Edward Scissorhands DVD > Reviews > The only other true German Expressionistic film

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	interesting, symbolic, very good acting
Disadvantages:	sad  : (

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Tim Burton doesn't make films like this anymore. His early films had the same link in characteristics: a main character that was either physically or mentally the opposite of the rest of the world; split worlds, gothic dark and diagnol aesthetic set of of the frame, split personalities of characters, the world that ressembles our own was portrayed as the demented world while the gothic world was more hummble and misunderstood.

Edward, played by Johnny depp, is the character I've had more empathy for in any film. He was created by a man who died to leave Edward unfinished, and with scissors for hands. Ever since Edward has lived alone in the castle on top of the hill where at the bottom lies a freakishly 'normal' community. All the houses are eerily aligned and painted bright colours to emphasise the cheerfulness of the community, it's a picturesque perfect world that seems odder than the gothic clouded castle on the other end of town.

Then one mother and housewife from that community vists the castle to disscover Edward, she recognises his lonliness and need for a family so she takes him to be part of her own family - strange yes, but it's a film!

The first German Expressionism film (The Cabinet of Dr Caligari) depicted a distorted and derranged world in the film because it was how the main character was viewing the world. After then, other German Expressionistic film just took that world and used it as a convinient set for avant garde horror films. I believe the world in Edward Scissorhands is shown in the film from the viewpoint of Edward, that's why the 'normal' world is so strange and exagerated. This is a motif Tim Burton uses for many of his films, and it is this that makes the film more interesting to watch.

If you're looking for an entertaining, at times very funny, meaningful, and very sad film, you really should try watching this. I first saw it 10 years ago when I was 10, and I still love it now. I appreciate it more now that I look into the meaning.