Tim Burton Film Analysis Essay

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In movies everywhere, shots are seamlessly put together to create something great. Cinematic techniques serve a purpose in every shot of every movie. Tim Burton, a unique and interesting director, knows this better than anyone. Known for his dark and quirky movie style, viewers can almost instantly pick out a Burton film when they see one. Burton was always the one who stood out for being different, so he put this idiosyncrasy into his movies today. The incredible Tim Burton uses close up shots and low key lighting to portray a odd, dark, and almost creepy feeling in his viewers and communicate an overall message of being treated as an outcast. Furthermore, close up shots that are shown in many of Burton’s films help communicate the message …show more content…

For example, Burton uses close up shots in “The Corpse Bride” when the shot is closed in on Victor, the main character. Victor is a boy who is considered weird and improper according to his bride-to-be’s family. This illustrates the message of being an outcast because emphasis is shown on his uncomfortableness and anxious expressions and body language when around other people that are not like him. The way he does not feel like he belongs gives the viewer an understanding of how outcasts get treated differently than those who are considered normal. Additionally, Burton also uses close up shots in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” when showing only Willy Wonka’s face. In these shots, Wonka’s odd and creepy facial expressions can be shown throughout the film. This further demonstrates the message of being an outcast by showing how different his body language is from everyone else’s and how he is not the same as most normal people. The expressions on the characters face help emphasize the creepy and dark feeling Burton was trying to cast on the viewer. Lastly, Burton puts close up shots to …show more content…

With little light shown in the shot, many feelings and emotions can be casted through this cinematic technique, and therefore help to communicate a message towards viewers. For instance, Tim Burton makes use of many shots with low key light in the movie “Edward Scissorhands.” In the mansion where Edward dwells, dark rooms with a creepy feeling can be shown. This shot displays the message of being an outcast by showing the mansion the same way the person who lives in it- different, creepy and strange. The shots also allowed Burton to cast an odd and dark feeling towards the people who are watching. In like manner, this cinematic technique was also used by Burton in “The Corpse Bride,” In the introduction of the movie when showing Victors room, a very slight amount of light can be shown where the character resides. This illustrates a theme of being an outcast because of this spooky type of lighting in the room relates to how the owner of the room is seen. Additionally, this technique can be seen in Burton’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Low key lighting was used while showing Willy Wonka’s face and helped Burton give him a creepy and peculiar vibe, illustrating the message of being viewed as an outcast. By only having this lighting on Wonka’s face, it shows great contrast between the ‘normal’ and the ‘different’. The creepy feeling is set on the reader once again by using

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