Edward Scissorhands

Rating: 5/5

A film that is part fairytale and part nightmare, Edward Scissorhands is without a doubt down one of the most innovative works created by Tim Burton.

Avon lady, Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), is striking out at trying to sell her product to the local busy bodies of her neighborhood. In need of new clientele, she decides to make a bold choice, and go to the dark and mysterious mansion on hill in the outskirts of the suburb. When she walks inside, she is greeted with cobwebs draped over a seemingly abandoned home, but ventures upstairs to be sure. It is there that she comes across a pale and frightened man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who has scissors for hands.

Though incredibly taken aback at first, Peg takes pity on Edward and decides to bring him home to live with her family. Given the pleasant and simplistic nature of her neighborhood, Peg's community is incredible interested, but apprehensive of their new member. It is not long before they discover Edward's skill with his scissorhands, and want him to help them in their daily tasks. Even though he is being taken advantage of, Edward is elated to be a part of the human race, but unfortunately all good don't last forever.

One of the many techniques Tim Burton is famed for, is his astonishing use of color. Edward Scissorhands is packed with pastels all through the suburban neighborhood. This not only makes the town feel like a model come to life, but makes Edward stand out more than one would think possible. The colors also give the film an indeterminate time period. It creates a bizarre yet wonderful juxtaposition between a quaint 50's lifestyle and the jarring appearance of its' title character.

Given that the film takes place in an entire neighborhood, there are numerous characters of different levels of eccentricity. At first, it appears that Edward is the odd man out, but he is actually one of the more human-like people in the movie. Even though he is an invention, he has more compassion than most of the people who inhabit the meticulously put together community. Of those people, the best performances are the ones given by Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder, who plays her daughter Kim. There's definitely something to be said for chemistry, and that can be proven in the scenes between Edward and Peg or Edward and Kim. In those moments of the film, it is really where Edward's innocence and gentility come to light, and make him the gothic hero deserves to be.

It is rare to come upon a Tim Burton film that is not highly stylized in its' cinematography, concept, and dialogue, and Edward Scissorhands is no exception. The story itself is incredibly bizarre, but somehow, not beyond the point of belief. Burton puts so much dedication and soul into his work, that it is almost impossible not to be pulled into his creations. You wouldn't expect a film such as this to have as much emotion attached to it as it does, but Burton knew exactly how to pull at the heartstrings of his viewers. Edward Scissorhands combines its' vivid color contrast with the brilliant performances of its' leads, to create some truly stunning moments of film.

Of course, not all of his attempts are winners, but this movie is definitely among Burton's top five. I have always had a love hate relationship with Burton's films, however Edward Scissorhands in particular was one that turned my opinion towards his work into a more affectionate light. It is a genuinely remarkable movie that should be viewed by all.