Edward Scissor Hands Movie Review.
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| 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).
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| 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.
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]
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