Wednesday 12 November 2014

Edward Scissor Hands Movie Review.

Fig. 1 Film Poster.


From the most renowned director of the ages, Tim Burton brings us this iconic example of how a little act of kindness can go a long way. There are always ways to show kindness. But Peg, the main protagonist, a woman who’s main job is representing the make-up company Avon and going from door to door helping the neighbor with their appearances. Upon unsuccessfully marketing more sales, she decides to venture up to the dark and gloomy mansion on top of a hill that does not seem to fit the brightly coloured set. (See figure 2). 
Fig. 2 Street with pasty coloured houses and cars. 

The mansion is owned by an inventor who built Edward. The strange yet misunderstood creature of a man that upon being approached by Peg says nothing, and as Gielberman analyses. “He almost never says anything, and when he does, the voice that comes out is shockingly soft and delicate, full of a child's serene wonder.” (Gielberman, 1990). The sweet, innocent eyes of this monstrous design, really brings out Tim Burton’s motives. The idea that the beast can ‘’capture’’ the beauty, allow herself to be charmed by his strangeness, his oddity. However, upon being admitted into the neighbor scene, Edward his derived as a strange, but simple creature who gives very good haircuts for beast (the dogs) and themselves, as wells as an artist at garden structures.
When Peg brings Edward home he acts just as he would with the persona of a child, innocent and full of wonder, being curious about everything he almost breaks everything that he touches. When he is discovered by the ‘’chickens’’, or the women that live in the neighborhood, he is used as a tool and exploited due to his scissor hands. He gets treated like a child and he seems alright with that. It seems that Tim Burton has been balancing out proportions in terms of this film is the nature of acceptance that is so perfectly balanced at times it shows Tim Burton’s sensitive use of secondary commentary to infer something other than “do not judge a book by it’s cover”. As Peter Travers describes, ‘’Burton's richly entertaining update of the Frankenstein story is the year's most comic, romantic and haunting film fantasy. ‘’ (Travers, 2001) It seems that the theme of the film is three colours, but so can everyone else. In that sense no one is being original and the atmosphere becomes repeated and bland. As it was in the year the film was set [1950-60’s]. 
In all honesty, Edward Scissor hands is a Frankenstein meets Beauty and the Beast. With the introduction of Peg’s oldest daughter Kim, brings new light to strange tale. Edward doesn’t understand the feelings that he is experiencing with Kim as he has only ever experienced it with is creator/father. She falls in love with him regardless of his appearance and even after the incident with her ex. As Chris Cabin describes, His Gothic tones always mask a feeling of wonder and an endearing love for everything that is possible in life and death,’’ (Cabin, 2005). (See figure 3).


To summarize, this film has been a very strange experience, but a wondrous film to watch. It has that same charm as a Christmas film as well as a horror and the classic romance.

 Illustration List: 
Figure 1: Burton, T. (1990). Film Poster. http://pastormattblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/edward-scissorhands-original.jpg [Accessed on 12th Nov. 2014] 
Figure 2. Burton, T. (1990).
Figure 3. Burton, T. (1990). Kim and Edward. http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22300000/Edward-Kim-edward-scissorhands-22305845-500-250.gif [Accessed on 12th Nov. 2014]


Bibliography:
Gleiberman, O. (1990). Movie Review: Edward Scissorhands | EW.com. [online] EW.com. Available at: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20609141_318762,00.html [Accessed 12 Nov. 2014].
Travers, P. 2001, Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/edward_scissorhands/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2014]
Chris Cabin, 2005, Rotten Tomatoes http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/edward_scissorhands/ [Accessed 12 Nov, 2014]


No comments:

Post a Comment