This essay discusses the similarities and
differences between the films Corpse Bride, 2005, The Nightmare before
Christmas, 1993 and Edward Scissorhands, 1990 specifically identifying areas
within each film where the notions of time and space are used. It is
clear to see that each film can be compared in terms of the classic Gothic and
the Modern Gothic genres. Gothic
darkness and Gothic figures are used as the main characters throughout. In the
films, The nightmare before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, both main
characters, Jack and Edward are both the misunderstood. Characters (monsters) and the Corpse Bride,
Emily, the ghost figure. For example, Corpse Bride, the passion and love
between the living and the dead. The passion and love between Edward and a
human being from Edward Scissorhands. ‘…Always emphasize the character’s
antagonistic relationship with an oppressive establishment…’ McMahan. A p7
Comparing the characters Jack (The Nightmare
before Christmas) and Edward (Edward Scissorhands), they are both stereotypical
Gothic Monsters who have difficulties learning lessons and fitting in the
social order and the use of colour on both characters, Edward and Jack, both
suggested stereotype of Gothic style. In
Burton’s directed films, colours were used to emphasize the characters and
their relationship with the others and society.
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Figure 1: Underworld: Corpse Bride, 2005.
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Comparing the Underworld and the Living
World in the film Corpse Bride, 2005, there are a number of similarities
between the Underworld and the Living World, they are both almost identical
with the buildings and in the image, see (figure 1 and 2.) For example, the
horse statue. In the Living World, the horse statue is just a statue. However,
In the Underworld, the horse comes alive.
The living world and underworld are similar in colour. This allows the audience to see visually the
links between the two. There are a number of similarities between the
Underworld and the Living World, they are almost identical with the buildings (figure
1 and 2.) In the Living World, the horse statue is just a statue, however, In
the Underworld, the horse comes alive.
‘Proposes dual worlds of the
living and the dead, contra to convention, the austere, grey land of the living
by no means diminishes or overshadows the more colourful land of the dead.’ (Burton.
2006. 252)
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| Figure 2: Concept art for the land of the living drawn by Luc Desmarchelier, Corpse Bride, 2005. |
Corpse Bride shows how the underworld was
more alive than the living world as the story was based on a 19th century
Russian – Jewish adaptation of a 16th century folktale, ‘The Finger’. (Schwartz,
1988. 51)
‘…a woman on her wedding day is
murdered and a man on his way to his own wedding sees her finger poking out of
the ground. For fun, he places his bride's wedding ring on the corpse's finger
(which he thinks is just a stick) and practices his marriage vows. The woman's
corpse emerges from the ground and declares herself married to the man…’
The story was later adapted by producer /
director Tim Burton.
Visual music on film, computer graphics, Corpse Bride was create with
moving lights and music for the eye comparable to
the effects of sound for the ear. For the films Corpse Bride and The Nightmare
before Christmas both are a musical, often feeling and thoughts are translated
though songs throughout the plot, with rhyming lyrics which creates a catchy
tone for the audience to remember.
"A film is difficult to explain because it
is easy to understand." The film critic Christian Metz. |
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Figure 3: Halloween Town: The Nightmare before Christmas,
1993.
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In the location of Halloween Town in The Nightmare before Christmas, the
location uses Halloween colours, see (figure 3,) In terms of time, each film is
based upon a public holiday and event, which allows the viewer to understand
time within the films but also the period in which they are set.
For example, the holiday theme is Halloween,
in the location it contains the classic gothic monsters, such as Dr Finkelstein
much like the original Dr Frankenstein and the character Sally, which Dr
Finkelstein created. Sally acted as the Freakinstinkin's monster.
While. J’s Frankenstein is
quoted in Finklestein’s line, ‘I made you with my own hands’.
‘Doctor Finklestein : That's
twice this month since you slipped deadly nightshade in my tea and run off.
Sally: (correcting him) Three
times.
Doctor Finklestein :You're mine,
you know! I made you! With my own hands... ‘(The Nightmare before Christmas)
However, they also
included the character Clown with the Tearaway face, for. Clowns usually
appears at children's parties, which in my point of view this character are
more for linked to children’s fears. For example, Stephen King the author wrote
the horror novel IT. In the story follows the exploits of seven children as the
eponymous being, which exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order
to disguise itself while hunting its prey, terrorizes them. "It"
primarily appears in the form of a clown in order to attract its preferred prey
of young children. (1986) The timeline of the horror gothic genre, and
stereotypical fears help relate the film to Present time.
Sally suggest the Freakinstinkin's
monster character, however, her appears friendlier, even though she
still act as a classic gothic figure.
In the location of Halloween Town in The Nightmare before Christmas, the
location uses Halloween colours, see (figure 3,) In terms of time, each film is
based upon a public holiday and event, which allows the viewer to understand
time within the films but also the period in which they are set.
For example, the holiday theme is Halloween,
in the location it contains the classic gothic monsters, such as Dr Finkelstein
much like the original Dr Frankenstein and the character Sally, which Dr
Finkelstein created. Sally acted as the Freakinstinkin's monster.
While. J’s Frankenstein is
quoted in Finklestein’s line, ‘I made you with my own hands’.
‘Doctor Finklestein : That's
twice this month since you slipped deadly nightshade in my tea and run off.
Sally: (correcting him) Three
times.
Doctor Finklestein :You're mine,
you know! I made you! With my own hands... ‘(The Nightmare before Christmas)
However, they also
included the character Clown with the Tearaway face, for. Clowns usually
appears at children's parties, which in my point of view this character are
more for linked to children’s fears. For example, Stephen King the author wrote
the horror novel IT. In the story follows the exploits of seven children as the
eponymous being, which exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order
to disguise itself while hunting its prey, terrorizes them. "It"
primarily appears in the form of a clown in order to attract its preferred prey
of young children. (1986) The timeline of the horror gothic genre, and
stereotypical fears help relate the film to Present time.
Sally suggest the Freakinstinkin's
monster character, however, her appears friendlier, even though she
still act as a classic gothic figure.
 |
Figure 4: Christmas Town, The nightmare before Christmas,
1993.
|
In the location of Christmas Town the
colours followed a traditional westernised colour scheme that mirrors the human
world in terms of repetition and similarity. Figure 4 and 5, both use of
decorations of the location are very similar. For example, in the location of
Christmas Town, a Christmas tree was put up in the centre of the town,
representing Christmas. (Figure 5) A Christmas tree was put up in the centre of
the living room, suggesting the welcoming of Christmas Eve.
Although, both locations appears to be
colourful, but it lack of the live like energy, for example, at the location of
Christmas Town the elves were appears cheerful and making toys for the good
children. However, they seems to be following strictly orders, much like the
reaction of the human’s world children, each got woken up and discover the
oddness about the toys. (As the toys came alive and ruining Christmas, figure
5, the snake swallowing the Christmas tree, a suggestion of Halloween is taking
over Christmas)?
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| Figure 5: Human world, The Nightmare before Christmas, 1993. |
The Gothic elements in film, Corpse Bride,
2005. The time period is set in late 1800s in a Victorian time period, which by
the mid-1800s, England was deep in the Victorian Era and Gothic literature.
Also the idea of marriage, where the
character Victoria was told to marry Victor, which in the beginning of the
plot, they have never even met each other. It was the idea of obeisance that
was similar to Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet.
Where parents do not listen to their
children enough. Which in this case, Victor confesses to Victoria that he was
terrified of marriage at first, but then upon meeting her he wanted to be with
her forever. However, he seems to be found himself married with someone else.
When Victoria asked her parents for help,
they simply ignored her.
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Figure 6: Corpse Bride, 2005.
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‘…Gothic is escapist,
retreating into distant landscapes, lost eras and outlandish personal
appearance…’ (Williams, 2007)
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Figure 7: The Nightmare before Christmas, 1993.
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See figure 7, Jack is standing next to the
statue, which reflects his personality as a Halloween character that he was
meant to scare children. As Jack is good tempered, but he has a dual character
as a pumpkin king in Halloween town.
For the reason of Jack interfering Christmas
holiday, was because Jack has grown tired of using the same old themes over and
over on Halloween, which was scaring children.
However, scaring children was within his
nature, for example, when the Oogie’s boys kidnapped Easter Bunny, the Oogie’s
boys were started fighting among themselves, Jack, in order to break them up
and get their attention, has pulled a scary face to them, using fear to make
them stop, also maybe in suggestion to tell them who is in charge.
‘Plot seems an easy idea to digest – “this
happened, then that happened, then something else happened….” Jones. M
The idea of Jack being the Pumpkin King in
Halloween Town, suggest he uses his talent to scare the others, which that is
the way of earning respect from the others, yet seeing how he is not the mayor,
yet, the mayor shows total dependence on Jack.
The stop motion films, Corpse Bride, 2005
and The Nightmare before Christmas, 1993 are aimed at children, but not really.
Also, adults can take more from this and each one has a dark humoured lesson.
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Figure 8: Edward Scissorhands town location, Edward Scissorhands,
1990.
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Comparing the locations of the town and the
houses they lived in, are identical houses. Colour is used differently in
Edward scissor hands there is a colour pattern and repetition.
‘Verisimilitude is a principle of textual
coherence rather than an area in which there exists some relation between the fictional
and the real world.’ ( Cobley, 2001. 219)
Such as the town itself, it doesn’t exists,
it was more of a fairy-tale to show the happy lives of this neighbourhood was
leading.
Where I think the character Edward shows the
idea of real life. For he is the character of freak. Showing that everyone is
different and yet shares the equally rights. He was earning his share and his
place by helping the neighbourhood with his scissorhands, which in the story,
Edward’s creator did not finish making his hands before he passed away. Therefore,
Edward have made the hands himself, which bring up the a question about the way
he was shut off from human world and lived by himself, was he scissorhands a
sight of defence and protection.
‘…castle is saturated through and through
with a time that is historical in the narrow sense of the world, that is, the
time of the historical past…’ Bahktin, quoted from Narrative Reader, (cited in
McQuillan, 2000).
In this case, the past is the memory of
Edward’s creator, also as a father figure to Edward. However, Edward’s creator
was not there to guardian. That led to a lot of misguidance from the neighbourhood.
This also applies to Corpse Bride,, for the Underworld and the living was
separated by live and death, one was not allow to be interfering with the
other, for example, Lord Barkis was fighting Victor, the dead wasn’t able to
help, for they are in the Living World, there are rules they must obey. However, once Lord Barkis has did, the dead
took revenge on him.
For in Copse Bride, Emily and Edward both
are similar to Frankenstein’s monster.
Both misunderstood and persecuted.
2005, ‘According to plan’ with
the ending, Victor and Victoria ending up being together. For ‘according to
plan’, nothing ordinary allow to happen , which is a theory that suggests that
through parent’s eyes things are supposed to be a particular way. Expectations of behaviour and events are
shared by the audience. These plans are
seen in Romeo and Juliet, Edward Scissorhands.
It allows stories to be told in the future about these questions of
human morality.
With The Nightmare before Christmas, 1993,
Pumpkin King Jack from the Halloween were was not allowed to take over
Christmas. When he does, he ended up causing troubles along the way.
‘Landscapes stress isolation and wilderness,
evoking vulnerability, exposure and insecurity.’
The location of the castle, in Edward
Scissorhands, Halloween Town and the forest, where Victor and Emily meet, all
appears to be isolated. For example, the forest appears to be shadowy, bleak
and cold. Halloween town and the castle where Jack and Edward lived makes the
outsider feel exposure and insecurity. For example Such as Santa Claus who was
kidnapped to the Halloween Town and the Avon Lady who discover the castle.
(Botting. F, 2013 .4)
Castles and ruins are the centre of many
early gothic fictions, (Ibid.) which in the film, Edward Scissorhands, the
story’s beginning and end has ended back inside the Castle. Where the Avon Lady
first discovered Edward and bought him into her world, and at the end the angry
mop chased Edward back inside the castle.
‘Physical
locations and settings manifest disturbance and ambivalence in spatial terms as
movements between inside and out…’ Botting.
F, 2013.4)
Comparing all three films, The Nightmare
before Christmas, 1993, Edward Scissorhands, 1990 and Corpse Bride, 2005. They
all share a comment point: Worlds.
The Underworld and the Living World,
Halloween Town and Christmas Town, and the Castel which was in the same
neighbourhood, but it was isolated. Those worlds symbolic the society, The
Living world, where things must according to plan, shows the dullness of
normality and pushes it to its definition. Christmas Town and the human world shares the
same interest. However, when Jack misunderstood the meaning of Christmas and
bought terror to the human world, also the entrance to Halloween Town in the
film shows the location of a graveyard, that symbolic the true meaning of
Halloween, a holiday where the dead walks the earth. This led to Corpse Bride, where the vows
between husband and wife was broken for the death of Emily, the dead was
walking among the living. The location of the wedding was held in a church,
transferring institutions to zones outside a rational culture, it incarceration
and power, where there is no protection from terror.
Such as skeletons and reproduction of
corpses led to screams, flight or fainting in the story of The Nightmare before
Christmas and Corpse Bride, but not the audience, that is where the stop motion
cartoon led to, it bought terror within the characters in that world, but not the
actual audience who is watching it. Children
might laugh at the terror within the characters, but where in Edward
Scissorhands, the film was acted out by real people, the audience might
experience the terror within the characters.
‘…macabre
repertoire terror is designed to have disturbing effects on character’s and
readers’ imaginations…’
As in the story plot of Corpse Bride, 2005.
The character, Emily becoming more and more likable, to the point the audience
might started to wonder the question: “Shouldn’t, maybe, Victor end up with
Emily?’’
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Figure 9: Corpse Bride, 2005.
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The inclusion of the scene where Victor
connects with the Corpse Bride while playing piano with her was necessary to
propagate the plot, but seems to indicate that he’d be just as content living
among the dead as he would be with Victoria, as Victor and Victoria both under
the instruction of their panthers.
At the beginning of the story, it seems
straightforward with the story plot, Victor meets Victoria, and both falling in
love with each other. As the Corpse Bride first appears, Victor was terrify of
her, but he quickly discover Emily to be funny and sweet.
Emily’s decision to stop Victor from
drinking the Wine of Ages (Towards the ending) was maybe less about saving his
life and more about saw herself in Victoria.
For Emily do wants to be married. However,
she knew that taking Victor's life will ruin Victoria's chance of being the
lucky bride just as how Emily had her chance, but what she needs is to free
herself from her self-imposed curse. Her transformation at the end as she walks
out the door and turns into thousands of butterflies, symbolizing that she had
found peace, and the butterflies flow up towards the moon.
In the ending endings of each of these films
the dual roles of the characters are then sent back to the roles they wanted to
break from.
In my point of view, apart from the film
Edward Scissorhands, the other two films that I have been comparing, The
Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride, both suggested happy ending, for
Jack has finally comes to acknowledge Sally. As in the ending the two refer to each other
as "friends", though throughout in the story plot Jack seems unaware
of Sally's true feelings for him, as she is too shy to make them known to him
other than through her sweet actions. For example, she idolizes and admires Jack
much like any of the other female members of Halloween Town. However, she
quickly discovers that they are connected by the desire for something more in
their lives.
‘Jack,
I know how you feel.’
Sally and Emily from Corpse Bride, both
shares the similar personality, for example, both come to sense to set thing
right throughout the story plot and for their action, Emily sacrificed her
marriage, so that Victor and Victoria can be together. Sally on the other hand,
tried to rescue Santa Claus.
“...
She's the only one who makes sense around this insane asylum!”
―Santa Claus to Jack; referring to Sally.
Sally has faded blue fabric for skin, which
are similar to Emily’s blue skin, from Corpse Bride.
She also has large eyes with small black
pupils, which are similar to Corpse Bride, three main characters, Victor,
Victoria and Emily. Also, Sally is known to be stuffed with fall leaves, which
suggest she as a rag doll-type creature.
Jack the character from The Nightmare before
Christmas, even though he is a skeleton, he is without eyes, however, his
‘eyes’ are still big. He can remove his head, for he is already dead.
The look of characters in Corpse Bride, all
shares the big eyes look. Especially the main three love triangle characters,
Emily, Victor and Victoria. Apart from the fact, Emily is dead, her skin
appears to be blue, and her left arm and right leg are decomposed showing bone.
Also her ribs show through the right side of her wedding dress. Lastly, she
also has a maggot lives inside her head that suggest conscience.
On the other hand, Victor and Victoria, both
appears very similar with the pale skin tone, but Victor appears more gothic
than Victoria, for Victor has dark circles around his eyes, which appears the
same with Edward in Edward Scissorhands,. Also, Victor’s body structure appears
very similar to Jack from the Nightmare before Christmas, tall slim figures.
The dark circles around the eyes, may
suggest distress, for both of the characters had to deal with a lot of problems
in films, in order to learn their lessons. The fear for ordinary lives, world. Corpse
Bride, The Nightmare before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands, all suggest the
extraordinary, the odds met the normal, how it interfering the human world and
unfit to the society.
All three films, almost suggest the ordinary
world cannot handle the odds, the ordinary human fears the freak like
characters, which links to at one point, Edward in Edward Scissorhands has
caused a riot, with the angry mop, despite Edward has offer his skills and time
to help out in the neighbourhood. One misstep, it suggest Edward made one
mistakes within the neighbourhood, it triggers the fear, the ordinary has for
Edward, fearing Edward as a monster, fearing the deadly looking scissorhands.
It seems, one mistake, that all it takes to undo the trust.
On the other hand, it was the attack from
the human world that woken Jack up from his foolishness, (The Nightmare before
Christmas) for Jack always been the pumpkin king, when the children started
screaming, Jack mistaken that for a sight of joy.
Within the ending, Jack managed to save
Christmas and in return, Santa had made Halloween Town snow, maybe, after all
the trouble Jack has gone through for being tried of the same theme every year,
and having no one understand what he has experienced in Christmas Town. At
last, it snow at Halloween Town, the other creatures has finally asked the same
question that Jack has once asked himself. (The song, What’s this)
Gothic remains non, - anti and
counter by definition, always asserting that the conventional values of life
and enlightenment are actually less instructive than darkness and death. (Gilda
Williams, 2014)
In conclusion, the three films suggested a
lesson to learn not only for the main characters, but also for the audience /
viewers. The stop motion films, Corpse Bride and The Nightmare before
Christmas, aiming at the children audience age group, however, parents would be
watching the films with their children, (cinema) led to having adult discussion.
For example, the ending of Corpse Bride, should Victor be with Emily, instead? The plot of Jack having more power than the
mayor. (Who is really in charge). However, I am more concerned about the ending
as well, about Jack and Sally being ‘Friends’ and then they kissed, which
suggest only adult could understand the meaning behind it. For children it
could suggest that there is different types of loves, such as the love of a
friendship. For Edward Scissorhands, the
age rated as PG-13, which adults require to watch it with their children (cinema)
that’s allow more dark humour, sexual attention and more reflection of the
reality, suggest people reaction to the freak. This link to the theory of
accepting and showing more kindness to the others. (un-judging) The theory of
an un-happy ending points toward the story telling of the ending, the female
character telling her grandchildren the story of Edward. Also, the fact that he
is still alive.
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's
not the end.” (Lennon. J, unknown)
Bibliography:
Botting, F. (2014) Gothic. Routledge
Burton, T (1990) Edward Scissorhands, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
Burton, T (2005) Corpse Bride, Warner Bros.
Burton, T (2006) Burton on Burton.
Cobley (2001) Narrative.
McMahan,
A (2010) The
Films of Tim Burton: Animating Live Action in Contemporary Hollywood
McQuillan, M (2000)
Narrative Reader,., Routledge Monaco, J (1981) How to Read a Film. New York: Oxford UP pp. 121 - 191.
No author
(2007) How Deep is your Goth? Gothic Art in the Contemporary
No Author (no date) Documents of Contemporary Art Series: Gothic,
MIT Press
Salisbury. Mark. Burton on Burton. Faber
& Faber, Macmillan, 1995.
Selick, H (1993) The Nightmare before
Christmas, Walt Disney Pictures.
Schwartz. Howard. 1988. Lilith’s Cav. Oxford University Press, Harper
& Row. Inc.,
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