Mise-en-scène Film Programme: Only God Forgives (2013)

Figure 1: Movie Poster [Still Image]

Only God Forgives (2013) is a French – Danish co production, written and directed by Nicholas Winding Refn. It is a film that revolves around an American man, Julian, who owns a Muay Thai Club as a cover to his ultimate business trade; drugs. The story begins with his older brother, Billy, who brutally rapes and murders an underage prostitute. This triggered an investigation by Bangkok’s cop, Chang, who was also known as the Angel of Vengeance. He roams around the city with a samurai strapped to him, and carried out what seems to him as acts of justice, in his attempt to cleanse the city from perverts and criminals, in general. 

Figure 2: Dead Woman covered in Blood [Still Image]

An example of this would be in the opening scene where a dead female body covered in blood, lying on the floor of a dodgy hotel room as seen in Figure 2. As Lambie states in his review, “Drenched in blood, shadow and gaudy light, it’s a nightmarish film that refuses to play nicely from the opening scene to the last.” (Lambie, 2013)

Figure 3: Julian's Fight Scene [Still Image]

The uses of the colours in this film were mostly primary colours, Red was evident in most scenes, and the darkness present throughout the film, projects some sort of suffocation that Julian feels. As Lambie points out “The use of intense colour and shadow gives the movie an oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere” (Lambie, 2013)

Figure 4: Chang Drawing His Samurai [Still Image]

Figure 5: Crystal In The Restaurant [Still Image]

The camera are placed either at strategic angles or front on to create a balance shot. An example of a strategic angle would be when the camera is placed at a low angle, showing Chang’s emotionless expression as he draws a samurai from his back. An emotion that can be concluded from this would be superiority. The balanced shots, which, can be seen in the entire film, are similar to those in Kubrik’s film. The fronts on angles are as effective as those camera angles that have been strategically placed, as it was able to capture the emotions of a scene accurately. Woodward emphasized this point when he states “Whether gliding ominously down long, lavishly decorated corridors or fixed between doorframes looking into perfectly symmetrical rooms, DoP Larry Smith’s voyeuristic lens gives the film a hypnotic, haunted feel.” (Woodward, 2013)

In addition to the captivating, intense visuals, the sound played an important role as the film has very few dialogues. An example would be when the man that was hired by Julian’s mother, Crystal, to kill Chang was caught, he begged for mercy but it was muted and we could only see his pain and fear before Chang eventually sliced his body off, killing him instantly. In this scene, the sound was not audible and what can be interpreted from this is that no one will hear your cries and provide you any mercy for the crime you’ve committed and that you are alone to face the consequences. Bradshaw summarises the effective use of sound in the film when he states “Refn's movie is entirely gripping, put together with lethal, formal brilliance, with bizarre setpieces of sentimentality and nauseous black comedy. It has its own miasma of anxiety and evil, taking place in a universe of fear, a place of deep-sea unreality in which you need to breathe through special gills – and through which the action swims at about 90% of normal speed through to its chilling conclusion.” (Bradshaw, 2013)

Mottram concludes this movie accurately when he states, “It looks and sounds magnificent, perfectly conjuring the feel of backstreet Bangkok.” (Mottram, 2013)

List of Illustrations: 

Figure 1 Only God Forgives (2013) [Poster] at http://www.impawards.com/2013/posters/only_god_forgives_ver7_xlg.jpg (Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Figure 2 Dead Woman Covered In Blood (2013) [Still Image] at http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-2TWY/only-god-forgives/news/only-god-forgives-1001929.html (Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Figure 3 Julian’s Fight Scene (2013) [Still Image] at http://bbdigitalproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ogre700.jpg (Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Figure 4 Chang Drawing His Samurai  (2013) [Still Image] at http://www.bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/only-god-forgives-vithaya-pansringarm-600x400.jpg (Accessed on11 December 2013)

Figure 5 Crystal In The Restaurant (2013) [Still Image] at http://media-1.melty.fr/media_aggregate-1455442-stream/only-god-forgives-trois-extraits-violents.jpg (Accessed on 11 December 2013)

List of Bibliography:

Bradshaw, Peter

2013

Only God Forgives Review

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/01/only-god-forgives-review 

(Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Lambie , Ryan

2013

Only God Forgives Review

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/only-god-forgives/26599/only-god-forgives-review 

(Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Mottram , James

2013

Only God Forgives Review

http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/only-god-forgives

 (Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Woodward , Adam

2013

Only God Forgives Review

http://www.littlewhitelies.co.uk/theatrical-reviews/only-god-forgives-24418

(Accessed on 11 December 2013)

Mise-en-scène Film Programme: Suspiria (1977)

Figure 1: Movie Poster [Still Image]

Suspiria(1977) is an Italian movie directed by Darioi Argento. It is considered to be one of his finest work. The film was on an American ballet student, Suzy, who got herself a place in one of the prestigious dance academy in Frieberg, Germany. The stormy weather and the brutal murder of a fellow student by an unseen attacker with demonic hands was what greeted her upon her arrival in the country. There were a few unusual events and other gruesome deaths that occurred, implying that there was something evil and bad lurking within the core of the school compound. Determined to reveal this mystery, Suzy followed the clues that she had gathered from her very first encounter with the student who ran away from the hostel on that stormy night and the one that her friend, Sara, found out about. This prestigious school was indeed, ran by a coven of witches.

Right from the start of the film, there was a tinge of red and as the story builds up and the tension grows, red filled the scenes. There was also use of yellow and blue of the sets that expresses different meaning to the story. As Gonzalez points out in his review “The film's visual palette is suggestive of a hierarchical journey through the Academy. Hallways are bathed in reds, yellows, and blues, and, in effect, different rooms in the school begin to take on a meaning all their own.”(Gonzalez, 2001). An example of the use of extreme colours can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Suzy In The Hallway {Still Image]

In addition to the colours used for this film, the vision Argento had and the skills Luciano Tovoli, the cinematographer possessed, produced camerawork and visual elements that left the audience in awe. In a book entitled Dario Argento, James Gracey emphasized this point when he said “Often cutting from extreme close-ups to wide-angle shots and point-of-view shots, the viewer is immersed in a kind of visual delirium, constantly on edge.” (Gracey, 2010:18) The edits in this film disorients the viewer as it makes daily objects and situations become potential moments of terror. This was achieved through the use of unexpected changes in character’s point of view as well as jump cuts from extrreme close up to wide shots. This can be seen in the scene where Suzy and Sara tread water in the eerie swimming pool as it was shot from the above. 

Figure 3: Suzy and Sara Treading In The Pool [Still Image]

Figure 4: Close up shot of Suzy and Sara [Still Image]

The soundtrack played an important role as much as the visual components did. The distinctive sound effects like whispers, high pitch screams and whines leaves the audience in a paranoiac mood. In her review, Linda Schulte-Sasse summarises the use of the sound accurately when she states "Sound is in perfect synch with visuals, but renders unstable the boundary between conventional, non-diegetic "mood" music and diegetic sound within the film proper, as we are haunted by sounds "from nowhere"that resemble, for example, Helene Marcos' inimitable snoring. Moreover, the power of the soundtrack makes silent passages in the film all the more tense, all the more silent. (Schulte-Sasse, 2002)

In conlusion, Suspiria is a great example of film that falls under the horror category. The two main elements of a great film, the visuals and the sound matched perfectly throughout the entire film, leaving the audience amazed. Gracey was right when he said “The intrusive soundtrack and inimitable imagery, bathed in livid reds and blues, is truly spellbinding and relentless and unlike anything before or since. Another masterpiece from Argento and one of horror cinema’s greatest works.” (Gracey, 2010 : 67)

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 Suspiria (1977) [Poster] at http://www.filmosphere.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Suspiria-affiche.jpg (Accessed on 6 December 2013)

Figure 2 Suzy In The Hallway (1977) [Still Image] at http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/brettc1971/suspiria7_zpsd1d326a3.jpg (Accessed on 6 December 2013)

Figure 3 Suzy and Sara Treading In The Pool (1977) [Still Image] at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoIoq_Z46Ojf3VHUzB6dQIAbbYK-3NxPzjUKj5zKF5wlAgjPwX4TbwfdWekh0VNQBstY5VlnZUQdNaPcU-8RHA0OjLtamE3u_mQtkkksl2Q7NNHetLCGLah8243x3k586anCWC4B3Duo/s1600/argento_suspiria.jpeg (Accessed on 6 December 2013)

Figure 4 Close Up Shot of Suzy and Sara (1977) [Still Image] at http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z43/sevenarts/cinema/suspiria3.jpg (Accessed on 6 December 2013)

List of Bibliography:

Gonzalez, Ed

2001

Suspiria 

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/suspiria

(Accessed on 6 December 2013)

Gracey, James

2010

Dario Argento

Harpenden

Kamera Books

Schulte-Sasse , Linda

2002

Dario Argento's Suspiria (1977)

http://www.kinoeye.org/02/11/schultesasse11.php

(Accessed on 6 December 2013)

Mise-en-scène Film Programme: The Shining (1980)

Figure 1: Movie Poster [Still Image]

The Shining (1980) is a psychological horror themed movie directed by Stanley Kubrik. It was a movie based on a novel written by Stephen King of the same title. The film is on a subject of Jack who undertook a job as a caretaker at an isolated hotel. His young son, Danny, had a supernatural capability. He had a third eye as he was able to foresee the future and look back in time at the past, encountering with ghosts who resided at the hotel. After some time during their stay at the hotel, the otherworldly presence had successfully managed to influence Jack’s conscience. This drove him into the path of insanity as he made an attempt to commit a homicide against his wife and son. 

Films directed by Kubrick have substantially shown the love he had for one point perspective and a balanced shot. In one of the scenes, Danny was riding his tricycle at the corridors of the hotel but stopped on his tracks when he saw the twins was an example how Kubrick brought this one point perspective, balanced shot thought further as he incorporated characters in it. Ager summarises this point accurately when he said “The most unconsciously powerful form of mirroring in the film is Kubrick’s use of visual symmetry.” (Ager, 2008)

Figure 2: Danny's Corridor Scene [Still Image]

Following the previous point about the visual aspect, trapped and isolation would be one of feelings that could be derived from this film. An example of this would be the iconic scene where Danny was playing his toys on a hexagon patterned carpet flooring of the hotel. Another would be when Wendy chases Danny in a maze and in the hotel, Jack was looking at a maze as he took a break from his writing. As he looked at this maze, what could be seen at the center of it was two tiny figures that appears to be of Wendy and Danny.  Henderson interpreted this scene with precision when he states "It's a memorable summary image for their situation—even given a foreshadowing moment of seeming omniscience, Jack can't free himself from his family any more than his family can escape the sprawling maze” (Henderson, 2007)

Figure 3: Danny Playing With His Toys [Still Image]

Figure 4: Table Top Maze [Still Image]

The immense tension that was created with the help of the sound effects were a perfect match to the visual elements in general. For example, in a scene was trying to avoid Jack, the pitch started to increase creating an intense feeling leaving the audience to have an adrenaline rush, keeping them at the edge of their seats as they anticipate for something terrifying to happen. As Henderson points out in his review, “…the complex musical textures of György Ligeti and Krzysztof Penderecki don't even offer room to breathe, and the disorientation causes the mind to grasp for gravity” (Henderson, 2007)

Figure 5: A clip from the film the illustrate the use of sound [Video]

When The Shining is watched multiple times, it gives the audience new information that was not noticeable in a previous screening. Hence, a statement from Eskstrom  perfectly concludes this film when he states “Everyone has that one film, the one they constantly return to for entertainment, joy, terror, mental stimulation, etc. The Shining is that one film.” (Ekstrom, 2013)

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 The Shining (1980) [Poster] at http://www.impawards.com/1980/posters/shining_ver1.jpg accessed on 30 November 2013

Figure 2 Danny’s Corridor Scene [Still Image] at http://stream1.gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/609380_o.gif accessed on 30 November 2013

Figure 3 Danny Playing With His Toys On The Carpet [Still Image] at http://planetivy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/the-shining-carpet1.jpg accessed on 30 November 2013

Figure 4 The Table Top Maze [Still Image] at http://www.collativelearning.com/PICS%20FOR%20WEBSITE/SHINING%20EXPANDED%203/tabletop%20maze%20close%20up.jpg accessed on 30 November 2013

Figure 5 The Shining - Best Scene (1080 HD) [Television Programme Online] Tyrion Lannister Youtube (1980) 4minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX3px05fFu8  accessed on 30 November 2013

List of Bibliography: 

Ager, Rob

2008

The Shining

http://www.collativelearning.com/the%20shining%20-%20chap%205.html

Accessed on 30 November 2013

Ekstrom, Matthem

2013

The Shining (1980)

http://letterboxd.com/matthewekstrom/film/the-shining/

Accessed on 30 November 2013

Henderson, Eric

2007

The Shining (1980)

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/the-shining

Accessed on 30 November 2013

Mise-en-scène Film Programme: Repulsion (1965)

Figure 1 : Movie Poster

Repulsion (1965) is the first English Language film made by director, Roman Polanski. It is a psychological horror film on the subject of a female protagonist, Carol, who was in constant fear over intimacy and breaks down when she was left alone in an apartment she shared with her sister and her married boyfriend. 

When Carol’s sister left for a short break with her married boyfriend leaving Carol all alone in the apartment, her insanity started to unfold. Polanski brilliantly portrays the change of the character’s mental state through the environment and situation she had placed her in. Firstly, he had the scene where Carol was supposed to have the rabbit for dinner but unintentionally left and forgot about it by the phone, as she got distracted answering the phone call. Then, the character saw the small cracks in her apartment expanding. In a review written by Bradshaw, he emphasized this point when he said, “Small cracks in the walls of the apartment flow into crunching indicators of the heroine's crumbling mind.” (Bradshaw, 2013)

Figure 2: Decaying Rabbit [Still Image]

Her fear of intimacy and of men could be seen right from the start of the film when she walks past by them on the streets really quickly and avoids eye contact. This fear was accentuated when she imagined the walls in her apartment to transform to flesh and was forced to touch it. In a later scene, there were hands extended in every direction from the walls in her apartment, reaching out for her. In an attempt to pull herself away from the hands that were touching her body and avoid them, she went on all fours. The dramatic lighting to the scene despite being a black and white film was visually captivating as it showed the intensive emotions. Instead of being terrified by this constant raping occurrence, Carol seems to be in acceptance of her fate. The scene to support this statement was when she put on a lipstick and showed a small sign of vanity that was not previously present before. This action of hers might be the turning point of which she realises that she has lost the battle to stay away from being sexually assaulted and welcomed this madness instead. Bradshaw wrote in his review to highlight this point further when he said “her fear of sex develops into a neurotic fascination and horror of dust and dirt of all kinds, a condition that escalates into agoraphobia and paranoid episodes.” (Bradshaw, 2013)

Figure 3: Hands Appearing From The Wall [Still Image]

Figure 4: Carol Putting on Lipstick [Still Image]

Not only was the visuals of this film kept the audience glued to their seats but also the music score by Chico Hamilton . The flawless integration of the typical horror sounds and the deafening silence had successfully build the necessary tensions and putting the audience at their edge of their seats. This is supported with Scheib’s statement when he said “Sound effects are used particularly well throughout" (Scheib, 2012). In a scene where Carol was sexually assaulted, no sound was audible except for the ticking clock suggesting how Carol wished this nightmare will be over and done with. 

In conclusion, this film has become very influential since the time it was released. Not only did this film gave a new meaning to the psychological horror genre but it has also influence other parts of the media industry like fashion. Elle, a Fashion Magazine, took the scene where Carol answered the phone after being assaulted to be part of their horror themed photo shoot. It’s black and white visual style was definitely a success that it was able to inspire other aspects of the media industry. Like Renkovish said in his review “The direction from Polanski is minimalist, yet extremely powerful. This film is a must see for cinephiles. It will stay with you for days afterward, and you will never forget the images that it plants into your mind.” (Renkovish, 2011)

Figure 5: Carol Answering The Phone [Still Image] 

Figure 6 : Elle's Photoshoot [Still Image]

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 Repulsion (1965) [Poster] at http://www.filmdetail.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Repulsion.jpg accessed on 23 November 2013

Figure 2 Decaying Rabbit on a plate [Still Image] at http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews46/repulsion_blu-ray/large/large_repulsion_blu-ray4.jpg accessed on 23 November 2013

Figure 3 Hands appearing from the wall [Still Image] at http://www.asharperfocus.com/images/REPULSION-5.jpg accessed on 23 November 2013

Figure 4 Polanski. Repulsion 1965 Teljes film [Television Programme Online] Zoltán Komka [2012] 100 minutes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX3px05fFu8  accessed on 23 November 2013

Figure 5 Carol answering the phone [Still Image] at http://www.bfi.org.uk/distribution/sites/bfi.org.uk.distribution/files/images/repulsion_01.jpg  accessed on 23 November 2013

Figure 6 Elle's Photo Shoot [Still Image] at http://cdn.evilbeetgossip.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Heather-Morris-in-Repulsion.jpg  accessed on 23 November 2013

List of Bibliography: 

Bradshaw, Peter

2013

Repulsion - Review

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/03/repulsion-review

Accessed on 23 November 2013

Renkovish, Steven

2011 

Repulsion

http://www.examiner.com/review/movie-review-roman-polanski-s-repulsion

Accessed on 23 November 2013

Scheib, Richard

2012

Repulsion

http://moria.co.nz/horror/repulsion-1965.htm

Accessed on 23 November 2013

Mise-en-scène Film Programme: Black Narcissus (1947)

Figure 1: Movie Poster

Black Narcissus (1947) is a British masterpiece owing to the collaboration of two directors, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. The script was adapted from a novel written by Rumer Godden.

The story is about a group of nuns who was ordered to establish a school and dispensary in the Himalayas. Despite being doubtful about her capability to fill in the leadership role in a foreign place, Mother Dorothea still appointed Sister Clodagh who was one of the youngest nuns in the convent as the superior for this project and wished her well. There were five sisters who were appointed to accompany her in this new mission of hers. They were Sister Briony who was excellent at supervision, Sister Phillipa a nun with green fingers to help manage the vegetation plantation, Sister Honey, who has good interpersonal social skills that will be an asset as they interacted with the people from the community who were known to be very stubborn, and lastly, Sister Ruth, a temperamental nun who falls sick easily.

Black Narcissus had different elements added to the storyline that it made a movie about a group of nuns visually captivating. It started of with how nuns should typically act- praying in the chapel and doing noble activities such as gardening and teaching the children. As the film progresses, it showed the darker side of a nun. They are constantly struggling to overcome inner demons, desires and unforgettable memories because after all, they are only human. To sum up and in an agreement to a point made by Mirasol in his review, he wrote “It has all of the three central conflicts every story should have, man against the world, man against man, and man against himself.” (Mirasol, 2010)

Figure 2 : Nuns praying in the Chapel [Still Image]

Apart from the storyline, the uses of matte paintings in some shots were incredible. The mountain range and the environment was captured perfectly in the matte paintings that it looked realistic and believable. Audiences who have not been to this place have been successfully tricked as this was shot mostly in the studio. Empire Online is accurate when it stated “No amount of CGI could ever capture the dramatic splendour of the beautiful matte paintings that push a church bell — and the nuns’ emotions — right to the edge of a deep and deadly ravine." (Empire Online, S.D)

Figure 3: Behind the scenes- Matte Painting [Still Image]

The use of vibrant colours was another reason why this film was a masterpiece. Red played a vital role in this production. The colour itself is a representation of love, lust, passion and heat. It was not prominent in its earlier scenes but when it came to Sister Ruth feeling sexually attracted to Mr Dean, the colour in that particular scene became more vibrant and visible. It was one of the way to tell the audience how the nun was feeling apart from the acting.

Figure 4: Sister Ruth [Still Image]

In addition to that, Pryor elaborated on the colours of the film that was accurate in his review by stating “Indeed, the whole chromatic scheme of the picture is marvelous to behold, and the russet hues of sunset streaking through the dilapidated Palace of Mopu, where once wine flowed and harem ladies cavorted, is a brilliant achievement in color composition.” (Pryor, 1947)

Figure 5: Sunset at Palace of Mopu [Still Image]

In their review on this film, The Daily Opinion summarises it perfectly when they said “The 65 years that have passed since the film’s release hasn’t diminished its impact. The haunting beauty of the painted landscapes and backdrops and the film’s vivid colour simply adds to its lasting appeal. To see it once, is to never forget it.” (The Daily Opinion, 2012)

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 Black Narcissus (1947) [Poster] at http://store.walterfilm.com/images/BlackNarcissusLC.jpg accessed on 12 November 2013

Figure 2 Nuns Praying in The Chapel [Still Image] at http://trekkerscrapbook.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/pdvd_183.jpg accessed on 12 November 2013

Figure 3 Behind the Scenes – Matte Painting [Still Image] at https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnqKMJcv3kMQa1VzbQEH-Te_t2HTknOeMUCNMZ2z2O67grK6RrBQr8S7kU1Xa4E7Hc-AvSu2D68-KQ0A9GrLT88wMzz6hFAJxQfvVVbUp9ob3Xug1lssQWuyKWYPN3vazon11L0XGCvc/s640/black+narc1.jpg accessed on 12 November 2013

Figure 4 Sister Ruth [Still Image] at http://www.seraphicpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/sister-ruth.jpg accessed on 12 November 2013

Figure 5 Sunset at Palace of Mopu [Still Image] at http://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/130649-e19d5bf2a7de578348700be2beccbdb5/Film_93w_BlackNarcissusC_original.jpg  accessed on 12 November 2013

List of Bibliography:

Mirasol, Michael

2010

Black Narcissus

http://www.rogerebert.com/far-flung-correspondents/black-narcissus-which-electrified-scorsese

Accessed on 12 November 2013

Pryor, Thomas

1947

Black Narcissus

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173CE261BC4C52DFBE66838C659EDE

Accessed on 12 November 2013

Empire Online

No Year

Black Narcissus

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=11320

Accessed on 12 November 2013

The Daily Opinion

2012

Black Narcissus

http://www.thedailyopinion.co.uk/film-review-black-narcissus/

Accessed on 12 November 2013

Mise-en-scène Film Programme: Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Figure 1:  Movie Poster

Edward Scissorhands (1990) was a brilliant classic directed by Tim Burton and written by Caroline Thompson. This film was set in a typical American neighbourhood where everyone knows everyone. It was a story about a lonely inventor who lived in a mansion high above a town filled with pastel coloured houses. The movie is visually captivating as contrasting colours were used. Pastel colours were used for the neighbourhood and dark shades of grey for the castle. This was mentioned in an article wrote by Timeout London that could not be less accurate to describe this film. “It's a visual treat, complete with pastel bungalows, surreal shrubbery and grotesque outfits, but it remains curiously hollow.” (Timeout London, 1990)

Figure 2: Street View of the Neighbourhood [Still Image]

In the story, the inventor got his idea to create and develop Edward from his machines that made cookies. He decided to put a life into it by creating an appearance and gave him the intelligence of a man. The only difference was, his new creation had scissors for hands. Before he was able to complete his masterpiece of which is to install proper hands with fingers, he died. Hence, leaving Edward with a huge house with a garden. Edward spend much attention and care for his garden and shaped the scrubs and bushes into interesting elements. His centre piece of his driveway was a hand, a very significant symbol as he longed to have a pair of his own.

Figure 3: Exterior of Edward's Mansion [Still Image]

When a saleslady came to visit and promote her products, she was shocked and scared when Edward greeted her but she was quickly filled with empathy when her motherly instincts kicked in. She understood his loneliness and decided to host him as a guest in her house. Having a barbeque party was how Edward was introduced to the community. He made an impactful and memorable impression to the community when he started to put his hands into good use. He became the neighbourhood’s hairstylist for both the women and their dogs.

Figure 4: Edward Cutting the Dog's Fur [Still Image]

Figure 5: Edward Cutting Joyce's Hair [Still Image]

His good image to the community started to crumble when he rejected Joyce, who was sexually attracted to him as he had no interest in her other than for Peg’s daughter, Kim. Following that incident, he was forced to steal and eventually got caught trying to break an entry into Kim’s boyfriend house, Jim. Rumour started to spread on how dangerous he had become when, in actual fact, he was innocent. In agreement to a review written by Maslin, she wrote “A tale of misunderstood gentleness and stifled creativity, of civilization's power to corrupt innocence, of a heedless beauty and a kindhearted beast. The film, if scratched with something much less sharp than Edward's fingers, reveals proudly adolescent lessons for us all.” (Maslin, 1990)

Figure 6: Edward and Kim Hugging [Still Image]

The ending of this film was not like a Disney’s happily every after. Instead, it was a sacrifice Edward had to make. He had to leave Kim behind when the town was after him because his attempt to save Kevin, Kim’s brother, was misjudged. Before that, Kim who initially had no interest in Edward eventually saw through his imperfect appearance. She had asked him to hug her but when he said he was not able to do so, she wrapped her arms around his chest with much gentleness. In regards to this, Travers wrote, “The memory of that moment suffuses the film even at the somber climax, which recalls Batman's poignant solitude atop that Gotham City tower. Edward Scissorhands isn't perfect. It's something better: pure magic.” (Travers, 1990).

A quote by Pulaski sums up one of the best fantasy film ever made when he said “Edward Scissorhands is, in fact, Burton's masterwork, clearly personal, richly detailed, and aesthetically beautiful in many regards.” (Pulaski, 2013)

List of Illustrations:

Figure 1 Edward Scissorhands (1990) [Poster] at http://www.impawards.com/1990/posters/edward_scissorhands_ver1_xlg.jpg accessed on 6 November 2013

Figure 2 Street view of the neighbourhood [Still Image] at http://www.feelguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/EdScissors1990.jpg accessed on 6 November 2013

Figure 3 Exterior of Edward’s Mansion [Still Image] at http://zannaland.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/edward-1.jpg accessed on 6 November 2013

Figure 4 Edward cutting the dog’s fur [Still Image] at http://images.cdn.filmclub.org/film__2796-edward-scissorhands--detail.jpg accessed on 6 November 2013

Figure 5 Edward cutting Joyce’s Hair [Still Image] at http://interpretationstation.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/edward_scissorhands_haircut.png accessed on 6 November 2013

Figure 6 Edward and Kim hugging [Still Image] at http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/22300000/Edward-Kim-edward-scissorhands-22305841-500-250.gif accessed on 6 November 2013

List of Bibliography:

Maslin, Janet

1990

Edward Scissorhands  (1990)

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C0CE2D81338F934A35751C1A966958260

Accessed on 6 November 2013

Steve Pulaski

2013

http://letterboxd.com/stevepulaski/film/edward-scissorhands/

Accessed on 6 November 2013

Timeout London

1990

Edward Scissorhands

http://www.timeout.com/london/film/edward-scissorhands

Accessed on 6 November 2013

Travers, Peter

1990

Edward Scissorhands 1990

http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/edward-scissorhands-19901214

Accessed on 6 November 2013