Edward Scissorhand (1990) Film Review

Edward Scissorhand also known as Tim Burton’s adaptation to the Frankenstein story. This film simply has it all which makes it somewhat perfect.

The movie ‘satirizes the homogeneity of American suburbia through a contrast with gothic architecture’ as ‘Edward lives in an old gray horror-movie castle that looms up absurdly over’ this suburban street where the houses are multi coloured and each driveway has lawn perfectly mowed. Although it doesn’t seem real as the audience we make sense of it because Tim Burton takes us to a world where anything is possible. From far the castle

looks horrible as if nothing there is living, however when you get closer this imperfect mansion becomes very perfect; especially the garden a place that looks like it is looked after very well. And the garden really portrays Tim Burton’s style. This inside of this mansion on the other hand looks like an old laboratory where the equipment has collected dust over the years, as if no one lives there; and the inside of the mansion really contrasts to the outside. As ‘the simplistic heavy walls, lacking in decoration and windows allude to Italian gothic architecture.’ And this makes ‘the bare walls emphasize the height of the building’ As Peg walks through the mansion she ends up in the attic where the roof is broken, the only thing in the room is a fire place and that too does not fit its purpose, the fire place has old pictures and articles placed around it.

Image 1: Edward Scissorhand- Film Poster

Image 3- Mansions Garden

Image 4- Gothic Mansion

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When Edward comes to live in this suburban street alongside Peg and her family, he is very excited and this is shown through his expressions. Never having left the mansion Edward is ‘a boy too sensitive for this world’. And this point can be easily made by just looking at Edward; ‘he has two-foot-long scissor blades — one set of shears for each ''finger''’. Living around the bare minimal in the

mansion it may have been easier for him to cope however we don’t know this. When he comes he seems to adapt better than thought; having difficulties with eating and the water beds. Aside all this Edward ‘becomes extremely popular with the women of the neighborhood, some of them fascinated by his knack for inventing odd haircuts’.

A lot in this movie resembles Beauty and the Beast. The beast being Edward and Beauty being Kim. You can see that Edward likes Kim from the moment he see her photograph; and see the feelings grow between them both as the film progresses. Edward isn’t bad at all however one incident which he was wrongly accused for; turned all the neighbors against him. All of a sudden this new environment he was getting used to and started to feel a part of turned around. As the audience we know that Edward is innocent, and this world he began to feel apart of all of a sudden turns upside down an everything he seems to touch he accidentelly ends up harming. Although the film has so many unrealistic aspect; we as the audience never question this, because Tim Burton is taking us somewhere where everything is possible. For example the scene where Edward is carving an ice sculpture… whilst watching the film we

don’t think where did it come from, or its impossible; because we’re watching a fim where a man has scissors as hands, and everything about the film fits perfectly.

 

 

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Image 6, Ice sculptures

Bibliography

Research

(Travers  ,2013),  Edward  Scissorhand,  At:  http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/edward-­‐scissorhands-­‐19901214  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

(Johnson,  s.n.),  Edward  Scissorhand-­‐  An  Architecture  of  Fantasy  and  Fiction,  At:  http://www.unc.edu/~rmjohnso/portfolio/edward.html  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

(Gleiberman,  1990),  Movie  Review  –  Edward  Scissorhand,  At:  http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20609141_318762,00.html  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

(Maslin,  1990),  Edward  Scissorhand  (1990),  At:  http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE2D81338F934A35751C1A966958260  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Illustrations  

Image  1-­‐  Edward  Scissorhand  Film  Poster,  At:  http://pixcdn.posterrevolution.com/pr/5/685099f.jpg  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Image  2  –  Edward  Scissorhand  Suburban  street,  At:  http://roisinmcloughlin.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/castle1-­‐500x3122.jpg  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Image  3-­‐  Edward  Scissorhand  Mansion  Garden,  At:  http://fogsmoviereviews.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/edward_scissorhands_garden.png  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Image  4-­‐  Edward  Scissorhand  Gothic  Mansion,  At:  http://www.filminglocationsdetectives.com/films/images/edward_scissorhands/gallery/edward_scissorhands_8.jpg  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Image  5-­‐  Edward’s  Scissorhands,  At:  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-­‐9fkdqLExGh0/T41kC_olW1I/AAAAAAAAA14/EHAbv-­‐8BejM/s1600/edward-­‐scissorhands-­‐original.jpg  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)  

Image  6-­‐  Edward  Scissorhand  Ice  Sculptures,  At:  http://fogsmoviereviews.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/edward_scissorhands_ice_sculpture.png  

(Accessed  on  -­‐  09/10/2013)