim were saying their last goodbye on the top floor of the inventor’s broken down mansion. Both characters were standing in front of a broken window, and as a result, cast on their faces was what appeared to be dim
Through this Burton is able to shape the story to teach the world how, often, in order to truly know one’s identity, one must first accept who they are and realize what they can become. This may come from fighting the prejudices of society such as in Edward Scissorhands, or speaking up for oneself such as in Alice in Wonderland, or even knowing and understanding what one values such as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Perhaps if we find our identities, there is a chance that we might also leave a legacy as impactful as the ones left by Edward, Alice, and