![]() The sunny skies and green grass of the town of Spectre teaches Edward that comfort is a great thing to have, but never venturing outside of it keeps your life very small. That eye for color is used to wondrous effect in Big Fish, with springlike brightness being used in the moments of Edwards’ story when he describes some of the most transformative moments of his life. The pastels of the Florida town in Edward Scissorhands, the jarring red blood in Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd, and the extra-concentrated overload of candy color in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are just as iconically Burton as all the gloominess. Still, he’s also an artist who has always used color, sometimes even very bold, to stunning effect. When one thinks of Tim Burton, the first visuals that come to mind are likely desaturated grays or sharp blacks and whites, and that palette is plentiful in his work. But all of that stands out even more for its sharp contrast to the painfully honest and human moments about aging and the things we tell ourselves to try and make sense of our lives. He encounters giants, werewolves, secret towns, and circuses, so there’s no lack of the Burtonesque aesthetic and ambiance, which is highlighted further by longtime Burton film composer Danny Elfman. We see why he might be justified in questioning the accuracy of these tales as we’re shown the adventures of young Edward Bloom (played by Ewan McGregor) through a Gothic Americana filter. ![]() Will Bloom (Billy Crudup) and his father Edward (Albert Finney) have a falling out and years-long rift because Will can no longer stomach the fanciful way that Edward tells stories about his life, believing them to be lies that stand in the way of him truly getting to know his father. But however odd it may seem, if you’ve never seen it or haven’t revisited it in a while, Tim Burton’s Big Fish is a beautiful movie to watch right now.īased on the novel of the same name, Big Fish is about the relationship between parents and children and the power of stories. One of those stories was quite ironically brought to life by someone who is inextricably associated with spring’s diametric opposite. There are certain stories that truly encapsulate the unique sensibilities of this time, when everything gets a fresh start and becomes more colorful. But if I’m honest, even I have to admit that there’s a lot to love this time of year, both in life and in art. I, for one, am always a little sorry to see warmer weather because my final form is a children’s storybook illustration of a vole wearing a sweater vest that drinks tea out of a thimble on a snowy day. ![]() Spring brings with it buds on trees and eggs in nests, an overall defrost of the earth that signals the end of our collective hibernation.
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