How Does Tim Burton Conform To Society

In the world, society teaches people to fear the unknown. Tim Burton uses many techniques to show a misfit character and would agree that there are many misfits in the world. In Burton’s films he shows that those misfits are looked down on and shamed upon. In Burton’s films he uses the style elements of misfit protagonists and snobby antagonists to convey to the viewers that society wrongly teaches people to fear the unknown.

Indisputably, Tim Burton has one of the world’s most distinct styles when regarding film directing. His tone, mood, diction, imagery, organization, syntax, and point of view within his films sets him apart from other renowned directors. Burton’s style can be easily depicted in two of his most highly esteemed and critically acclaimed films, Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Burton ingeniously incorporates effective cinematic techniques to convey a poignant underlying message to the audience. Such cinematic techniques are in the lighting and editing technique categories. High key and low key relationships plus editing variations evinces the director’s elaborate style. He utilizes these cinematic techniques to

Tim Burton produced “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as well. Charlie Bucket was the misfit of the group because he was the only normal child in the group chosen to enter the factory. When showing the children and where they were from, the lighting was high key, making the scene more cheerful. But when showing Charlie’s house, the lighting was low key. This made his family’s house seem not as happy or welcoming. You could also tell a difference in the condition of the family’s house by the sound. When showing the town and the house the Bucket’s lived in, there was non-diegetic music playing that was frightening and disturbing. When showing the other children’s homes and towns, the non-diegetic music was more upbeat and jolly. The movie

Director Tim Burton uses lighting throughout his films in order to create a feeling of sorrow toward his characters. One example

In the films of Tim Burton, the antagonists are always troublesome, self-absorbed, and ill-mannered, while the protagonists are always the outsiders. Burton, director of many movies such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie and much more, makes the protagonists outcasts because “‘It’s important to feel like you live or understand the character.’ [...] Like young Victor, Burton grew up feeling isolated in the suburbs, with emotionally-distant parents and a beloved dog, bullied in school and probably a bit depressed…”(Hollywood Reporter). The great contrast between the protagonists and the antagonists convey the tone for how he perceives the world and the people in it. In the films Edward Scissorhands and

The setting created by Burton is a major part of the story, almost as important as the characters depicted. This film shows us that fairy tales can take place in a modern setting. Explain, using examples from the film, with reference to Burton’s personal iconography. (Describe the two worlds depicted in Edward Scissorhands. *How do lighting, colour, contrast, and shape influence our understanding of each of these worlds? * How do the characters’ costumes emphasise the contrast between these two worlds add to our understanding of the story and the themes being communicated. * How are the two worlds connected through the characters of Edward and Kim? * When Tim Burton described the suburb in which he grew up, he said that there was “no

Tim Burton’s fictional worlds are ones of clear compartmentalization, quite often between literal shades of black and white. Through visual contrasts the audience is not only drawn into the plot, but also given explicit messages about how to interpret the actions and motives of the characters. His macabre art style and purposeful storytelling both hint at his rejection of the status quo; throughout his stories he reinforces the idea that normality is not synonymous with morality through the use of stark lighting contrast, yin and yang style settings, and costumes that are polarly different.

Some say not all that glitters is gold, and I agree. However, there are people in the world who would disagree. From the start, everyone teaches others that perfection is the secret to excelling in life, and that normalcy, not originality is the key to that secret. In films such as Edward Scissorhands and Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton displays misfit and judgmental characters in his films to portray the idea that society wrongly teaches people to fear the unknown.

“With this hand, I will life your sorrows. Your cup will never be empty, for I will be your wine. With this candle, I will light your way in darkness. With this ring, I ask you to be mine”. She walks into the chapel and sees the couple telling each other their wedding vows. Little does she know this day will be the worst and best of her life. In almost all films directed by Tim Burton include dark colors and choral music. This is what bonds cinematic techniques and mise en scène. Burton’s unique style includes the use of lighting and mise en scène to convey that self-discovery is important in developing an interesting outlook on life.

Burton once said, “I think the atmosphere that I grew up in, yes, there was a subtext of normalcy. I don’t even know what the word means, but it’s stuck in my brain. It’s weird. I don’t know if it’s specifically American, or American in the time I grew up, but there’s a very strong sense of categorization and conformity.” This experience of having to conform is reflected in Burton’s work. For example, in Edward Scissorhands Edward, who dressed in dark colors, conformed to the neighborhood by putting on brighter colored clothes and changing his style. Using lighting, angles, and sound Burton’s unique style conveys that one should not have to hide one’s differences to be accepted.

The first example of juxtaposition would be the comparison of Nick and Mr.Gatsby’s lifestyle. Both are wealthy men, but go about their day to day life very differently. “It was Gatsby’s mansion. My house was an eye sore” ( Fitzgerald 9). Even though Nick has plenty of money he is much more humble about his spending then Mr. Gatsby.

Often times, people judge those who diverge from the typical ideals that societies have created in place for them. Although, director Tim Burton challenges societies’ norms through his work in the film industry and exemplifies his argument through outcast protagonists that alter the perception of normal. The differences, not only in the characters, but the setting as well, are seen as a “peculiar” set of characteristics that make them unique and special. Tim Burton expresses the idea that individuality is preferable to conformity through his use of contrasting settings and misfit protagonists in films such as, Miss Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children and Edward Scissorhands.

Tim Burton, renowned for his incorporation of gothic styling into many of his films, throughs characters and themes to establish his noticeable signature in his films. In, Frankenweenie and Edward Scissorhands, the use of socially incompatible characters, unique identity traits, and juxtaposition to express the gothic identity with a sense of german expressionism, which he learnt while studying in film school, associated with Tim burton therefore revealing him as an auteur. This is done in order to communicate burton’s societal concerns of identity and non-conformity. The Statement, “When you direct a film, that’s more of your signature than writing”, is closely related to both films as revealed with Burton’s distinguishable gothic style.

The world at times either ignores outcast and misfits or makes fun of them. Tim Burton likes the idea of characters who do not fit in but have a significant impact on their world. In Burton's films Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands, each character has a special personality that sets them apart from the rest. Burton uses lighting and color in his films to prove that no one needs to flow with society in order to be pleased and comfortable with who they are.

Tim Burton once said, “My parents suffered from that ideal of a perfect nuclear family. They found that a difficult pressure, I think”. Tim Burton is a famous filmmaker who sometimes incorporates his life into his films. Tim was an odd child in that he liked being alone and spending his time in a graveyard. In his childhood, he was the outsider in a “perfect” world. People can judge him on his odd and different childhood. That is what he tries to teach in his films. In both Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Edward Scissorhands, Burton reveals that society wrongly judges those who do not fit in.