Auteur: Tim Burton
Tim Burton vs. ‘Auteurism’.
‘Auteur’ is the French word for ‘author’ and relates to the input of the director and his/her collaborators.
‘Cahiers du Cinema’ was the name of a French journal where the basic principles of Auteurism were first mentioned in the 1950’s. This ‘auteur’ policy was only coined as a theory 10 years later by an American critic Andrew Sarris and his contribution on the theory involved creating guidelines to deconstruct Hollywood films1.
The overall idea behind the auteur theory was to analyse mainly, the mise en scene to see if it represented themes in relation to the director. Also, to analyse the author of a film as any traditional artist and see how the visual art can convey creative expression. In this essay I am going to discuss the work of Tim Burton and how he can be seen as one of the most recognizable ‘Auteur’ within mainstream cinema and how Tim Burton manages to add more value to his films by his ‘gothic and disjointed2’ imagery running throughout his allegorical stories.
Tim Burtons’ main collaborators are Colleen Atwood the costume designer and Danny Elfman produces all of Tim’s Motion Soundtracks. Also actors Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham-Carter are involved with collaborating Burtons’ films. In this essay I am going to pay particular attention to ‘Edward Scissorhands’ to define to what extent Tim Burton can be seen as an Auteur.
Tim Burton was born in Burbank, California. This is a place where they projected the image of happy Suburban America, Burton did not fit in and saw through the façade and the suburban parody is evident within ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Tim created ‘Edward Scissorhands’ when he was in high school and was co-produced by Caroline Thompson. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ was in many ways and allegory of Burton’s persona and explores the idea of the ‘tortured artist’. This was his first personal project he managed to take to the big screen, in 1990.
‘Edward Scissorhands’ is a story about an artificial man with scissors for hands and therefore is unable to touch anything he cares about without destroying it, then one day a kind housewife of typical nuclear family discovers that he has been in isolation from society and decides bring him home with her.
The first extract that I am going to discuss is when Edward first meets someone from the suburban street below. This is where Peg the Avon lady decides to visit the gothic mansion on the hill that overshadows what appears to be happy suburban life. The point of view shot conveys Peg’s contemplation as the frame shows her adjusting her side mirror on her car to look at the Castle-like house. There is then a long shot to show Peg turning her car around and driving away from the pastel coloured street. The mise en scene immediately draws the difference between these images and looks as though to separate surreal worlds have collided together within the diegesis even in its aesthetic qualities. The pastel Suburban streets stand as an challenging the American dream ideology and parodying it, the idea that Suburbia has tried to paint there houses individual colours yet are all conforming to conventions, this also conveys how they are not used to anyone or thing breaking those conventions, therefore leading to prejudice and inequality.
The next shot shows Peg driving towards the camera, approaching the mansion. The camera is positioned as a high angle shot looking down at Pegs’ car, as the camera pans across, dead trees, the stone walls of the mansion with gargoyles atop, the connotations of this is of a gothic/horror fairy tale. The threatening setting could be used as a horror set yet the xylophone and violin music indicates that no violence is about to take place, yet something is about to be discovered. During Pegs’ journey to the top of the hill where the mansion is, the cameras positioning is mainly panning across the wood-like area as the car descends, the use of camera movement adds a sense of foreboding and the idea that she is being watched…by us. The connotation of the mise-en-scene suggests that for the first time Peg is in a natural, genuine surrounding.
When the character, Peg reaches the inner-gates to the mansion the camera zooms out as an attempt to establish the scale of the mansion and contrast Peg with the building. The mise-en-scene also manages to contrast the mansion with Peg, Pegs costume consists of a Lilac suit, with matching hat and small white slippers, her dress sense is reminiscent of the 50’s fashion, the very era that Burton parodies in the Suburban town. The bonnet of her pastel yellow car can also be seen in the frame. The foreground depicts green wood-like area and Pegs car, then in the background, behind the mansion gates, the pointed spires and sinister imagery incorporated into the gate connote the sense that Peg is an unwelcome guest, the background is all monotone of various shades of grey. As Peg steps out of the car and walks towards the gates, the camera once again zooms back into the original frame, where its positioned as a low angle shot, showing how the mansion gates overshadow Peg. This connotes her vulnerability and creates heightened suspense for the viewer. The gates themselves almost look like doors to a mausoleum or tomb with engravings of sorrowful demons either-side with their arms together yet not having any hands but small hooves. Above the gate is an owl watching over any one that enters and a stag atop the stonework, this connotes nocturnal beasts and hints on the theme of ever-present darkness that appears to dwell in the building. Peg makes her way forward and pushes herself through the wrought-iron gates. The non-diegetic music is heightened at this point to help increase suspense of what the protagonist is about to find.
The viewers then see a mid shot as Peg pushes through the gates that are overgrown with ivy vines connoting that the gates haven’t been used in years, the shaky hand held camera technique is used parrellel with the characters struggle to clear the dead vines out of her way therefore helping the viewer to empathise with the character, the camera zooms back out to convey the change of her facial expression and too give the feeling of space. The shot then cuts to a point of view, just as the leaves are pushed aside from the character and enters the garden, the mise-en-scene of the garden is the most significant extract from this film. The garden has large hedge sculptures of various creatures, the tracking shot lets the audience experience the imagery through the eyes of Peg, panning across everything as she walks towards the house. A Loch ness type creature on the right and a stag on the left, the centre piece of the garden in the middle of the path is a hedge sculpture of a hand, this is a symbolic code of Edwards desire to have human hands and therefore be accepted in society. This reflects the characters emotions and raises expectations of the audience. The garden also features piercing flowers varying from deep purple, orange, bright yellow and red. The garden is a symbol of hidden beauty and the last traces of nature. Whereas, the town below is fake yet considered normal in functional society.
The camera use in this small section alone helps to create emotion, the seamlessness editing and long length of shots helps to create suspense, the framing also manages to create foreboding and enables the audience to identify and sympathise with the characters.
Tim Burton often uses the same metaphorical imagery throughout most of his personal films, in order to present themes and metaphors in relation to the characters. Snow is the most commonly used in his films because it has semiotics of both cold yet distant but a constant symbol of beauty. It was used to tell the macabre history in ‘Sleepy Hollow’. And to convey Batman’s struggle to keep up with crime at Christmas time in ‘Batman’. However the use of snow in this film is not to represent harsh events but to symbolize the complexity and grace of Edward’s character. In the scene where Peg’s, daughter Kim starts to fall for Edwards artistic qualities, she is decorating a Christmas tree in her living room (theme of Christmas is also present in many of Burtons films), as she leaves the mid-close up shot to get more tree ornaments from by the window, the camera cuts where the audience are positioned to look through the window at her, the music starts, Kim looks at the camera, this is an enigma code because the character looks overwhelmed with what she is looking at, this creates suspense in the viewer because we are unable to see what she is seeing. The use of music in this extract is non-diegetic, however it represents the snow and is often in-sync with the characters. The tracking shot shows Kim walking towards the camera and going outside, this is where the enigma is fulfilled because snow can be seen. Her point of view shot conveys her walking into her garden and walking towards the source of snow, the use of this shot adds to the heightened suspense, as the camera peers round the garage, Edward can be seen sculpting Kim in the image of a large angel, the speed of his scissors creating a small blizzard for Kim. This is a symbolic code of Edward’s affection for Kim, for he desires her but is unable to be to close to her in fear of causing harm. Through this blizzard Edward is able to touch and open a communication channel with the character and audience so that we can experience his inner beauty. Kim is wearing a 50’s styled white dress, this has connotations of a wholesome, pure female which can be directly related to the angel sculpture. The mise-en-scene in the background shows coloured fairy lights that also link to Kim being associated with an angel (atop the tree) figure. This section is then slowed down to show Kim’s experience of Edward’s communication through art. The shots closing in on her face as she dances in the small snow storm, this has connotations of freedom, Edward is the only person in the neighbourhood that is truly pure with no prejudices. The close up of the outstretched hand, with the snowflakes falling into her palm is a metaphor of her reaching out to Edward and realizing her love for him. Edward’s facial expression is almost entranced in his inner emotions incarnating into comforting images, images that he finds less intimidating than society.
Tim Burton is fascinated with gadgetry and futuristic inventions. All of Burton’s personal projects include bizarre machines and an inventor character who is usually one of the main protagonists, the characterization of ‘the bastard son of Frankenstien3’: Jack Skellington in ‘The Nightmare before Christmas’ tried to invent a formula for Christmas spirit, Ichabod Crane from ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and his new adaptation to Rhoald Dahl’s ‘Willy Wonka’, which had a darker approach than the original film, closer to Dahl’s story.
Another theme that is always present in Tim Burton’s creations is the idea of having a fractured family or mostly, no parental figures at all, thus resulting in the characters unusual traits. Therefore the audience can only learn of the characters past through their flashbacks, this also allowing the audience to empathise with the character. Edward’s flashback relate to all his inabilities to express his true self and shows the viewer how he was created and left as an outsider to the world. This leads me to the next extract I am going to discuss, this shows the Inventor or Edward, Vincent Price in his stages towards the completion of his own human creation. This flashback occurs as he lies awake in bed, the low-key lighting once more symbolising his solitude. The diegetic voice of his inventor begins and the cuts into the flashback. Because the flashbacks can only be for a brief amount of time, extra detail to the set is needed to tell us as much information on Vincent Price as possible. The camera pans from left to right to attain a panoramic view of Vincent’s room and over the inventors’ belongings, his voice still continuing to read aloud. The opening shot shows a giant steel cog and a small robot connected to the conveyor belt on the cookie making machine that originally inspired the inventor to make Edward, (earlier in the film the inventor is seen holding a heart-shaped cookie up to the small robot, thus inventing his idea for his new companion.). The robots belt-like straps are reminiscent of Edwards costume throughout the film, consisting of a black, leather body suit fastened together by various buckles, a suit that was intended to last him a brief while until he was completed, his costume is almost stereotypical with horror genre and gothic subcultures which helps to contrast his gentlemanly qualities and timid personality.
The camera continues to pan across showing the inventors step-by-step process for making Edward on an easel. The wind coming from the window situated behind, blowing each of the pages to show how Edward was created from a robot, then given organs and limbs, the final page that can be seen is a sketch of the intended final creation, Edward pictured in a suit, this conveys the inventors attempts to civilize Edward in order to make him apart of society, this also adds an enigma to why Edward wasn’t completed. The mise-en-scene of the inventors’ desk shows various books scattered, crystal balls and scientific devices that have timeless origins.
Burton normally presents authority figures negatively in his films because they represent the status quo. However in ‘Edward scissorhands’ the policeman is the only figure to sympthatise with Edward and protects him from the mob. The character of Edward was a direct presentation of Burton himself and therefore is the most personal project that he has ever made, and because he exists in mainstream cinema he was able to have enough financial support to create the sets to his exact specifications. Burton speaks about how he used to feel like an outcast when he was younger and Edward is the embodiment of his troubled adolescence and the pressure to fit-in.
Even though the character Edward is made to stand out throughout the film with its mise en scene of his home, background and costume, the outcome doesn’t necessarily implies him as being strange. It only attempts to mock the gossiping neighbours who are all exaggerated stereotypes.
In the eyes of society Edward is considered to have a handicap because he cannot be fully independent in a world of doorknobs, normal clothes and dinner utensils, although he is deprived of functional hands his talent in society results in him sculpting hedges and cutting the hair of the dogs and women. Before he is socially awakened by the Boggs family all his garden sculptures were off animals and creatures, until he makes his first human sculpture of the Boggs family. The talent in his sculptures acts as a device to show his affection through an outward display by not harming anything, it’s also his way of communicating with a world he can’t quite understand. There have been many differing interpretations on the allegory that Edward is intended to stand for. His disability have been said to be a metaphor for childhood innocence, teenage adolescence, allegory for disability, such as ‘Aspergers syndrome’.
When the Hollywood studio system was developed in the 1920’s, the top film studios controlled all elements of production, distribution and exhibition and therefore restricted directors to channel and incorporate their own personal visions. The 5 major companies had total control over every film made at this time. This theory implies that in Hollywood an auteur is not possible because they have to conform to the companies needs.
All Films in this period relied on employing well known actors to ensure popularity and brand loyalty to one particular director, company. Tim Burton normally has his collaborators act within his films, the most well known are Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham-Carter. Tim Burton’s narrative style also adheres to the technique that has always been present in mainstream cinema, a linear narrative structure with frequent use of flashbacks. The reason for this is due to his stories taking form of fables. His story technique has been compared to the works of Lewis Carol, Brothers Grim and Rhoald Dahl for the way they present serious events and messages through dark and childlike oppositions but detached.
Tim Burtons talent in storytelling always allows the audience to sympthatise with the outsider and his films can have multiple themes running throughout just by the surreal and disjointed imagery running throughout, ‘it is the overall aesthetic cohesion that makes his work stand out’4. Therefore he is considered an Auteur for his artistic signature can be recognized in films he has directed and films that he has created himself.
Bibliography:
‘Burton’ The Pocket Essential– Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc
2005
An Introduction to Film Studies – Third edition, Routledge
Edited by Jill Nelmes
References:
1. An Introduction to Film Studies - Page 453
2. ‘Burton’ The Pocket Essential – Page 13
3. Burton’ The Pocket Essential – Page 22
4. Burton’ The Pocket Essential - Page 11
Declaration:
All work, unless referenced in this essay is all of my own work to the best of my knowledge.
Signed:
H.Davies
‘Auteur’ is the French word for ‘author’ and relates to the input of the director and his/her collaborators.
‘Cahiers du Cinema’ was the name of a French journal where the basic principles of Auteurism were first mentioned in the 1950’s. This ‘auteur’ policy was only coined as a theory 10 years later by an American critic Andrew Sarris and his contribution on the theory involved creating guidelines to deconstruct Hollywood films1.
The overall idea behind the auteur theory was to analyse mainly, the mise en scene to see if it represented themes in relation to the director. Also, to analyse the author of a film as any traditional artist and see how the visual art can convey creative expression. In this essay I am going to discuss the work of Tim Burton and how he can be seen as one of the most recognizable ‘Auteur’ within mainstream cinema and how Tim Burton manages to add more value to his films by his ‘gothic and disjointed2’ imagery running throughout his allegorical stories.
Tim Burtons’ main collaborators are Colleen Atwood the costume designer and Danny Elfman produces all of Tim’s Motion Soundtracks. Also actors Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham-Carter are involved with collaborating Burtons’ films. In this essay I am going to pay particular attention to ‘Edward Scissorhands’ to define to what extent Tim Burton can be seen as an Auteur.
Tim Burton was born in Burbank, California. This is a place where they projected the image of happy Suburban America, Burton did not fit in and saw through the façade and the suburban parody is evident within ‘Edward Scissorhands’. Tim created ‘Edward Scissorhands’ when he was in high school and was co-produced by Caroline Thompson. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ was in many ways and allegory of Burton’s persona and explores the idea of the ‘tortured artist’. This was his first personal project he managed to take to the big screen, in 1990.
‘Edward Scissorhands’ is a story about an artificial man with scissors for hands and therefore is unable to touch anything he cares about without destroying it, then one day a kind housewife of typical nuclear family discovers that he has been in isolation from society and decides bring him home with her.
The first extract that I am going to discuss is when Edward first meets someone from the suburban street below. This is where Peg the Avon lady decides to visit the gothic mansion on the hill that overshadows what appears to be happy suburban life. The point of view shot conveys Peg’s contemplation as the frame shows her adjusting her side mirror on her car to look at the Castle-like house. There is then a long shot to show Peg turning her car around and driving away from the pastel coloured street. The mise en scene immediately draws the difference between these images and looks as though to separate surreal worlds have collided together within the diegesis even in its aesthetic qualities. The pastel Suburban streets stand as an challenging the American dream ideology and parodying it, the idea that Suburbia has tried to paint there houses individual colours yet are all conforming to conventions, this also conveys how they are not used to anyone or thing breaking those conventions, therefore leading to prejudice and inequality.
The next shot shows Peg driving towards the camera, approaching the mansion. The camera is positioned as a high angle shot looking down at Pegs’ car, as the camera pans across, dead trees, the stone walls of the mansion with gargoyles atop, the connotations of this is of a gothic/horror fairy tale. The threatening setting could be used as a horror set yet the xylophone and violin music indicates that no violence is about to take place, yet something is about to be discovered. During Pegs’ journey to the top of the hill where the mansion is, the cameras positioning is mainly panning across the wood-like area as the car descends, the use of camera movement adds a sense of foreboding and the idea that she is being watched…by us. The connotation of the mise-en-scene suggests that for the first time Peg is in a natural, genuine surrounding.
When the character, Peg reaches the inner-gates to the mansion the camera zooms out as an attempt to establish the scale of the mansion and contrast Peg with the building. The mise-en-scene also manages to contrast the mansion with Peg, Pegs costume consists of a Lilac suit, with matching hat and small white slippers, her dress sense is reminiscent of the 50’s fashion, the very era that Burton parodies in the Suburban town. The bonnet of her pastel yellow car can also be seen in the frame. The foreground depicts green wood-like area and Pegs car, then in the background, behind the mansion gates, the pointed spires and sinister imagery incorporated into the gate connote the sense that Peg is an unwelcome guest, the background is all monotone of various shades of grey. As Peg steps out of the car and walks towards the gates, the camera once again zooms back into the original frame, where its positioned as a low angle shot, showing how the mansion gates overshadow Peg. This connotes her vulnerability and creates heightened suspense for the viewer. The gates themselves almost look like doors to a mausoleum or tomb with engravings of sorrowful demons either-side with their arms together yet not having any hands but small hooves. Above the gate is an owl watching over any one that enters and a stag atop the stonework, this connotes nocturnal beasts and hints on the theme of ever-present darkness that appears to dwell in the building. Peg makes her way forward and pushes herself through the wrought-iron gates. The non-diegetic music is heightened at this point to help increase suspense of what the protagonist is about to find.
The viewers then see a mid shot as Peg pushes through the gates that are overgrown with ivy vines connoting that the gates haven’t been used in years, the shaky hand held camera technique is used parrellel with the characters struggle to clear the dead vines out of her way therefore helping the viewer to empathise with the character, the camera zooms back out to convey the change of her facial expression and too give the feeling of space. The shot then cuts to a point of view, just as the leaves are pushed aside from the character and enters the garden, the mise-en-scene of the garden is the most significant extract from this film. The garden has large hedge sculptures of various creatures, the tracking shot lets the audience experience the imagery through the eyes of Peg, panning across everything as she walks towards the house. A Loch ness type creature on the right and a stag on the left, the centre piece of the garden in the middle of the path is a hedge sculpture of a hand, this is a symbolic code of Edwards desire to have human hands and therefore be accepted in society. This reflects the characters emotions and raises expectations of the audience. The garden also features piercing flowers varying from deep purple, orange, bright yellow and red. The garden is a symbol of hidden beauty and the last traces of nature. Whereas, the town below is fake yet considered normal in functional society.
The camera use in this small section alone helps to create emotion, the seamlessness editing and long length of shots helps to create suspense, the framing also manages to create foreboding and enables the audience to identify and sympathise with the characters.
Tim Burton often uses the same metaphorical imagery throughout most of his personal films, in order to present themes and metaphors in relation to the characters. Snow is the most commonly used in his films because it has semiotics of both cold yet distant but a constant symbol of beauty. It was used to tell the macabre history in ‘Sleepy Hollow’. And to convey Batman’s struggle to keep up with crime at Christmas time in ‘Batman’. However the use of snow in this film is not to represent harsh events but to symbolize the complexity and grace of Edward’s character. In the scene where Peg’s, daughter Kim starts to fall for Edwards artistic qualities, she is decorating a Christmas tree in her living room (theme of Christmas is also present in many of Burtons films), as she leaves the mid-close up shot to get more tree ornaments from by the window, the camera cuts where the audience are positioned to look through the window at her, the music starts, Kim looks at the camera, this is an enigma code because the character looks overwhelmed with what she is looking at, this creates suspense in the viewer because we are unable to see what she is seeing. The use of music in this extract is non-diegetic, however it represents the snow and is often in-sync with the characters. The tracking shot shows Kim walking towards the camera and going outside, this is where the enigma is fulfilled because snow can be seen. Her point of view shot conveys her walking into her garden and walking towards the source of snow, the use of this shot adds to the heightened suspense, as the camera peers round the garage, Edward can be seen sculpting Kim in the image of a large angel, the speed of his scissors creating a small blizzard for Kim. This is a symbolic code of Edward’s affection for Kim, for he desires her but is unable to be to close to her in fear of causing harm. Through this blizzard Edward is able to touch and open a communication channel with the character and audience so that we can experience his inner beauty. Kim is wearing a 50’s styled white dress, this has connotations of a wholesome, pure female which can be directly related to the angel sculpture. The mise-en-scene in the background shows coloured fairy lights that also link to Kim being associated with an angel (atop the tree) figure. This section is then slowed down to show Kim’s experience of Edward’s communication through art. The shots closing in on her face as she dances in the small snow storm, this has connotations of freedom, Edward is the only person in the neighbourhood that is truly pure with no prejudices. The close up of the outstretched hand, with the snowflakes falling into her palm is a metaphor of her reaching out to Edward and realizing her love for him. Edward’s facial expression is almost entranced in his inner emotions incarnating into comforting images, images that he finds less intimidating than society.
Tim Burton is fascinated with gadgetry and futuristic inventions. All of Burton’s personal projects include bizarre machines and an inventor character who is usually one of the main protagonists, the characterization of ‘the bastard son of Frankenstien3’: Jack Skellington in ‘The Nightmare before Christmas’ tried to invent a formula for Christmas spirit, Ichabod Crane from ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and his new adaptation to Rhoald Dahl’s ‘Willy Wonka’, which had a darker approach than the original film, closer to Dahl’s story.
Another theme that is always present in Tim Burton’s creations is the idea of having a fractured family or mostly, no parental figures at all, thus resulting in the characters unusual traits. Therefore the audience can only learn of the characters past through their flashbacks, this also allowing the audience to empathise with the character. Edward’s flashback relate to all his inabilities to express his true self and shows the viewer how he was created and left as an outsider to the world. This leads me to the next extract I am going to discuss, this shows the Inventor or Edward, Vincent Price in his stages towards the completion of his own human creation. This flashback occurs as he lies awake in bed, the low-key lighting once more symbolising his solitude. The diegetic voice of his inventor begins and the cuts into the flashback. Because the flashbacks can only be for a brief amount of time, extra detail to the set is needed to tell us as much information on Vincent Price as possible. The camera pans from left to right to attain a panoramic view of Vincent’s room and over the inventors’ belongings, his voice still continuing to read aloud. The opening shot shows a giant steel cog and a small robot connected to the conveyor belt on the cookie making machine that originally inspired the inventor to make Edward, (earlier in the film the inventor is seen holding a heart-shaped cookie up to the small robot, thus inventing his idea for his new companion.). The robots belt-like straps are reminiscent of Edwards costume throughout the film, consisting of a black, leather body suit fastened together by various buckles, a suit that was intended to last him a brief while until he was completed, his costume is almost stereotypical with horror genre and gothic subcultures which helps to contrast his gentlemanly qualities and timid personality.
The camera continues to pan across showing the inventors step-by-step process for making Edward on an easel. The wind coming from the window situated behind, blowing each of the pages to show how Edward was created from a robot, then given organs and limbs, the final page that can be seen is a sketch of the intended final creation, Edward pictured in a suit, this conveys the inventors attempts to civilize Edward in order to make him apart of society, this also adds an enigma to why Edward wasn’t completed. The mise-en-scene of the inventors’ desk shows various books scattered, crystal balls and scientific devices that have timeless origins.
Burton normally presents authority figures negatively in his films because they represent the status quo. However in ‘Edward scissorhands’ the policeman is the only figure to sympthatise with Edward and protects him from the mob. The character of Edward was a direct presentation of Burton himself and therefore is the most personal project that he has ever made, and because he exists in mainstream cinema he was able to have enough financial support to create the sets to his exact specifications. Burton speaks about how he used to feel like an outcast when he was younger and Edward is the embodiment of his troubled adolescence and the pressure to fit-in.
Even though the character Edward is made to stand out throughout the film with its mise en scene of his home, background and costume, the outcome doesn’t necessarily implies him as being strange. It only attempts to mock the gossiping neighbours who are all exaggerated stereotypes.
In the eyes of society Edward is considered to have a handicap because he cannot be fully independent in a world of doorknobs, normal clothes and dinner utensils, although he is deprived of functional hands his talent in society results in him sculpting hedges and cutting the hair of the dogs and women. Before he is socially awakened by the Boggs family all his garden sculptures were off animals and creatures, until he makes his first human sculpture of the Boggs family. The talent in his sculptures acts as a device to show his affection through an outward display by not harming anything, it’s also his way of communicating with a world he can’t quite understand. There have been many differing interpretations on the allegory that Edward is intended to stand for. His disability have been said to be a metaphor for childhood innocence, teenage adolescence, allegory for disability, such as ‘Aspergers syndrome’.
When the Hollywood studio system was developed in the 1920’s, the top film studios controlled all elements of production, distribution and exhibition and therefore restricted directors to channel and incorporate their own personal visions. The 5 major companies had total control over every film made at this time. This theory implies that in Hollywood an auteur is not possible because they have to conform to the companies needs.
All Films in this period relied on employing well known actors to ensure popularity and brand loyalty to one particular director, company. Tim Burton normally has his collaborators act within his films, the most well known are Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder and Helena Bonham-Carter. Tim Burton’s narrative style also adheres to the technique that has always been present in mainstream cinema, a linear narrative structure with frequent use of flashbacks. The reason for this is due to his stories taking form of fables. His story technique has been compared to the works of Lewis Carol, Brothers Grim and Rhoald Dahl for the way they present serious events and messages through dark and childlike oppositions but detached.
Tim Burtons talent in storytelling always allows the audience to sympthatise with the outsider and his films can have multiple themes running throughout just by the surreal and disjointed imagery running throughout, ‘it is the overall aesthetic cohesion that makes his work stand out’4. Therefore he is considered an Auteur for his artistic signature can be recognized in films he has directed and films that he has created himself.
Bibliography:
‘Burton’ The Pocket Essential– Colin Odell and Michelle Le Blanc
2005
An Introduction to Film Studies – Third edition, Routledge
Edited by Jill Nelmes
References:
1. An Introduction to Film Studies - Page 453
2. ‘Burton’ The Pocket Essential – Page 13
3. Burton’ The Pocket Essential – Page 22
4. Burton’ The Pocket Essential - Page 11
Declaration:
All work, unless referenced in this essay is all of my own work to the best of my knowledge.
Signed:
H.Davies
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