Hauntingly Beautiful World of Tim Burton 56

the Hauntingly Beautiful World Hauntingly Beautiful World

of Tim Burton Tim Burton

written by Natalia Cruz

If you were scarred as a child by devilishly-horrific clay animation mixed with zany humor, creepy landscapes, and gothic, unsettling feelings of awe and beauty, you were probably exposed to the ominous storybook world of one of the most notable directors: Tim Burton. Acclaimed for his personal style, dubbed “Burtonesque,” he has captivated audiences since the late ‘80s. Burton drew inspiration from German Expressionism, the dark aesthetic crafting the imagery in his storytelling through lighting, music, and production. German Expressionism relies on the components of fear and insanity while constructing a dreamlike reality. What sets Burton apart as a director is the imaginative world in each of his narratives, conceptualizing characters with exaggerated features—dark, baggy eyes, thin, frail limbs, and pale skin. To pair with the haunting images, composer Danny Elfman understands how to cultivate scores that seem to shake a room-magic blooming through Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and many others.

Within the films, the sets paint a theatrical stage, from contrasting lights, exaggerated colorings, and lighting throwing silhouette shadows, enhancing the audiences’ feelings of dread. Whether it is clay animation or Winona Rider, he pairs the characters head to toe in black, eccentric outfits, tall curling hats, or stark white stripes and corsets. The more unique and loud the outfit, the more it aligns with the Burtonesque style he has created. Tim Burton is able to make horror into a tale of the heart. We sympathize with those who look like villains and the monsters that live under beds. We connect with the walking dead, who have a knack for playing piano. We feel for the man with scissors for hands, who searches for love. Burton’s tortured characters are given a personification that makes outsiders feel like they have a place. He gives a voice to those who tend to stay in the shadows, feel like outcasts in society, and recognize the darkness as their own light as Burton takes in the grim parts of the world and reclaims them for us.

pHOtoGRAPheRs: Amy Malburg & Mo Salzer MOdeLS: CiAra Shore, KAra Feinberg, Rachel erikson, & Natalia Cruz LAYouT by ZHane Coleman