“Edward Scissorhands” (1990)
The Best of Tim Burton — Vol 1.
The Best of Tim Burton — Vol 1.
As it’s nearly Christmas as I post this article, Edward Scissorhands isn’t exactly a “Christmas film” but it is a feel good film for the ages and Tim Burton’s greatest ever cinematic achievement. In my near decade old original and always spoiler free review re-produced below, I’ve centred on a walkthrough of sorts of Edward’s first introduction as well as the unsung heroine of our darkly gothic fairy-tale. My review forms a part of a much larger opus blog article on the entire career of Tim Burton at the time of writing, from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985 all the way through to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children in 2016. My love-in review of 2019’s charming Dumbo can be found elsewhere within my film list and archive here.
A lifetime of cinematic adoration followed Tim Burton’s imagining of Michael Keaton in a Batman suit. I returned to Beetlejuice immediately, hated Pee-Wee’s silly adventures (and probably still do!), Ed Wood is a bona-fide masterpiece, Big Fish speaks to the man yearning for his father, and Corpse Bride speaks to the young father and the young baby who’s now grown into a man, and a Tim Burton fan just like his father before him.
Thus is the magic of Tim Burton.
I hope you enjoy.
The Magic of Tim Burton
1985–2016. 18 films. Couple of clunkers! But a whole lot of magic. All lovingly appreciated and spoiler free.medium.com
“Hold me?
I can’t”.
Following black and white credits through heavily falling snow against a snow globe type backdrop and an imposing mansion house on the hill, we fade through a window and into full colour and onto an older lady telling a bedtime story to a very young girl. The story is about a man called Edward and the Inventor who created him. Quickly cutting to present day and a vibrant coloured, almost picture postcard type housing estate, immaculately clean and tidy with multi coloured individual houses. A picture of domestic serenity. Sometime later, mid way through the first Act comes “Edward Scissorhands” (Johnny Depp) first appearance:
Arriving at a large gate overgrown with weeds, “Peg” (Dianne Wiest) enters to encounter a beautifully manicured and colourful inner grounds surrounding the house. Peg marvels at the colourful beauty, of the manicured shrubs in the shape of various animals and as the camera shoots her from below and up at the imposing gothic style house, we see a brief glimpse, a shadow of a figure crossing in front of the window. Another brief shot before Peg enters the house is through a manicured shrub in the shape of an archway. Entering the Mansion with an “Avon Calling” intentional tension breaker, the Mansion itself is a dusty, desaturated grey interior and with a short panning shot we see unused contraptions and machinery, all of which will become clearer later into the film. Throughout these early scenes is Danny Elfman’s haunting, almost ethereal musical score. Reaching the top of the stairs and entering the loft, a huge gaping hole in the roof is immediately evident as we follow Peg to an unused fireplace which is full of paper cuttings of a “miracle boy” and images of Mary and Jesus, whereby she hears the faint sound of scissors grinding together. Seen now for the first time in the film, Edward emerges slowly from the shadows, startling Peg who turns to leave to which Edward responds “Don’t Go”.
Fully out of the shadows Edward is now seen fully for the first time, dressed entirely in black except for the long scissors he has for hands hanging awkwardly by his side. Simple cuts between the two, depicting a frightened Peg and a wide eyed Edward who responds to why he’s here with “I’m not finished” which relaxes Peg slightly to become more inquisitive, where are his parents, his father?
“He didn’t wake up”.
Very matter of fact, and following a subtle and darkly comedic moment, Peg smiles as she says “Edward, I think you should just come home with me!”.
With a brilliant supporting and cameo cast, Alan Arkin is superbly dead pan as “Bill” husband of Peg and Winona Ryder excellent as “Kim”. Kathy Baker is hilarious as sex crazed housewife “Joyce” and Anthony Michael Hall very good as “Jim”. Legendary Vincent Price also cameo’s as Edward’s “Inventor”.
This Tim Burton joy of a film is darkly comedic at times, filled with pure Burton imagery and the creation of Edward Scissorhands as a character is still superb twenty three years after release. With very little dialogue, Johnny Depp (in the first of a long line of collaborations with the director) is brilliant as the awkward and painfully shy Edward. His wide eyed stare now synonymous with the character, Depp is so engaging and embracing of the character, a future star is born, though it’s very easy for me to say now, writing as I do retrospectively here. His joint scenes with Kim are heart breaking, his rise and fall, freak outsider to everyone’s friend, to everyone’s enemy, is expertly portrayed, as is the story as a whole, as the above named supporting cast are excellent throughout. The film has dated just a little since release, however it’s probably a further veiled compliment that the film has only dated a little considering it’s 23 year life span.
With regular collaborators Danny Elfman (there are also three Tom Jones tracks included and all add so much “Delilah”, “It’s Not Unusual” and “With These Hands”), Colleen Atwood’s wonderful costume design and the great Stan Winston’s make up and effects, combined with some of the finest actors of our generation and a story from a genius storyteller leaning again on his very personal themes of alienation, being the geeky outsider outside of societal norms and unable to fit in or communicate within defined society, this fairy tale story never ages, never fails to thrill and remains my personal favourite of Tim Burton’s vast iconic collection of films.
At just 105 minutes in total screen time this masterpiece of a film retains a real magic for me as you submerge yourself into two very distinctly different worlds. One a stereotypically 1980’s prim and proper suburban world of manicured gardens and neighbours gossiping across the lawns juxtaposed against Edward’s exterior world of joy and creation yet crumbling inwardly and desperate for acceptance. With a story by the Director himself alongside Caroline Thompson (who also wrote the fantastic screenplay) Edward Scissorhands was the second consecutive Tim Burton film to be nominated for an Oscar with Stan Winston and Ve Neill rightfully acclaimed for Best Make Up. This was also Burton’s first collaboration with Director of Photography Stefan Czapsky, who would collaborate with the Director on his next two feature films.
Thanks for reading. Just for larks as always, and always a human reaction rather than spoilers galore. My three most recently published film articles are linked below or there’s well over 100 blog articles (with 300+ individual film reviews) within my archives from which to choose:
“Down Terrace” (2009)
Ben Wheatley’s disturbing and blackly comedic cinematic debut.medium.com
“Biutiful” (2010)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and his fourth in a “Quadrilogy of Death”.medium.com
“Her” (2013)
Alexa — Please show me a dystopian future.medium.com