FauxNixon

Edward Scissorhands is a work of visual excellence and stylistic beauty that can scarcely be described in writing. Director Tim Burton soars past the brilliance of his other films to bring us this touching story of a man created by an inventor and raised in isolation from the surrounding town. The artificial man, Edward, played to the point of near-perfection by Johnny Depp, is someone different in a world where conformity is everything. In stark contrast to the nearly-identical houses painted in a narrow, but bright palette of colors, and 1950s-style people, is a pale artificial man residing in a mansion overlooking the town where he creates works of art with his hands in hedges, ice, and even hair. Edward appears in bland, subdued colors to better contrast with the bright colors of the rest of the neighborhood. While the town’s initial reaction to Edward’s appearance is shock, curiosity, and even admiration, it quickly turns into something ugly and Edward becomes an outcast to all but the few people he loves and who love him in return.

Tim Burton’s fairy-tale film is not only a work of art to rival some of the painted masterpieces of the world; it is also a strong comment by the former Disney animator on the treatment of society towards distinction and its reaction to things that differ from its status quo. Danny Elfman helps this film incalculably with his original score which compliments the film perfectly and only adds to the overall magnificence of the picture. Remarkable performances from Johnny Depp, Winona Rider, and Dianne Wiest are utterly flawless and a tribute to the skill of the actors themselves. Tim Burton combines a soundtrack which can only be adequately described as whimsical, performers who could scarcely have more perfectly cast in their roles, visual effects which are absolutely stunning, and Burton’s own amazing style of film-making, Edward Scissorhands is not only a glimmering jewel in the career of Tim Burton, but a film worthy of a place in the list of the best films ever made.