Edward Scissorhands (1990) Film Review

Edward Scissorhands is a drama and fantasy film set in an American suburb, which was released in 1990. It is well known in representing ‘white flight’. This was a form of residential segregation around the 1960’s, where white Americans were moving away from the central cities and settling within the suburbs (that soon led to the increase in poverty). This film was directed by Tim Burton and has won multiple awards such as BAFTA, 20/20 Awards (Felix) and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films USA (Saturn Award).

The main focus of the plot was around the main character Edward, (who was an unfinished creation from an inventor who suddenly died) and how he was isolated from all of the other residents. In the beginning a grandmother is telling her granddaughter a story, of why it is snowing and where it comes from. It starts with a local Avon representative (Peg Boggs) working; as she was not able to get many sales, she ventures up an overgrown hill to an old and gothic looking house where she meets Edward. She immediately could see that even with scissors for hands that Edward is harmless and only has good intentions. When she introduces him to the community, they are impressed by his hedge trimming and hair cutting skills (minus two residents Esmeralda who is very religious and Kim’s boyfriend Jim). This is all while Edward was falling for Peg’s daughter Kim. Jim notices Edward’s unique skills and takes advantage of him being able to pick locks; they break into Jim’s parents’ house but set off a burglar alarm locking Edward in. Edward gets arrested but released shortly after a psychological exam that reveals he lacks in common sense; due to the time he has spent in isolation. When returning home, he is outcasted by the whole community minus the Boggs family. Jim watches Edward accidently cut Kim’s hand and claims it was intentional and therefore attacks him. Edward runs away and Peg along with her husband Bill go and search for him. Shortly after Edward returns to the Boggs home and is greeted by Kim with a hug, they hear a commotion and go outside to see a drunk driver about to hit Kevin (Kim’s brother). But Edward pushes him out of the way just in time however, in the process accidently cutting his face. Which was witnessed and perceived as him attacking Kevin, just as the police arrive Edward flees back to the house on top of the hill (followed by an angry mob). Kim also follows and finds him where he is again attacked by Jim, out of self-defence he ends up killing Jim and watches him fall out of the window. The angry mob come across Jim’s body; shortly after Kim appears holding another pair of Scissorhands, lying saying it was a joint death so Edward was able to live in peace. The last scene returns to the grandmother making the audience realise that she is Kim, saying that the snow is coming from the old and gothic style house on top of the hill.

Figure 1 (Loughery, 2015)

The film centres around Burtons vision of suburbia (Figure 1) where all of the houses within the area have the same or similar structure however, are all in different colours. “Edward brought snow to their isolated suburban bubble. Kim is highlighting the lasting impact of diversity inclusion.” (Arabian, 2017) This could link back to the ‘white flight’ where a majority of white Americans moved out of cities into the suburban areas because of the non-white residential increase. Due to this movement it led to the decrease in taxes and an increase in crime, as the cities lacked in funding. Therefore, this film shows that communities are able to be diverse as it does create a positive ‘lasting impact’ by breaking that ‘suburban bubble’. The colours of the houses were all a pastel shade which could link to the pastel goth stereotype and is contrasting to Edward’s surroundings that were the general goth stereotype. Edward being presented as a goth links to the long running cinematic aesthetic for example, the style of makeup of the somnambulist from ‘The Cabinet of Dr Caligari’ (figure 2) looks similar to Edward (figure 3) with his white face, dark eyes and slim figure.

Figure 2 (IMDb, 2019)

Figure 3 (IMDb, 2019)

There are many links between Edward Scissorhands and Mary Shelly’s ‘Frankenstein’, “Edward Scissorhands is at once a reinvention of classic horror.” (Barrett, 2018) The biggest familiarity between them is that they were both created and not born. Due to their unique differences from the residents in the local communities, along with their deformities they were left an outcast; isolated from the people around them. However, Edward was accepted for a short while for being unique where as Frankenstein’s monster never felt that acceptance and was constantly rejected. But both these storylines link back at the end, where both of these characters ended up being feared of and then hunted down.

Overall, Edward Scissorhands is a story about an outcast who wants to be accepted for who they are. Alongside this, it shows how quickly people are to judge and put the blame on others without hearing out both sides of the story. “Edward himself, one of the most memorable figures in modern cinema.” (Lee, 2014) Not just because of his look but also how Burton has presented his personality for example, Edward not being someone you would expect him to be from how he looks. As he is a quiet and gentle character which juxtaposes from having sharp blades for hands. This film has been a major influence for other films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Twilight, The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.



Bibliography:

Arabian, A. (2017). EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: Tim Burton's Timeless Masterpiece. [online] Film Inquiry. Available at: https://www.filminquiry.com/edward-scissorhands-1990-review/ [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

Barrett, A. (2018). Where to begin with Tim Burton. [online] British Film Institute. Available at: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/features/where-begin-tim-burton [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

Lee, M. (2014). Edward Scissorhands, review: 'a true fairytale'. [online] Telegraph.co.uk. Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11298442/Edward-Scissorhands-review-a-true-fairytale.html [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

Illustration List:

Figure 1- (Loughrey, 2015) Loughrey, C. (2015). Here's what the Edward Scissorhands suburb looks like 25 years on. [online] The Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/heres-what-the-edward-scissorhands-suburb-looks-like-25-years-on-a6763486.html [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

Figure 2- (IMDb, 2019) IMDb. (2019). The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920). [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010323/mediaviewer/rm2861682176 [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].

Figure 3- (IMDb, 2019) IMDb. (2019). Edward Scissorhands (1990). [online] Available at: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/mediaviewer/rm122966784 [Accessed 18 Nov. 2019].