Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu once said, “Cinema is universal, beyond flags and borders and passports. ” By that, he meant that films uphold the concept of “show, not tell,” using various cinematic techniques and strategies to create a mood and tone that anyone in audience, despite language barrier, can understand. Tim Burton is an American director, producer and screenwriter who has directed and produced over a dozen major films, each one upholding to a distinct style that Burton has created.
Burton was inspired by Vincent Price when he was younger, and strives to imitate his dark style in many of the movies he has created throughout his career. He does so by combining multiple cinematic techniques to create darker undertones. Through these techniques, his mood often becomes suspenseful and sometimes even terrifying. The movies Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Big fish all demonstrate how Burton’s use of music, lighting, and framing contribute to the feelings of tension and horror in his films. Burton’s manipulation of lighting emphasizes the fearful and suspenseful mood.
For instance, in the boat scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the director uses flashing lights in harsh colors to mimic the panic the characters are feeling as they travel through the swirling rapids of Wonka’s factory. The use of the color red creates a feeling of panic, as red is usually associated with something dangerous, making the viewer worry on the characters’ behalves, understanding that the situation they are in is dangerous. This creates an atmosphere of fear, as the viewer can emphasize with the way the characters are feeling.
Similarly, in Edward Scissorhands, Burton uses low level, backlit lighting during the scene where Edward is rising out of the shadows to create a fearful mood. Peg, watching the dark figure rise up, is scared because he looks dangerous, with scissors for hands and tall lanky figure. As a result, the mood becomes scary. The lighting adds to this feeling, as the back light creates dark shadows, which are often associated with gloom and fear. Lastly, Burton also uses dark lighting in his film Big Fish to establish a fearful mood, such as in the scene in the forest.
The forest is initially introduced as being dangerous and ominous, as everyone who goes in never returns. When Edward Bloom goes inside, the dark lighting makes the forest seem even more mysterious and since the viewer knows that it is likely perilous, the dark lighting adds to the feeling of fear and suspense, as the viewer doesn’t know what could happen to Edward. Tim Burton uses strategically placed lights to create feelings of fear and tension and to intensify the mood within the story to serve the plot.
The music used in Burton films is carefully selected to compliment the scene and create suspense and fear, contributing the distinct style that Burton is so well known for. In Edward Scissorhands, when Peg walks into the house, the director juxtaposes music to create suspense. When Peg is in the garden, the music is light and pretty, making the mood light and happy. However, as soon as she enters the house, the music grows dark and heavy, with low undertones. This dramatic shift creates suspense, as because the shift is so sudden, the viewer knows that something inside the house is dangerous or evil.
Likewise, in Charlie and the Chocolate factory, when Charlie is unwrapping the candy bar, the music rises with a crescendo to create suspense. The music increases in loudness and speed, as well as general intensity during the scene. This, accompanied with the slow zoom in on Charlie’s face, creates suspense, because the viewer is impatient to see if Charlie got the ticket. By drawing out the scene and making the music sound urgent, Burton creates suspense, as what is happening on screen is significant and the viewer wants to know the result.
Finally, sometimes, the lack of sound is what creates suspense, like in the scene in Edward Scissorhands where Peg meets Edward in the house. When she enters the attic, the dramatic music that was playing just moments before abruptly ceases, and there is almost no sound. The lack of sound is unsettling, as, in a normal situation, sound is usually present. The sudden shift from loud music to complete silence indicates a build up. This creates suspense by making the viewer believe that something significant is about to occur.
Without the music, the room seems empty and creepy, and the audience feels as though something could jump out suddenly, putting them on edge. Burton’s use of music is one of the most iconic things about his films, as the music is often carefully crafted and used to emphasize the mood, usually with elements of fear and suspense. Tim Burton utilizes different shots and angles to create fear and suspense at various points in his films. For instance, in the movie Big Fish, Burton uses a low shot to depict the witch’s house, who is introduced as being an antagonist, which creates suspense and an atmosphere of fear.
The low angle makes the house look grander, making the audience see the characters as more vulnerable. This causes the viewer to feel scared for them, as the danger is imminent but the characters seems to be defenseless. Likewise, in Edward Scissorhands, in the scene where Peg goes up to the attic, the shot is very zoomed out, making her seem weak and helpless, creating a fearful mood. The viewer’s concern for her adds to the feeling of fear, because the viewer has gotten attached to the character and does not want anything bad to happen.
Furthermore, a number of other techniques indicate that the situation is in fact dangerous, creating tension and dramatic irony. This dramatic irony, in which the viewer knows that the character is facing danger but the character is unaware and defenseless, is mimicked by the shots, creating feelings of suspense and fear. In addition, in his film, Big Fish, Burton creates tension and evokes feelings of fear when the giant first exits his cave. The angle from which the scene is shot is very 1st person, intended to be from the perspective of the giant.
As a result, the angle is from above, making Edward Bloom seem small. This highlights that Bloom is at a disadvantage against the giant, who we know to be dangerous, creating suspense because we want to know how he will avoid the situation and fear because we worry for his safety. The angles and shots the director chooses to use are intentionally selected to create feelings of fear or tension, and to intensify what is happening on the screen by making the viewer concerned and eager to find out what is going to happen.
The use of music, lighting, and framing within Tim Burton’s films creates and develops a mood that is prevalent throughout many of his cinematic works- a mood of horror and suspense. These techniques, combined with his dark and bizarre story lines, produce the cinematic style Burton is so well known for. Through the study of various cinematic techniques, people are able to interpret movies on a deeper level, understanding that every single aspect of them was intentional and planned by the director.
Certain directors and screenwriters tend to stick to the same approaches and the same styles, which can be detected more easily with background knowledge on the different techniques and what effect they have on the mood and tone of the film. Burton is a perfect example of a director with habits, and through studying his films, we are able to understand how and why specific techniques were used, and thus, are able to fully appreciate the art of cinematography.