Analysis of Visual Design in The Film Edward Scissorhands

The film Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton (1990), is about a modern-day fairy tale, where an inventor created an artificial man who was named Edward and was not able to finish his project due to having a heart attack, which left Edward with scissors as hands. However, Edward is portrayed as a gentle soul whose only wish is to be loved by Kim, who is one of the main characters, or anyone. By the end of the movie, Edward figured out where he truly belongs, which is back in his master’s home alone. Tim Burton is an inventive and often uses airless camera work, lighting, and color to reflect Edward as an outsider to the town but also as a neighbor to them.

At the beginning of the film, the color contrast between the suburban neighborhood and Edwards mansion shows a big difference between the two worlds. The suburban neighborhood has vivid colors. The houses are rich in colors like yellow, green and pink. Edwards mansion was portrayed as bland shades of grey/black. This reflects a mysterious and isolated life. The color was also used to fool people because Edward was dressed in all black leather with studs and buckles, which made him seem bad or evil. In actuality that was the opposite. Edwards was the most gentle and calm person in the town, but for the townspeople who lived below Edward, they wore bright and extra colors and were the most judgemental and self-centered people. Another example Peg, who is also the main character, enters the shadows in Edwards castle dressed in a light pink suit. This can be a sign that there is hope that she will bring color into Edwards’s life. The notion is explored again toward the end of the film as Kim and Edward share the same coloring as Kim is now dressed entirely in white, this refelts not only her innocence but also the bond they share as she is the only one who still believes that Edward is essentially good. In the color aspect, I think that the vivid pastel colors collide with the bland grey and black, which kinda made the movie feel and look theatrical. Why? Because at the beginning of the movie you can see the town towering over, you can see this dark evil looking mansion of the whole town like some type of burden. I feel like color was the main central theme of the whole movie. Why? Because it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside it matters how you are on the inside, and Edward is a sweet, gentle soul. Unlike the townspeople at my first glance of them, I thought they were so nice and understanding people but boy did they prove me wrong.

The camera work in Edward’s scissor hands is a wonderful representation of everyone's perception of him. The techniques of using camera angles on each character in each of his films is a way to express their differences. An example of this technique was used at the beginning of Edward Scissorhands when he used a high angle camera to make Edward seem scared, weak and powerless. This kind of technique shows the personality of each character in the movie. Some angles Tim Burton uses are claustrophobic angles, point-of-view shots, close up shots and long shots to create illusions to communicate the central concepts of isolations and self-discovery and as well as enhancing the underlying theme. To get more detailed about the camera angles. At the beginning of the movie where the Avon lady first has seen Edward the type of angle burton used is establishing shots which mean is a long shot that establishes the spatial relations between figure. In the movie, the setting is a dark place and a big room/area. which means The second type of camera work burton used is a point-of-view shot that was used when Edward was eating dinner with his new family. Where it shows his point of view of his dinner and how he is seeing everyone. Thirdly close-up shots are taken very close to the character. Often the character head or different significant object , such as a computer screen, which fills the entire screen. For example at the beginning of the movie when Edward inventor was handing him his human hands. Then a close-up shot happens when it shows his emotion towards his human hands. Lastly, burton used medium shots only framing the half of his body because to show his body language and his emotion. In my opinion, I think Tim burton did the type of camera angles to fool the audience to think that Edward is really an outsider to the town in actuality his just a regular person like everyone else. But everyone started gossiping more and more so it made Edward film like the outsider.

Lighting Tim burton used high key lighting,natural lighting and dark low lighting. For example in the movie where the Avon lady visits Edward in his mansion . Tim burton use high key lighting as the Avon lady approaches the mansion. You see bright green plants, bright flowers in the flower garden, actor bright purple and the rest of the castle and in the hallway was in bright colors as well. The use of high key lighting in the scene makes the audience feel as the castle welcomed. When the avon lady walks into the house, you see the lighting shifts from high key lighting to low key lighting manly in the foyer or living area because the inside of the house is dark, but the only light is coming from the windows and also the opening of the roof,Which is natural lighting.As soon as the avon lady see Edward he comes from a small dark corner into the light and he is wearing all black suit Which made the audience feel that edward is lonely and evil. The result of the style of lighting Burton used allowed the audience to transition from the happy outside world of the castle to the lonely and evil world inside. The technique contributed to the main theme because the town is full of bright and happy colors which come off as the normal life,and the use of dark colors make the audience view edward as an outsider even though he is a neighbor to them. I definitely think that lighting add drama,romance and a theatrical feel to it.

Edward Scissorhands is an incredibly inventive and different theatrical movie. Tim Burton included many elements including vibrant colors, black,grey and silver to reflect the loneliness of edward. Tim Burton pierced everything together by using cinematography and mise-en-scene. The usage of bright color, lighting, camera angles to come together to really see how the towns people viewed Edward and his uniqueness.