The Tim Burton Aesthetic

         

   Children and the concept of death or more specifically the concept of the loss of life is a topic many parents would regard as morbid and inappropriate for their child to learn about; however, in the dark gothic world of Tim Burton’s mindscape, the concept of death and loss is presented in a manner that even a child could digest and understand. Tim Burton’s artistic direction has developed a few iconic characteristics that allow his films to be picked out without ever seeing the film: the gothic yet whimsical sets and scenery, the inclusion of the orchestral works of Danny Elfman, and the inclusion of Johnny Depp as a flamboyantly abnormal character. Some of Tim Burton’s most famous works are The Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, the 2005 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Beetlejuice, and Edward Scissorhands. All of which share aspects of his unique perspective and style.

            The settings of Tim Burton’s films share quite a few varying aspects, in many cases, there is a clash between a gothic horror style setting and a modernized setting. In Edward Scissorhands, we can see an example of this clash, with the 1950s aesthetic of the town and the decrepit gothic manor where the titular Edward resides. This clash is present in many of his films, with the chocolate factory and the dilapidated house of Charlie Bucket in Tim Burton’s 2005 adaptation of the Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This clashing concept of the gothic style and modern life can be interpreted as the ever-clashing concept of life, the modern setting, and death, the gothic setting. While it is never expressly explained, the darker more gothic setting is contributed with “evil” or “abnormal” characters, as seen with both Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice; wherein both titular characters are seen as “evil” or “malicious” by outsiders while they reside in these dark gothic homes. These dark undertones and concepts hold only a candle to an even greater characteristic of Tim Burton’s films, the ambiance, and music.

                The musical works for Tim Burton’s films are handled by the remarkable Danny Elfman, he’s known for his work with Tim Burton as well as composing the theme music for The Simpsons, Tales from the Crypt, The Flash, and Desperate Housewives. Elfman is also a major composer of the music from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Elfman’s usage of the orchestral style of music gives Tim Burton’s films the intense or dramatic feel needed for many scenes.  Elfman’s music is both whimsical and gothic, it easily captures the overarching tone of Tim Burton’s films. The song “Jack’s Lament” from The Nightmare Before Christmas encapsulates a remorseful sorrow, as well as a coming to a realization, this is paralleled by the song “What’s This?” which encapsulates curiosity, intrigue, and the development of a scheme. Unlike many other creative minds, Tim Burton nearly exclusively chooses Elfman to compose the soundtracks for his films.

                A familiar face in Tim Burton’s cast list is that of Johnny Depp, while he is not as prevalent in the animated films, Johnny Depp is very prevalent in the live-action films, staring as Edward in Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Victor Van Dort in The Corpse Bride, the titular Sweeney Todd in Tim Burton’s adaptation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland to name a few. While Johnny Depp isn’t exclusively an actor for Tim Burton his appearance in the films is an impactful one. The abnormal personality and acting style of Johnny Depp match the abnormal and unique artistic direction that Tim Burton creates for his films.