Does Tim Burton Use Outcasts In Edward Scissorhands

Tim Burton once said, “I've always been misrepresented. You know, I could dress in a clown costume and laugh with the happy people but they'd still say I'm a dark personality.” Even when he was younger, his views towards things that were typically gory, to him just seemed like an outpouring of emotion. In his films, he chooses to exaggerate things that are odd, so they make the viewer feel emotions. Throughout Burton’s life, people have always seen him as an outsider, similar to many of the characters in movies that he has directed. Burton’s style of directing is often described as gothic darkness. In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton uses outcasts and contrasting settings to convey that it is difficult for

For instance, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Willy Wonka meets all the children that won the golden ticket and their parents. In this scene, Willy is socially awkward by stumbling over his words and using unusual diction such as, “Good morning star shine, the Earth says hello.” Additionally, a close up of each of the guests’ faces is used to emphasize their reaction to Wonka. Looks of astonishment are plastered across their faces because Wonka is very different from the society that they live in. They are all so appalled by how bizarre Willy is, that they don’t look past his differences and attempt to accept him for who he is. Also, in Edward Scissorhands, Edward is having dinner with the Boggs. He is struggling to pick up peas with his scissors, and he makes bothersome clanking noises with his metal hands. Furthermore, medium shots of Edward and the Boggs is used in this scene to show both their facial expressions as Edward attempts to eat his dinner. The medium shots allow the viewer to see what Edward is doing with his hands, as well as his face. The viewer sees Edward’s hands clanking together when he is trying to pick up the food, and Edward’s concentrated expression is also shown. The scene then cuts to a medium shot of the Boggs from Edward’s point of view. Kevin gawks at Edward, astonished at his hands and unusual behavior.

For example, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the story begins in a dark, dingy home that is isolated from the rest of the town. Later in the film, the setting changes to a colorful candy factory. Neither of the characters who live in each of these settings, Charlie and Willy, are accepted by their society for being different. In addition, a long shot of the Buckets’ home is shown to emphasize how secluded their house was from the rest of the town. The Buckets’ residence is different from the rest of the town because it is outlying and broken. Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory is also contrasting from the town because of the vibrant colors and wacky gadgets. Moreover, in Edward Scissorhands, Edward’s dark, gothic castle contrasts to the bright, uniform town below. When Peg was driving Edward to her house, there was a low angle shot of the colorful town up to Edward’s dark castle. This color contrast further emphasizes the idea of Edward as an outsider. It also highlights the differences between Edward and the rest of the townspeople by making the castle seem higher and farther away. The contrasting settings symbolize a difference in backgrounds, and because the societies in these movies seem to avoid these settings, it reinforces the concept that societies find it difficult to accept those who are different from