Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Directed by: Tim Burton | 105 minutes | drama, comedy, romance, fantasy | Actors: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Diane Wiest, Vincent Price, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Robert Oliveri, Conchata Ferrell, Caroline Aaron, Dick Anthony Williams, O-Lan Jones, Alan Arkin, Susan Blommaert, Linda Perri, John Davidson

Director Tim Burton started his career as an animator for Disney. One of the first films he made himself is a short animation film: ‘Vincent’ (1982). With that film – a sinister story about a boy who wants to be just like Vincent Price – Burton shows his great admiration for horror actor Price. With ‘Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure’ (1985) Burton had a big hit for the first time, followed three years later by the second blockbuster with ‘Beetlejuice’. These successful films are made very cheaply, but when Burton gets the chance to turn his fantasy into reality with a high budget with ‘Batman’ (1989), his career really starts. He scores hit after hit, with gothic fairy tales like ‘Edward Scissorhands’ (1990) and ‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1998) and visual spectacles like ‘Big Fish’ (2003) and ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ (2005). He does not lose his love for the animation film either, he produces ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993) and at the end of 2005 comes out with the promising ‘The Corpse Bride’.

A number of actors appear again and again in Burton’s films: Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham Carter seem to be favorites, but especially Johnny Depp is here to stay. Depp and Burton owe a lot to each other. Before ‘Edward Scissorhands’, Johnny Depp was only known as a teen idol from the ’21 Jump Street’ series. He was able to shake off this image, which he was very displeased with, by playing the bizarre Edward. At the same time, ‘Edward Scissorhands’ probably wouldn’t have been such a success without Depp’s sad eyes.

Edward Scissorhands is the ultimate Burton movie. Roles are played by the director’s favorite actors: Vincent Price is the inventor, Johnny Depp is Edward and Winona Ryder is Kim, Edward’s great love. But a film alone cannot survive with an excellent cast. Perhaps the most striking thing about Edward Scissorhands is that it is an adult fairy tale. Tim Burton had an image in his head of a boy who has scissors instead of hands, which makes it impossible for him to touch people. This image refers to the inability of adolescents in particular to communicate their emotions to other people. Caroline Thompson turned this image into Edward’s fairy tale, or as she herself calls it ‘the fable’. By not directly talking about a socially inept boy, but about a beautiful modern Frankenstein, the film provides both a reflection on reality and an opportunity to escape from reality.

In addition to the imaginative story, the film offers a load of atmospheric images such as Edward’s dark castle with the arty garden and the pastel-colored suburb where the door-to-door saleswoman’s family lives. The images are enriched by a romantic soundtrack by Danny Elfman. Elfman often works successfully with Burton, they seem to understand each other. This makes images and sound a unity, in the case of ‘Edward Scissorhands’ a moving unity.

‘Edward Scissorhands’ is definitely recommended for anyone who can appreciate romantic stories, bizarre stories and fairy tales. People who are more realistic may find the whole thing a bit over-the-top. Nevertheless, it is also advisable for them to give this specific case a chance. The sum of beautiful images, appropriate music, moving story and excellent acting results in this film in one word: enchanting.