Film review - Edward Sissorhands (1990)
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| Figure 1. Edward Sissorhands movie poster (1990) |
Released in 1990 and directed by Tim Burton, 'Edward Sissorhands' is a film about a man that has been constructed by an inventor (Vincent Price) in order to help with his work. One day, the inventor dies and Edward (played by Johnny Depp) is left by himself away from civilization. Later in the film an Avon worker called Peg (Played by Dianne Wiest) decides to travel up to Edward's house to promote her Avon products and this is where she stumbles across Edward. Edward is then taken down to the suburban world below by Peg where she tries to accept him into their community.
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| Figure 2. Edward Sissorhands house (1990) |
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| Figure 3. Edward Sissorhands town (1990)
The town below is in complete contrast with Edward's house, which Tim Burton cleverly uses to show how he felt when he first worked for Disney as an animator. 'Burton, a misfit kid from California who took solace in drawing cartoons and watching Vincent Price horror movies, clearly relates personally to Edward's situation.' (Travers, 1990) Every detail to do with the town in the film makes the environment seem unrealistic and happy. Each character is wearing pristine looking clothes, each family have a pastel coloured house that's the exact same build as their neighbors and each family owns the exact same car that is just in a different colour. 'They live, in Avon-like propriety, within the portals of well-ordered houses that look like boxes of cosmetics. They are pastel pink and blue and green, and very, very neat.' (Malcolm, 1991)
This can relate to Tim Burton's experience with Disney and how everybody that worked there all had a similar taste in contrast to Burton. This is then also projected onto Edward when he is introduced to the community and seen as an outcast 'Everyone in this film is stylized and peculiar, so Edward becomes another exhibit in the menagerie, instead of a commentary on it.' (Ebert, 1990)
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Bibliography:
Travers, P. (1990). Edward Scissorhands. [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/edward-scissorhands-19901214 [Accessed 17 Dec. 2017].
Ebert, R. (1990). Edward Scissorhands Movie Review (1990) | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/edward-scissorhands-1990 [Accessed 17 Dec 2017]
Illustrations list:
Figure 1. (1990) Edward Sissorhands. At: http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/222001098927-0-1/s-l1000.jpg [Accessed on: 17 Dec 2017]
Figure 2. (1990) Edward Sissorhands. At: https://cinemania-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2011/201311/eduardo/edwardscissor_2.jpg [Accessed on: 17 Dec 2017]
Figure 3. (1990) Edward Sissorhands. At: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/06/77/af/0677af96e76f51fe200f6623f15849c3.jpg [Accessed on: 17 Dec 2017]
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