Edward Scissorhands - A PDF

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Essay describing cinematic techniques for Edward Scissorhands...

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Edward Scissorhands People should not listen to everything they hear, or conform to the cliche that darkness  reflects uninviting   natures, foreshadows something evil or gives the impression of bad  intentions. Darkness,   or   black   color,   does not always mean these negative   assumptions. In the  movie “Edward Scissorhands” directed by Tim Burton, people judge Edward before getting to  know him since he originates from a gloomy place and wears dark colors. Tim Burton  manipulates both the gloomy scene that introduces Edward, and his makeup and clothes in  order to express through the characters and their judgmental phone   calls how first impressions  should not be relied upon to determine a person’s true qualities. The women's phone call that  spreads negative rumors about Edward exhibits people's’ tendencies to   quickly believe others’  opinions without   truly understanding points of view or the true nature   of a situation. In other  words, Burton uses makeup, light and setting design in “Edward Scissorhands”   to convey the  message that   people should not form judgements based on first impressions. Edward Scissorhands is very unique compared to all the other characters in the film. His  complexion is extremely pale, while his clothes are dark and gloomy.   His   fair skin is covered in  thick, raised scars from accidentally slicing himself with his own hands, which are made of extra  long, razor sharp scissors. Each blade can be moved individually, just like normal fingers. His  eye makeup is dark, tiresome, and depressed, making his eyes sink into his skull. His dark black  hair is matted and tangled, looking as if it has never been groomed. Edward's pasty skin reveals  to us that he never goes outside. He spends every day of his life hiding inside the dark rooms of  his castle,   away   from society. His scars display that he is clumsy, even though he has lived with  his scissor hands all his life. He is always managing to hurt someone or destroy something with  his hands, with the exception of cutting hedges and hair. His gloomy eye makeup displays that  Edward is probably miserable from being hidden from the rest of the community, but he knows 

he cannot go into town alone because of the way he looks. Lastly, his messy hair discloses that  he is   scatterbrained   and always on edge. The craziness of each strand   represents   part of his  character. He is stiff and with his movements but also jumpy and scared of everything, so his  hairstyle helps show his unhinged personality. Edward Scissorhands is an iconic character who is known for his wardrobe   choices. His  style stands out so much in the movie because he is dressed so differently from the rest of the  characters. While his costumes are very elaborate and dark, the other characters are very clean  cut and   soft   toned. When first looking at Edward Scissorhands attire,   one would think that he is  scary and unapproachable. His well known costume is a black leather jacket   decorated with  many metal hooks, black pants, and black combat boots. This contrasts very well with his pasty  makeup and messy hair. Edward Scissorhands appears to be messy and unconcerned with his  appearance. The costumes are very successful at portraying the identity of the characters by  contrasting the difference between Edward Scissorhands and all   the   others that live in the town  below. In the scene where Peg visits the mansion on the hill, she walks into the attic where she  finds a vast empty room with a gaping hole in the ceiling. Daylight pouring in from the roof  provides the   key   light   for this scene. It illuminates Peg showing her small size and reveals the  large depth   and   size   of   the   room.   This is the joining of lighting and   setting to control the size of  the space of the scene. This effect helps give viewers a sense of how   big the room really is. The  light shining through the roof onto Peg highlights her and  shows that she will be an important  character by making her the most clearly lit in the scene. This is because lighting can set up an  importance or emphasize of the protagonist. The scene uses low key   lighting   because of the  sharp contrasts between light and dark. Because of these contrasts there are many shadows in  the room, one of which Edward is hiding in. When Edward approaches from out of the shadow a 

backlight is   used   so the viewers are unable to see his face, only his   silhouette.   We chose this  scene because it is a great example of the different methods of lighting   that are used in film.  Unlike the   scenes filmed outside which use natural light, this scene is filmed on a set using  artificial light.   In   many   films, it is often inferred that when effects and other aspects of the scene  are dark,   something bad is going to happen. However, the light in   this scene helps communicate  that when   things   are   brought into the light, it is revealed that they are not so bad. We see this  happen with Edward. When he is in the shadow Peg is scared of what is coming at her, but  when he steps into the light she finds out that he actually harmless and wants to help him.  

The second   phone   call between Helen, Joyce, Marge, and   Tinka   showcases   the   set 

design aspect of mise-en-scene very well. Each of the women’s clothing and hairstyles reflect  the décor of the room around them. For example, Joyce is wearing pastel   velvet   pants while  lounging on   a pastel velvet couch, making her a part of her home. Furthermore,   there   is a fake miniature Christmas   tree in sparkly gold, reflecting her insincere, flashy   personality.   Tinka’s  by-the-book personality is paralleled in the geometric patterns with which her living room is  decorated. The orange, green, and navy linear shapes on the lampshades look exactly like the  outfit that Tinka is wearing, and the couch even has some colored diamond shapes. Marge’s  outfit and environment is somewhat ironically reminiscent of   a sun.   The yellow metal sculpture  on the wall, her radiant hair, and yellow couch, lampshades, and phone all bring about an image  of a sun. Helen is wearing a block-color dress that matches the stripes on her couch and the  two multi-colored lampshades surrounding her. Commonalities appear   between   each set  design; there are exactly two lamps in each one, some of the same candles are used, and all of  them have similar colors and fabrics. This seems to reflect the conformity and superficiality that  was a major aspect of the neighborhood.

The phone   call between the women, including Joyce and Helen, revolves   around the  setting of phones and similar set designs. All four women reach conclusions regarding Edward  that have   no   basis   in truth by the usage of the telephones. Their room settings reflect each other  with the same furniture types as if to parallel the three of them all conforming to each others’  opinions. They all gossip rumors that are not true, such as Joyce commenting that Edward tried  to rape and hurt her, and all the women believing and spreading the word. Between all these  women talking   with   each other are phones. The phones connect them,   but also act as the  instigator of   the lies each woman tells the other. It enables for the three women to quickly  communicate rumors and lies to each other. This reflects the nature of people to quickly believe  whatever they   hear without true knowledge of where the information comes   from, or whether it  is based   in truth. Tim Burton specifically sets the scene of the women's phone call in similarly  designed rooms with the phones as the mode of communication.By doing so, the women then  reflect each other to seem like the same people. They all believe what   they   hear   at face value  and ask   no   questions.   This way, Burton uses the setting of the phones   as   agents   spreading lies  to argue the point that people judge too quickly and believe what the   are told before truly  understanding what the information is and where it comes from.  In the movie Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton,   he   shows   through  mise-en-scene that first impressions should not be based on appearance, behavior or the place  someone originates from and used to judge them before you get to know them. Burton uses the  visual design   from   both   the   glum scene that first introduces Edward   combined with his makeup  and costume   to   display   that through the reactions of characters and their judgments how first  impressions should not determine a person’s makings. From the phone call scene, negative  rumors spread about Edward, demonstrating how people's’ opinions can influence others’  without the   community fully knowing the true nature of the situation. Throughout   the movie the 

themes of   appearance versus reality are created through the use   of   mise-en-scene.   Burton  displays appearance versus reality through the characters, setting, costume and make-up. The  interior of the houses show this theme by having the decorations be symbols of nature, however  they are   artificial.   Edward is costumed in dark clothes, crazy hair, pale skin tone and scissors for  hands. His   appearance is frightening and is not even human, however through compassion he  has more humanity than some people in the neighborhood. Edward Scissorhands is a perfect example of proving that appearances can be deceiving....