Edward Scissor Hands Essay Tim Burton Film Synopsis: Question: ‘A scientist (Vincent Price) builds an animated human being -- the gentle Edward (Johnny Depp). The scientist dies before he can finish assembling Edward, though, leaving the young man with a freakish appearance accentuated by the scissor blades he has instead of hands. Loving suburban saleswoman Peg (Dianne Wiest) discovers Edward and takes him home, where he falls for Peg's teen daughter (Winona Ryder). However, despite his kindness and artistic talent, Edward's hands make him an outcast.’ - Google ‘…etiquette tells us just what is expected of us and guards us all from humiliation and discomfort.’ Inventor Discuss how Tim Burton explores the theme of difference and conformity in his film Edward Scissor Hands. Edward Scissor Hands is a film directed by Tim Burton and is about an old lady (Kim) telling the story of the creation of snow. It was about her when she was younger, & how her mother meets an unfinished human creation that an inventor created in his mansion. Since the inventor died early, he was not able to give his creation actual hands but left on what he had before which were scissors. The unfinished human creation is Edward, and he lived in the inventor’s mansion. The mansion looks unfinished like Edward since there is a hole in the roof that haven’t been fixed since it broke. The film explores the theme of conformity and difference by using different film elements which are the literary aspects, Miseen-scene & Cinematography in a fantasy style film. Near the beginning of the film, conformity and difference is shown when the viewer sees everyone’s house is the same colour tone which is pastel, the same lawn and the same style. But Edward’s house is grey, & his garden is more beautiful than anyone else’s and is at least three times bigger. Conformity and difference is also shown when Peg Boggs gets in her car after having an unsuccessful advertising run when she sees Edward’s house in the review mirror ‘Come on Peg I never buy anything from you know that…’ – Helen. In this scene the music changes from light/bright and happy to scary/eerie the sort you might hear in horror films. This shows that the life that Edward lives is different to the life of everyone in the town. In the top picture the camera shot is a long shot since you can see the houses but cars are a bit blurred. Near the middle of the film, conformity & difference is shown when Kevin brings Edward to show and tell at his school as if Edward was an object and the other students were typical teenagers, which they are compared to Edward. Kevin showcases what Edward can do and shows his class what Edward is capable of doing as if he was an object doing its action ‘One chop to a guy's neck, and it's all over.’ - Kevin, Conformity is shown by the kids and teacher in the class since their all wearing pastel colours except for Edward who wears a white shirt and light grey pants. In that scene the music is fast paced while he is cutting & when he is finished the music ends like you would hear at the end of the performance. The camera shot is a close up and shows everyone in the frame. Near the end of the film conformity and difference is shown, when everyone goes after Edward for hurting Kevin and ruining their gardens/bushes. Edward only ruins the bushes of the town’s people since he was really upset and when Kevin was walking across the road and Jim was coming in with the van, Edward tried to save Kevin but in doing so he hurt him by accident, When Edward had hurt Kevin he kept trying to help him but kept hurting him since he has the scissors on his hand. In that scene the music changes to like a holy/scary type of music you will hear near the end of a horror film and then to a peaceful type of holy music you would hear in a church. Conformity and difference is also shown in the Mise-en-scene element of the film, which is the clothes that the people wear which are mainly pastel colours, and what Edward wears which is a leather like suit that is black. ‘I’m going’ – Joyce, after Joyce said that everyone else followed her. The photo shows a close up shot of everyone going to get Edward. In Edward Scissor Hands the person who created Edward (inventor) said that, ‘etiquette tells us just what is expected of us and guards us all from humiliation and discomfort.’ Edward was accepted from the town’s people unless he did something that they do not find what was expected from him. Conformity & different is shown in different ways between Edward and the town’s people since he lives a different life, looks different, acts different & has more special abilities than the other people have. Edward is also different to the town’s people by the way he acts around them since he is really caring and feels really bad if he hurts them.
