Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tim Burton Stuff

Wednesday, April 29, 9:46 A.M.
Mood: Gloomy
Music: Clocks, by Coldplay

I have to say that by far Tim Burton is my favorite film maker.
His twisted and gloomy settings, dark yet inspiring stories, and all around flair keep me enthralled and calling for more.

My favorite film of his, strangely enough, is a little known stop motion animation he created at Disney early in his film career. It is entitled Vincent.

(To Watch Vincent, Please Click Below)











Vincent
is the story of a small boy who wants to grow up to be like Vincent Price. All throughout the seven minute film Vincent's regular life is shown in mostly white and gray scenes (the film was in black and white) that show him doing such things as playing with his sister, his dog, speaking nicely with his aunt and putting up with living in a crowded house.

The scenes then switch to his inner fantasies, what he wants his life to be like.

He imagines living alone in a dark and spacious home where he can "wander the halls, alone and tormented", dunking his aunt in a vat of wax, and preforming experiments on his dog, ambercrombie ( in hopes of creating a horrible zombie.)

He is sent to his room in the middle of the film for digging up his mother's flower garden in hopes of finding his "poor dead wife". After being banished to his room he sits alone and reads Edgar Allan Poe. (While other children read books like, Go Dog Go, Vincent's favorite author was Edgar Allan Poe.) After reading he pretends to be the tormented main character in The Raven. He imagines that he is trapped in his room forever, with only a portrait of his "beloved lost Loraine" to keep him company. He convinces himself that it has been years and that he is going insane. In the final scene he falls to the floor and, quoting Poe, says

"And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!


Interestingly enough, after it's completion the film was rejected by Disney for being "To dark for children."

I personally think this film is brilliant and one of Burton's best.


No matter what your opinion of him is, you must admit he is a brilliant and visionary director not only in terms of cinematography, but writing as well.

I hope he continues to make films that delight and inspire the eccentric in all of us.