Jump - Final Blog

I must say this was one of my favorite classes of this semester, and it is not just because we watched Tim Burton movies every Tuesday, though that was enjoyable. I enjoyed this class because of my newfound appreciation and understanding of Burton and his films. My family is a huge fan of Tim Burton and I have been watching his films since I was a young child, but to be honest I knew very little about him as person. I never knew of his resentment towards his parents, and that Burton eventually moved in with his grandparents as a young adult. I never realized how much of himself and his personal experiences he incorporates into his films. Now that I know of his estranged relationship with his parents I notice the constant theme of parent abandonment. He reflects these emotions in Batman, Batman Returns, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, and other films as well. This made me realize why he works with the same actors and crew over and over again; Burton tries to form the family he never had.

Another theme I now take notice of in Burton’s work is isolation. Burton not only was an outcast in his own family, but he also was an outcast in his town. He made films, he played pranks, and he had very few friends. Isolation comes up in Ed Wood, Sweeney Todd, Frankenweenie, and many others.

Tim Burton is a perfect example of how our hardships are what can make us great. As I explained, Burton is reflects his experiences and his lingering emotions in his films, stories, and his characters. He is now a successful and world renown director, and it is due to the genuinity of his work. He puts himself in his work as a form of personal reflection and expression, but I think he also hopes that his work will be relatable to others. I think he hoped the new kid in town can relate to Edward Scissorhands or a child who feels ignored by their parents can see themselves in Lydia Deetz.

Not only does Burton give people characters to relate to, but he also creates characters that make people reflect upon themselves and their actions. For example, Planet of the Apes is a criticism of how humans are treating the Earth. The film takes place on what we eventually find out to be Earth in the far future that has been destroyed by humans and now is being run by apes. Burton is trying to point out that our planet may have a similar future, maybe without the apes as the ruling species though. Burton comments on a lot of issues in society, for example 50’s suburbia conformity in Edward Scissorhands, the corruption of Victorian England in Sweeney Todd, and the difficulties of working and receiving acceptance in Hollywood in Ed Wood. He uses comedy as to merely poke fun at society and soften the blow; Burton means no harm with his commentary, and he tries to make fun of himself also as to not take himself too seriously. I believe there is a lot we can learn from Burton’s films about society and about ourselves. I will continue to watch Burton’s films, but I will watch with my new knowledge of his work and I will try to reflect upon myself through his work.