A Look at the Genes of Tim Burton’s Greatest Films

Tim Burton’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice in Wonderland is finally coming!

To realize his vision of the surreal novel, Burton uses a combination of live action and the latest 3D motion capture technologies as seen in Beowulf and Avatar. Unlike most previous adaptations of the novel, this one should be both more complete and less child-oriented.

Looking at the genes from our Movie Genome that appear most often in Burton’s films, it’s clear that he tends to return to the same themes and visual styles time after time. This makes him a very consistent director, with his own distinct style. You can always identify “a Tim Burton film.”

So when has he achieved the best expression of his favorite genes? To celebrate Alice’s release and offer a fresh angle on Burton’s work, here is my pick of his best films featuring his most dominant Jinni genes.

Greatest Misfit: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
This romantic fantasy marks the beginning of a very long and productive collaboration between Burton and Johnny Depp. Depp’s interpretation of the queer, awkward Edward perfectly fits Burton’s vision of gothic darkness in the midst of peaceful yet narrow-minded suburbs.

Burton was always interested in misunderstood creatures and mysterious characters who just can’t seem to fit in, and in this film he creates one of the most gentle, endearing and bittersweet stories ever seen on screen.

Greatest Eccentric: Big Fish (2003)
Burton’s way of combining the real and the fantastic reaches perfection in this story about a dying father who recreates his life as a fantastic tale for his son. This nostalgic and somewhat sentimental movie has it all: romance, adventures and a beautiful, stylish look.

As in Edward Scissorhands (and almost all of Burton’s films), the main character is extremely eccentric. Burton loves the quirky: from the strange, imaginative boy in Vincent to Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, his characters are all unique. And perhaps that’s why we enjoy them so much.

Greatest Surrealist: Beetle Juice (1988)
This was Burton’s first real breakthrough, a low budget movie that met with unexpected success. Unlike later Burton films, which usually have a slightly sad, touching atmosphere, this movie is a comedy and simply aims to make you laugh.

It’s interesting to see that even so early in his career, Burton expressed himself with a surreal style and themes. And unlike many directors, he did not shift to heavier dramas of thrilling crime capers, but chose to remain in the realm of surrealism, whether it be a comic-like city (Batman), a huge candy factory (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) or singing and dancing skeletons (The Nightmare Before Christmas).

Greatest Gothic: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
It’s true that Burton repeats themes and styles, but do not mistake this to mean he does not like new ideas and interpretations: The strange combination of crime, horror and musical in Sweeney Todd is a perfect example of Burton’s love of the unusual. The regular cast of Depp and Bonham-Carter play the eccentric roles of a murderous barber and a cannibalistic widow. The dark, gloomy atmosphere of 19th-century Victorian London is captured perfectly.

Burton’s love of the gothic, which was already apparent in Sleepy Hollow and The Corpse Bride, rises to new levels here, with lots of blood and rain and black lacy clothes.

Greatest Stop Motion: Corpse Bride (2005)
Again we meet Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, only this time they appear in stop-motion animation. This style, which Burton already used in The Nightmare Before Christmas, suits him perfectly. The animation technique enables Burton to create a wonderful, magical underworld experience.

Greatest Camp: Mars Attacks! (1996)
“Mars Attacks” is generally considered to be one of Burton’s least successful movies, both critically and financially. Yet if we look at this wild sci-fi comedy in the way it was supposed to be looked at – as a B-movie parody – it is highly entertaining and funny.

And as far as camp goes – this is definitely Burton’s campiest piece to date: the outrageous costumes, the hilariously funny, bad-taste plot, and the quirky, cheap-looking effects make it a delight for B-movie lovers everywhere.

Already seen Alice in Wonderland and want to share opinions? Have thoughts on themes/styles we neglected? Comment and let us know!

Technorati Tags: movie, film, Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland

Popularity: 11% [?]