Does the constant use of predominantly gothic elements throughout Tim Burtons films make him an auteur?
Speaker: An Auteur is"A film maker who's individual style and complete control over all elements of production give a film it's personal and unique stamp" [Item 14]. I will discuss if Tim Burton's films display similar recurring themes, such as Gothicism in the mise-en-scene and explain how his choice of non-diegetic and diegetic music provide evidence for Burton being an auteur. [Item 12]
Projector: Show film posters of each focus film; Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and Batman Returns. [Item 1,2 & 3]
Projector: Show film posters of each focus film; Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and Batman Returns. [Item 1,2 & 3]
Speaker: I believe Tim Burton is an auteur as he fits the definition. In many of Burton's films we see gothic, dark scenes commonly using gothic techniques such as chiaroscuro lighting, inspired by German Expressionism and Film Noir. Burton also displays recurring visuals of a gothic mise-en-scene. For all of a directors films to have similar elements is rare. A good example of a scene that many elements are used is in Beetlejuice (1998) such as when we're first introduced to the character Beetlejuice.
Projector: Show clip of Beetlejuice: Mise-en-scene. Timescale-> 00:45:05 [Item 3]
Speaker: Beetlejuice "in retrospect, is quintessential Burton material; ghoulish, bizarre, highly imaginative with the potential for outrageous set design and innovative special effects" [Item 10] The mise-en-scene Burton uses in Beetlejuice in itself shows themes of gothic nature - such as the costume and makeup design. This can be seen when we first see Beetlejuice in the clip you've just seen. The scene is set in a graveyard - a typical setting for a gothic genre, but to add to this the graveyard is a model which is in an attic - also a setting associated with 'gothism', ghosts and demons. "Beetlejuice features a number of visual references that resurface in Burton's work: these include a model town, characters patterned with black and white stripes, and a graveyard setting" [Item 10] - The idea of this graveyard comes from his childhood memories, as a distinct graveyard that was next door to where he lived was an area he used to play in. Burton's obsession with gothic themes and death is projected from his childhood; "I was obsessed with death, like a lot of children" [Item 10] which explains the child-like nightmarish characteristics of his films especially Beetlejuice [Item 6 & 17].
Burton uses elements from German Expressionism to enhance the gothic style in his films. Dead trees paired with low key lighting all add to the effect of the gothic style of Beetlejuice and his auteur style.
Projector: Show clip of Beetlejuice: Mise-en-scene, use of dead trees and low key lighting Timescale -> 00:46:00 [Item 3]
Speaker: Other characters linking to the gothic genre include Lydia Deetz, who's clothes have connotations of being gothic, these come from Lydia wearing the colour black and a 'choker' around her neck. Lydia Deetz at a glance can also be seen as a witch in the style she dresses, as she is seen wearing a pointed black hat. "Sweet but morbid daughter (Winona Ryder) who dresses like a witch to express her inner weirdness" [Item 11] This character is played by Winona Ryder, who is a common actress through many of Burtons films - She is an actress in Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and was the voice in Frankenweenie. This is another aspect of being an auteur, a director who reuses the same/similar actors and actresses multiple times, in Burtons case this is Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Winona Ryder - this is due to how well these actors and actresses represent Burtons dark toned style of film.
Projector: Show image of Lydia Deetz [Item 3]
Speaker: Another case is Danny Elfman, who composed the music for all of my focus films. Danny Elfman is reused by Burton throughout his films as Elfman heavily influences the tone and mood that Burtons vision sets - making the theme 'gothic'. Elfman uses non diegetic sound in Buton's films to reflect on the current mood of the film and which creates it's own story. Danny Elfman understands Burton's thoughts and visions, and the repetitive use of individuals for parts of different film's is a trait in an auteur, suggesting that Burton is an auteur.
"The most remarkable aspect of the Edward Scissorhands score is it's ability to tell Burton's story without the visuals." [Item 5]
In the other focus films, Burton also uses mise-en-scene to represent gothic themes, for example in Batman Returns (1992) the beginning sequence is predominantly set in the sewers under the city, following a black victorian pram. Burton's choice of using victorian era props in his mise-en-scene whilst being set in the late 1940's also aids in answering our question of whether Tim Burton is an auteur or not, as he chose to use old victorian props such as the pram and clothing that the parents of 'The Penguin' wore to paint a gothic, dark scene. His choice of weather also resembles gothic style, as the lighting is low key and snow resembles the coldness of 'The Penguin'. A word often used to describe this kind of scene, along with Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands is "Burtonesque", this term suggests that Tim Burton has a style of film thats recognised - this aids in an argument for Burton being an auteur [Item 20]. "Theses films are characteristically surreal, avant-garde and expressionistic, the tone of which is commonly described as 'dark' and 'gothic' owing to Burton's romanticism and fascination with the macabre. Burton approaches uncomfortable topics with great wit and humour - as if laughing at the world for taking itself too seriously." [Item 9]
Projector: Show opening clip of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands: Timescale -> 00:00:00 [Item 2 & 3]
Speaker: Comparing the opening scene of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands (1990), you can see similarities in the low key lighting and cinematic techniques used - this whole opening sequence of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands is predominantly made up of shades of grey and are tinted with blue 'coolness' from the snow, with non diegetic music similar to both Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. These similar themes that run throughout his films would suggest that his is an auteur.
Projector: Show clip of Batman Returns; focus on non diegetic sound Timescale: 00:00:32 [Item 2]
Speaker: The non diegetic music in all three films holds a similar mysterious, jumpy feel to it, as seen in the clip shown. This could be due to the scores being all made by Danny Elfman, making the audience feel on edge, this is a convention of the gothic genre, and the fact that there are similarities between the non diegetic sound would support Burton being an auteur [Item 4 & 5].
My third focus film, Edward Scissorhands [Item 1] can be compared with Mary Shelley's gothic book Frankenstein, both of the narratives focus on the creation of a 'monster' that falls in love and rejected by society. As Shelley's Frankenstein is a gothic novel, we can say that Edward Scissorhands includes many gothic elements, one gothic theme to run throughout Scissorhands is a setting in an abandoned castle, which sets the scene for mystery and suspense - all conventions of horror [Item 7].
Speaker: As you can see in this scene, the whole feel of the clip is gothic, with the lighting, mise-en-scene and almost every other cinematic technique. The mood of the clip is very dark and mysterious due to the low key lighting. Not only all the cinematic techniques, but also due to the fact that Burton decided to film in an attic again, which are associated with the gothic genre. We see Burton's choice to film in an attic in all three of my focus films, seen again in this scene in Batman Returns, when 'Catwoman' visits 'The Penguin'.
Projector: Show clip of Batman Returns: attic, Timescale -> 01:03:34
Speaker: Burton is known for pairing his gothic style with satire and irony to create a more 'laughing at the world' dark film, in Beetlejuice this can be seen in the non-diegetic sound in this scene, the playful and witty nature of the character Beetlejuice is replicated in the sound. All of this backs up Burton being an auteur, as many of these themes are replicated in his other films. As described by the writer Mcdowell, "a feel good movie about death" [Item 10] all three tales generally deal with the darker aspects of life. Overall, Burton tends to dwell upon these themes throughout his work, which is what makes me believe that he is an auteur. His distinct style is well known and loved, with his name being used to describe his type of themes that are found in his work. Burton reuses similar people throughout his work, such as actors/actresses and musicians as they represent his visual representation well. The mies-en-scene in Burton's films is another recurring point to make, as we see similar settings across most of Burtons films, such as attics, castles, and sewers - all associated with dark, and all portrayed in low key lighting to exaggerate the gothic style in his films.
Projector: Show clip of Beetlejuice: Mise-en-scene. Timescale-> 00:45:05 [Item 3]
Speaker: Beetlejuice "in retrospect, is quintessential Burton material; ghoulish, bizarre, highly imaginative with the potential for outrageous set design and innovative special effects" [Item 10] The mise-en-scene Burton uses in Beetlejuice in itself shows themes of gothic nature - such as the costume and makeup design. This can be seen when we first see Beetlejuice in the clip you've just seen. The scene is set in a graveyard - a typical setting for a gothic genre, but to add to this the graveyard is a model which is in an attic - also a setting associated with 'gothism', ghosts and demons. "Beetlejuice features a number of visual references that resurface in Burton's work: these include a model town, characters patterned with black and white stripes, and a graveyard setting" [Item 10] - The idea of this graveyard comes from his childhood memories, as a distinct graveyard that was next door to where he lived was an area he used to play in. Burton's obsession with gothic themes and death is projected from his childhood; "I was obsessed with death, like a lot of children" [Item 10] which explains the child-like nightmarish characteristics of his films especially Beetlejuice [Item 6 & 17].
Burton uses elements from German Expressionism to enhance the gothic style in his films. Dead trees paired with low key lighting all add to the effect of the gothic style of Beetlejuice and his auteur style.
Projector: Show clip of Beetlejuice: Mise-en-scene, use of dead trees and low key lighting Timescale -> 00:46:00 [Item 3]
Speaker: Other characters linking to the gothic genre include Lydia Deetz, who's clothes have connotations of being gothic, these come from Lydia wearing the colour black and a 'choker' around her neck. Lydia Deetz at a glance can also be seen as a witch in the style she dresses, as she is seen wearing a pointed black hat. "Sweet but morbid daughter (Winona Ryder) who dresses like a witch to express her inner weirdness" [Item 11] This character is played by Winona Ryder, who is a common actress through many of Burtons films - She is an actress in Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and was the voice in Frankenweenie. This is another aspect of being an auteur, a director who reuses the same/similar actors and actresses multiple times, in Burtons case this is Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Winona Ryder - this is due to how well these actors and actresses represent Burtons dark toned style of film.
Projector: Show image of Lydia Deetz [Item 3]
Speaker: Another case is Danny Elfman, who composed the music for all of my focus films. Danny Elfman is reused by Burton throughout his films as Elfman heavily influences the tone and mood that Burtons vision sets - making the theme 'gothic'. Elfman uses non diegetic sound in Buton's films to reflect on the current mood of the film and which creates it's own story. Danny Elfman understands Burton's thoughts and visions, and the repetitive use of individuals for parts of different film's is a trait in an auteur, suggesting that Burton is an auteur.
"The most remarkable aspect of the Edward Scissorhands score is it's ability to tell Burton's story without the visuals." [Item 5]
In the other focus films, Burton also uses mise-en-scene to represent gothic themes, for example in Batman Returns (1992) the beginning sequence is predominantly set in the sewers under the city, following a black victorian pram. Burton's choice of using victorian era props in his mise-en-scene whilst being set in the late 1940's also aids in answering our question of whether Tim Burton is an auteur or not, as he chose to use old victorian props such as the pram and clothing that the parents of 'The Penguin' wore to paint a gothic, dark scene. His choice of weather also resembles gothic style, as the lighting is low key and snow resembles the coldness of 'The Penguin'. A word often used to describe this kind of scene, along with Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands is "Burtonesque", this term suggests that Tim Burton has a style of film thats recognised - this aids in an argument for Burton being an auteur [Item 20]. "Theses films are characteristically surreal, avant-garde and expressionistic, the tone of which is commonly described as 'dark' and 'gothic' owing to Burton's romanticism and fascination with the macabre. Burton approaches uncomfortable topics with great wit and humour - as if laughing at the world for taking itself too seriously." [Item 9]
Projector: Show opening clip of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands: Timescale -> 00:00:00 [Item 2 & 3]
Speaker: Comparing the opening scene of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands (1990), you can see similarities in the low key lighting and cinematic techniques used - this whole opening sequence of Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands is predominantly made up of shades of grey and are tinted with blue 'coolness' from the snow, with non diegetic music similar to both Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. These similar themes that run throughout his films would suggest that his is an auteur.
Projector: Show clip of Batman Returns; focus on non diegetic sound Timescale: 00:00:32 [Item 2]
Speaker: The non diegetic music in all three films holds a similar mysterious, jumpy feel to it, as seen in the clip shown. This could be due to the scores being all made by Danny Elfman, making the audience feel on edge, this is a convention of the gothic genre, and the fact that there are similarities between the non diegetic sound would support Burton being an auteur [Item 4 & 5].
My third focus film, Edward Scissorhands [Item 1] can be compared with Mary Shelley's gothic book Frankenstein, both of the narratives focus on the creation of a 'monster' that falls in love and rejected by society. As Shelley's Frankenstein is a gothic novel, we can say that Edward Scissorhands includes many gothic elements, one gothic theme to run throughout Scissorhands is a setting in an abandoned castle, which sets the scene for mystery and suspense - all conventions of horror [Item 7].
Projector: Show clip of Edward Scissorhands: Gothic setting, Timescale -> 00:11:03
Speaker: As you can see in this scene, the whole feel of the clip is gothic, with the lighting, mise-en-scene and almost every other cinematic technique. The mood of the clip is very dark and mysterious due to the low key lighting. Not only all the cinematic techniques, but also due to the fact that Burton decided to film in an attic again, which are associated with the gothic genre. We see Burton's choice to film in an attic in all three of my focus films, seen again in this scene in Batman Returns, when 'Catwoman' visits 'The Penguin'.
Projector: Show clip of Batman Returns: attic, Timescale -> 01:03:34
Speaker: Burton is known for pairing his gothic style with satire and irony to create a more 'laughing at the world' dark film, in Beetlejuice this can be seen in the non-diegetic sound in this scene, the playful and witty nature of the character Beetlejuice is replicated in the sound. All of this backs up Burton being an auteur, as many of these themes are replicated in his other films. As described by the writer Mcdowell, "a feel good movie about death" [Item 10] all three tales generally deal with the darker aspects of life. Overall, Burton tends to dwell upon these themes throughout his work, which is what makes me believe that he is an auteur. His distinct style is well known and loved, with his name being used to describe his type of themes that are found in his work. Burton reuses similar people throughout his work, such as actors/actresses and musicians as they represent his visual representation well. The mies-en-scene in Burton's films is another recurring point to make, as we see similar settings across most of Burtons films, such as attics, castles, and sewers - all associated with dark, and all portrayed in low key lighting to exaggerate the gothic style in his films.
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