To be or not to be

Betelguese, Betelguese, BETELGUESE!

"Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death"

               Beetlejuice by Tim Burton, is a film where Burton uses his own imagination and the preconceived thoughts that human beings have surrounding death, to create a very intricate and thought out plot incorporating the flaws of both life and death.  In today's world, the typical American will spend 99.99% of their moment to moment attention on life and to making sure life is to a standard they would like.  Very few people live their lives with death or an "afterlife/afterdeath" mentality.  So what?The what, is that people don't consider repercussions of their actions, they don't look at anything larger than themselves, and they certainly don't attempt to make sure their standard of death is where they would hope or imagined.  This leads to regrets and animosity towards the world close to the end, when in reality it should be towards themselves.  When thinking about life, especially as a young person, you see a limitless world with ultimate potential.  When thinking about death, you see time constraints and you cherish opportunities and important moments.

               To start the film, we are introduced to the living Maitland family.  They are the prototypical family from Suburbia, USA and (seemingly) have everything going for them.  To a cynic and skeptic like myself, I argue that they are in a repetitive circle of decay and that even before their death, they were confined to the home they cherished so much, even though it was "too big."  Too big for just a couple with no kids.  

               If you can't bring life to this world can you bring death?

               "Betelguese, Betelguese, Betelguese."  

               To Mr. Burton, the answer is yes.  Death is just as much a reality to Burton as life is, maybe even more so.  The beautiful unknown.