Edward Scissorhands, (1990) Tim Burton

Edward Scissorhands (1990) Tim Burton

The screenplay, Edward Scissorhands was adapted from Burton's rough notes by Caroline Thompson and was published as a book before it was born onto the silver-screen.
It is an intense display of the physical grotesque paradoxly juxtaposing physical beauty.
Modeled around the sub-plot of Beauty and the Beast Edward Scissorhands is another example that one must not judge a book by its cover.

The disturbing imagery in this film can either alienate or elevate the viewer, depending on their personal preferences.
Burton weaves a semi-autobiographical plot about a mechanical man who cannot connect with others; either emotionally or physically.
[This is confirmed in the penultimate scene where the character Kim (who has fallen madly in love with Edward) asks him to "hold [me]", to which Edward replies "I can't" his scissor-hands clearly in shot]

In recent years Edward Scissorhands has become something of a cult film, but before I begin I feel it is important to explain a little about the casting of this movie. [My own knowledge].
Originally Tom Cruise was set to play Edward; but Burton was unhappy with the casting. Cruise was the hot-topic at the time, but he just didn't seem right for the part. [Surprisingly]
At the time Johnny Depp was starring in the hugely popular TV series 21-Jump Street.

It was difficult to leave the house without seeing Depp's face on a lunchbox, a poster, or a magazine. He was truly a teen pin-up idol.
But he was unhappy. Distraught, even, over this. He was stuck in his own nightmares.
Depp had never wanted to be a pin-up, ["I see myself as a failed musician, acting just puts bread on the table, but if I gotta act then its gotta MEAN something" -Depp] but his contract with Fox was watertight.
So he began doing everything and anything to get himself fired. He drunk heavily, took drugs, and at attempted suicide unsuccessfully several times -including once on-set by setting his underwear on fire whilst wearing it.

His agent, at that point, had received a copy of the script for Edward Scissorhands and pushed Depp forwards for an extra part.
His audition was in a LA coffee shop, at the back of the room in a dark booth. There sat Tim Burton.
Depp was not hopeful, he knew of Burton from Batman and was sure he wouldn't look twice at a plasticised teen pin-up.
Depp sat down to an awkward looking young man with wild black hair.
Burton was averse to eye contact, as was Depp -and the pair instantly recognised the similarity; from there, in a series of awkward half-sentences and half un-finished sentences, a beautiful relationship was born.
Burton wound up casting Depp as his lead because he saw Depp AS Edward Scissorhands. Burton saw beyond Depp's looks and into the insecure, timid, terrified person and painfully shy inside, and this characterised Edward.

Depp was adamant he wouldn't let Burton down, and in this film, he gave the performance of a lifetime.
(Previous to this Depp's only on screen work was badly acted and wooden, but the familiarity of the script allowed him a phenomenal performance).
Edward has very few lines and so most of the emotion and subtext to the character are portrayed solely through the eyes. Depp studied silent movies in true method-acting fashion before attempting the role, and gave a flawless interpretation ditching his pin-up status.


*WARNING THIS TEXT CONTAINS SPOILERS*


"Why I'm as humble as cherry... pie..."

Starring Johnny Depp (Edward), Winona Ryder (Kim) and Dianne Wiest (Peg), the film begins with a touching moment where we see an old lady [Ryder] tucking her granddaughter into a romantically over-sized bed.
When asked about the origins of snow she begins to indulge the little girl in a very personal old story.
As the camera runs toward the window and outside to pan up to an eerie castle on the hill, it pauses for a moment and the castle almost appears to be trapped in a showglobe, re-enforcing the narrative.
We are allowed a brief glimpse of Edward before the action dissolves into a typical suburban neighbourhood; following an avon representative on her rounds.

The neighbourhood is so typically suburban that somehow, even the vibrant pastel coloured houses are accepted without distracting from the narrative.

We see Peg (Wiest) calling upon locals to no avail, and with an expertly set up shot, notices the castle in her wing mirror and ventures toward it.
The castle grounds completely juxtapose its derelict structure, they are perfectly manicured, sunny, and full of topiarys, one; the central figure, is a giant hand -faced palmwards to the sky.
Upon entering the castle we find it is dark and filled with cobwebs, -winding staircases, and dust-covered disused inventions.

Peg ventures up the stairs rambling brightly about aerobics classes helping her get up "all these stairs".
At the top of the staircase is a derelict loft, with a mural lovingly pasted in an alcove. We briefly glimpse this, and see it is a collage of newspaper clippings and famous paintings of hands.
Edward is cowered at the back of the room, he emerges and Peg instantly judges him by his appearance, she is obviously terrified of him, and backs toward the door,

"Don't.. go?"
He utters, and she almost instantly forgives his appearance, and takes him home.

The majority of the film shows Edward's instant acceptance amongst the housewives of the neighbourhood and most of the kids. We also watch him fall madly in love with Peg's daughter, Kim.
The only character who seems completely intolerant of Edward is Jim [Kim's boyfriend].

During one scene, [the setting and character placing lifted directly from Burton's favourite film Eraser Head] we see a typical nuclear family at dinner.
The father is at the head of the table, mother to his left, and the kids either side. Edward is placed cleverly to the opposite side and creates a brilliant contrast to this traditional picture.
Here we see the only other intolerant character in the film. Kim's friend refuses to eat the meat Edward has carved with his hands, claiming she doesn't find it "sanitary".

This digression aside, the film maintains interest whilst divulging in several whimsical displays of Edward's artistic talents including topiary, hair dressing and Dog styling.
Despite this every few scenes there is a trigger moment where Edward regresses to his creation.
In these cut-scenes we see Edward in his various stages of creation, from conception of the idea, to the near completion and the death of his creator.

The Creator is played by Burton's hero, Vincent Price.
We see him conceive the idea to make a robotic man from his anthropomorphous cookie making machines, and watch him attempt to teach his creation the rules of social etiquette, right down to the almost-perfection.
Upon his almost-completion we see the inventor walk toward Edward with his real hands, -but as he is about to attach them, he has a heart attack and dies. His new hands are cut to pieces by his scissors, and silently Edward bends to touch his creator's face [as one would in such situation] but instead cuts his cheek. This is the last cut-scene and this obvious subtext allows us a small glimpse into Edward's back-story.

As the film plays the pace of Jim's distaste toward Edward snowballs into hate. He begins to notice Edward's crush on Kim is no longer one-sided, and Jim tires to seek revenge.
First he attempts to frame Edward for burglary, then catches Edward off guard causing him to accidentally cut Kim's hand with one of his scissors.
-Incidentally this is the most iconic scene in the film because it features Danny Elfman's infamous score, The Ice Dance.

Edward Scissiorhands culminates in the 'outsider' [Edward] being driven away from the neighbourhood and back into his castle, never to come back into society again.
After Joyce (the town gossip, and self confessed 'lonely housewife') impropositions Edward; and is turned down, she turns the neighbourhood against Edward, only fuelling Jim's rampage.

Alone, but for Kim, in Edward's castle:
Edward kills Jim [when Jim arrives at the castle to shoot Edward], symbolic of the rise of diversity over banality; after the police man saves Edward's life by shooting into the air, and convincing the townspeople that Edward is dead.
Kim confirms this by taking a spare set of scissorhands from the late inventor's table and showing them to the crowd.

[Incidentally the crowd are all sporting Edward's inspired hair-cuts, visually representing the impact of the outsider on normality spreading a little diversity where he could].

This film is full of beautiful imagery, some more obvious that others, and runs a heart wrenching narrative that everyone who has ever felt like an outsider can sympathise with.




BIBLIOGRAPHY:


[OWN KNOWLEGE]


INTERNET:


Author: UNKNOWN
Date: UNKNOWN
Publisher: Wikipedia.org
Date Link was last active: 3/2/09
URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Scissorhands


Author: Cory Sampson
Date: UNKNOWN
Publisher: Sampson
Date Link was Last proved active: 3/2/09
URL: http://www.timburtoncollective.com/edwardpsycho.html


Author: Mark Sailsbury
Date: 20/02/08
Publisher: Los Angeles Times
Date Link was last prived active:
URL: http://theenvelope.latimes.com/env-en-pairssweeney20feb20,0,7928663.htmlstory