Frankenweenie

All of the four Tim Burton films that I watched, regardless of their different plot-lines or themes, share a strong common style that Tim Burton is known for. His stylistic motifs include monotoned dark gothic elements as well as vibrant color schemes, dramatic make-up with powdered white face and black eyes, quirky props, recurring casts, and a wide range of genres ranging from horror, comedy, and fantasy (usually a combination of them), creating a uniquely grim yet whimsical style. These stylistic motifs not only create a distinct style, but also aid in the expressing thematic ideas. One major thematic motif present in all the Burton films that I’ve watched is the journey of an outcast finding his/her own place in the society. (Edward Scissorhands, Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas, The Maitlands couple from Beetlejuice, and Edward Bloom from Big Fish all go through a journey to find where they belong). Another thematic motif that appears in Burton’s films is the conflict between surface (appearance) and what’s on the inside. Edward Scissorhands, Jack, and the Maitlands couple are all judged based on their appearances, while they are completely different from what they appear to be (which is aided by the dramatic makeup & costumes mentioned earlier). The fifth film I watched is Frankenweenie, and it does fit in with Tim Burton’s body of work. Although this is a stop-motion film, Burton still casted Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara, both his recurring casts, as voice actors of characters in the film. This stop-motion film is stylistically consistent with his other animated films, such as Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. He incorporated his signature stylistic motif (grim) into the black and white film, and also worked with the thematic motif of fitting in (The main character Victor isolates himself from everyone except his dog).

__Iconic Director's Choices:__


 * 1) Beetlejuice: The lighting in Beetlejuice is very distinct. Compared to the normal lighting in the normal world, the lighting whenever the scene takes place in the afterlife world (or anywhere that involves the deceased) is very colorful and strong. For example, when the Barbara and Adam were in Juno’s office, the lighting was a combination of orange and green. When they were walking through the corridors, the color of the lighting consists of nothing but a cold blue. When they were turning into corpses by Otho, the lighting is again purely green. Not only do these unnatural lightings draw a distinct line between the worlds of the living and the dead, they also enhance the movie visually and gives it a comedic tone on top of the dark style.
 * 2) Beetlejuice: Another director’s choice that stood out to me is the make-up of the characters (mise-en-scene). In contrast to his signature powder white face with black eyes (Lydia), the special make-up of the deceased is very unconventional. Instead of giving them the identical dark, zombie-like makeup, the people in the afterlife world all have unique and colorful special makeups that show how they each died. This again gives a comedic touch to the film, deviating it from being just another horror movie. This choice of makeup also makes the film more visually interesting, which is an element that is strong throughout all Tim Burton films.
 * 3) Nightmare Before Christmas: What stood out to me the most in this film is that it is a musical. The musical numbers in this film fit Tim Burton’s style very well, giving the film a whimsical tone as well as an eerie elegance to the characters. For example, the song Jack sung when he entered Christmas town for the first time playfully yet gracefully shows Jack’s astonishment and curiosity towards the town as they interact.
 * 4) Nightmare Before Christmas: The mise-en-scene in this movie plays a big role. In Halloween Town, everything consists of black white and grey, while details on screen constantly convey “Halloween”. In Christmas Town, everything is colorful with lights everywhere. This creates two completely different worlds that both fit Burton’s aesthetics, and help convey the theme of this movie. Not only so, the choice of making this film stop-motion also creates a world that is realistic yet still a fantasy world for the audience.
 * 5) Edward Scissorhands: Just like in Nightmare Before Christmas, the mise-en-scene in this film strongly convey Tim Burton. This includes everything, from makeups and costumes to settings. Edward and his world consists of black and white only, while the neighborhood is extremely colorful. This forms a strong contrast between the two worlds and enhances Tim Burton’s thematic area of two different worlds. The color differences represent the differences between Edward and the neighborhood on the surface, showing the theme of fitting in and appearance vs. interior (a recurring thematic motif in Tim Burton’s films).
 * 6) Edward Scissorhands: The use of slow motion and closeups when Kim danced under Edward’s snow was very memorable. By using slow motion and close-ups, Tim Burton made this scene very dreamy and deviates from reality, which matches Tim Burton’s style. This director’s choice here also absorbs the audience into the moment that Kim is enjoying, which all builds up and cuts abruptly back to reality when Jim suddenly appears.
 * 7) Big Fish: What particularly stood out to me in this movie is the scene where Edward met Sandra for the first time in the circus. When he experienced his love at first sight, everything (including Sandra) stopped except for Edward himself. As Edward began to walk towards Sandra, flying popcorns stopped mid-air, all the circus animals and audience froze... then everything began to fast forward. The special effects used here made the scene exaggerated, contributing to the fantasy aspects of the film and making it visually entertaining. Just like what Tim Burton did in his other films, his director’s choice here creates a combination of two genres, fantasy and comedy.
 * 8) Big Fish: The use of soft edges and warm lighting when Edward tells his story is also a big part of this film. Whenever the movie goes back to Edward’s stories, the combination of soft edges with an increase in exposure creates a distinct world that separates fantasy from reality. This visual style enhances the theme of fantasy vs. reality in this film, and strengthens the Tim Burton thematic motif in general, which often involve two entirely different worlds.
 * 9) Big Fish: The match cut of the big fish at the end of the film was done really well. After Will placed his father into the river, the next shot goes underwater to the extremely big fish that appeared in the beginning of the film. This shot holds significant symbolic meaning (that Will now understands and is in his father’s place), and is translated through Tim Burton’s successful combination of the fantasy and reality using props that reflect his stylistic features perfectly.
 * 10) Frankenweenie: The most noticeable director’s choice in this film is making it entirely black and white. The black and white gave the film Tim Burton’s famous gothic visual style, making it stand apart from other disney movies. The lack of colors also give the film a dark, gloomy and somewhat depressing mood that is present throughout the entire movie. This gives depth to the story thematically, making it more than a story that simply tells the friendship of a dog and a boy. Tim Burton himself said that black and white “gives a real sense of emotion”, and wouldn’t have done it if disney wanted the movie in color.
 * 11) Frankenweenie: Another directors’ choice that stood out to me is the series of match cut/montage of Victor after Sparky died. The shot shows Victor looking sad as the setting changes around him (home, car, school...etc). This shot shows the pass of time, yet victor still remains the same. This gives the movie a somber mood, and helps convey Tim Burton’s deeper emotional sides of the movie that are under the surface, giving it a deeper and more complex meaning.