One night at a sleepover my friend and I decided to watch
Edward Sissorhands. My friend’s mom is all about including the whole family so
her younger brother and his friend watched it with us. All night they each
pretended they were Edward, acting him out as a villain. I found it interesting
that they ignored the real Edward and saw him as a crazy villain. It was just
like the towns people in the movie. At first they loved him but it was so easy
for them to turn on him. An interesting theme in most fairy tales is a dark or
violent meaning. When researching many of my favorite fairy tales such as Snow
White or Hansel and Gretel I found that originally they were dark and
disturbing before being written for children.
Edward
Sissorhands is supposed to be about a misunderstood creation of a lonely
inventor forced to feel alone and incomplete after the death of his creator.
But within this emotional story
are many violent acts that leave you questioning right and wrong. Is Edward a
monster or did society just make him that way? The suburban neighborhood in
this movie gives a very realistic look into the mob mentality. At first Peg who
is a total outsider suddenly has a friend the neighbors are interested in and
they all begin to treat her like their best friend in order to relieve their
curiosity. Then when Edward rejects Joyce coming on to him out of confusion she
decides he is a monster. Next he helps Kim break into her boyfriend’s house
because he really cares about her and would do anything for her. That was the
final straw for the neighbors. With Joyce’s negative testimony to his character
combined with his recent run in with the law they all decided to turn on him.
In turn they turn on Peg as well, proving they were never really her friends.
In
the end Peg, Kim and her family prove that they have really cared about him all
along and attempt to stick by him. But the power of the mob is able to chase
him out of the area. Then there is the truly dark and violent scene between
Kim, Jim and Edward. Edward and Jim fight for so long until finally Jim is
stabbed and thrown out the window in Edward attempt to protect Kim. What kind
of fairy tale has such a violent murder scene you ask, a Tim Burton fairy tale.
I appreciate that you point out that most fairytales are not like the Disney version. The Brothers Grimm's fairytales are perfect examples of the original dark tales. It's terrifying to think that these were the original stories children were told. It is the same with most of Tim Burton's fairytales. The main character is usually isolated and misunderstood. The townspeople start out loving them and then they turn against them. Tim Burtons shows how fickle people are. As long as it's new, shiny, and easily controlled ten it's wanted.
ReplyDeleteLittle boys don't pay attention to movies and their real meaning. Well this seems to be the same in real life situations. If someone saw Edward on the street no one would look twice at him and think he could be as sweet as a button. Everyone would just be scared of him right away. The way Peg took him in is an unrealistic part of the movie that also makes it more fary tale like. But I completely agree that he is "supposed to be about a misunderstood creation of a lonely inventor forced to feel alone and incomplete after the death of his creator" and no one sees past this when they get all the rumors in their heads. As for Edward being a monster? I don't think so at all. All he ever wanted was to be complete. He never tried to hurt anyone until Jim tried to hurt him or Kim. And last but not least I must say I love your ending!! Great job!!
ReplyDeleteLittle boys don't pay attention to movies and their real meaning. Well this seems to be the same in real life situations. If someone saw Edward on the street no one would look twice at him and think he could be as sweet as a button. Everyone would just be scared of him right away. The way Peg took him in is an unrealistic part of the movie that also makes it more fary tale like. But I completely agree that he is "supposed to be about a misunderstood creation of a lonely inventor forced to feel alone and incomplete after the death of his creator" and no one sees past this when they get all the rumors in their heads. As for Edward being a monster? I don't think so at all. All he ever wanted was to be complete. He never tried to hurt anyone until Jim tried to hurt him or Kim. And last but not least I must say I love your ending!! Great job!!
ReplyDelete