Release Date: 7 December, 1990
What's It About: A young man with hands for scissors is taken in by a kind family, but he has some trouble fitting in with the townsfolk.
The Good: Tim Burton has this particular style that he is known for, which is hard for me to describe, but this film has it in spades. Something that really interests me is the manipulation of the camera to focus on a character's face and show their facial reactions close up. The film score, which was composed by Danny Elfman (once again working with director Burton), is on point and brings that familiar whimsical vibe he is known for.
The Bad: The only thing I can really talk about in any kind of detail is purely subjective, and that is in relation to Tim Burton's directorial style and the aesthetic of his films, which is highly stylized and "fictional". His films eschew realism for a more structured focus on the magic of fantasy and storytelling, in which most of his plots involve a supernatural element of some kind.
Best Performance: Johnny Depp as Edward. Depp is a chameleon of an actor and this is one of his more memorable roles. Depp brings a subtle performance as the childlike and introverted Edward, and his naive innocence comes through in his expression as he looks about in wonder at what modern society looks like. He shows genuine frustration when he is unable to cope due to his scissor hands and the trouble it brings to the people around him and his inability to do anything about it.
Should I Watch It: Edward Scissorhands is a film with a strong soul, which is personified through Edward, who, despite being an artificial human, has the most human qualities of everyone in the town. It is a classic fish-out-of-water story, and Edward is surrounded by people who seem more akin to machines than people. It is this reversal that tells the story of suburbia and ennui and the effect it has on those with hope and optimism in their heads.
Post-Credits Scene: No
Similar Films: Any of the Tim Burton filmography
Trailer:
