एडवर्ड सीज़रहैंड्स

A man created by an inventor is taken from the solitude of his home to live with a suburban family.

The plot uses elements of Frankenstein and Beauty and the Beast to great effect in a story that very much about the human condition. Tim Burton may not have intended to satirise suburban types as much as he did, but ridiculed they feel with the gossipy, trouble making housewives and bored gardening, golf playing husbands. Cars all leave for work at the same time, great pride is taken in gardens and most (save a few) ultimately see Edward as either a 'freak' or a 'cripple'. We see the real freak show does not lie in the decaying old Gothic mansion on the hill, but in the normal residential neighbourhood below.

Edward Scissorhands has a style that shows Burton at his quirky, gothic best. The colour of everything in the suburbia is some variant of pastel, and is contrasts brilliantly with Edward's black suit and ghostly white face. This fits perfectly with the themes of acceptance, isolation and fitting into social structures when you are quite different.

The protagonist family are all sympathetic, played likably by Dianne Wiest, Alan Arkin, Robert Oliveri and in particular Winona Ryder. Edward's interaction with them is both hilariously funny and beautifully moving in a number of scenes.

There are also some strong supporting characters. Joyce, the lustful neighbour who talks in perpetual innuendo. Her scene of orgasmic joy on receipt of a new haircut is wonderfully funny. Jim the spoilt jock boyfriend sneers and lashes out every line with utter contempt. Vincent Price in a heart breaking cameo as the inventor is an excellent touch.

As the title character, Johnny Depp's performance is modern take on Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. He says very little, but his eyes and facial expressions tell us everything we need to know. When he does speak it is the voice of a frightened and confused child. I feel so much sympathy that it pains me to watch.

It has a haunting soundtrack that stays with you after the final credits. Every time I think of falling snow, particularly when melancholy I think of that music.

What prompted me to give this one a higher rating than I had originally planned was watching it with my three and a half year old daughter. It held her from start to finish, which is a rare thing for a non-animated feature length movie.

For me it's an 8.5/10, but I round upwards.

Other films that are genuinely moving are The Elephant Man, Fearless and Camille. Edward Scissorhands is a film of darkness and beauty, that makes it such a wonderful and unique film to see. One thing that I really liked about Edward Scissorhands was the music score by Danny Elfman, which was very beautiful, sensitive and mysterious. A good example is in the beginning credits, with the angelic choir accompanying the Christmas-like images on screen. The cinematography was gorgeous, with bright imaginative close-ups contrasted with genuinely Gothic scenes, like when we first meet Edward in the dark house. The script, while not the strongest category of the film, was still very touching, and added to the charm and suspense that was already ensured in the film. The direction by Tim Burton had all his trademarks, very dark and suspenseful, evident in films like Batman and Sleepy Hollow, if a little odd at times, which is fairly typical of Burton. While there were one or two funny moments, the film is genuinely poignant, with a heart-rending ending. I will say I was most impressed with the acting, topped by Johnny Depp's tragic and poignant portrayal of the title character, and then Winona Ryder as Kim, while not quite as convincing is still very sensitive. I was shocked that Depp didn't get an Oscar for his performance, he doesn't say much, but his facial expressions fully justify. There was also sterling support from Dianne West, Kathy Baker et al, while Vincent Price in a minor role as the inventor also impresses, such a shame he died three years later, he was a brilliant actor, if you see him as the truly Machiavellian villain in Great Mouse Detective, or the sadistic Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General, you'll know what I mean. As I have already said, the ending is so heart-rending, that I will confess I got through half'a box of tissues. Overall, a remarkably beautiful and poignant film that had me speechless. My advice to anyone who hasn't seen it, and is planning to, have a box of tissues at the ready, it is that sad. 10/10 Bethany Cox.

There is absolutely no way I can view this film in even a remotely objective manner, so I won't even try. Like eveything I've seen by Tim Burton, this film is at one and the same time, warm and frightening, tender and heart-wrenchingly evil, uplifting and dark. The good and bad in humanity are shown in stark relief quite clearly for everyone to see. But in the final analysis, the most important message the film has to offer is this: Love truly does make the world go 'round and redemption and just living to see another day is a kind of victory. There will always be bullies, just as there will always be kind souls who actively try to make things better (and who sometimes make things worse through their efforts). The most important thing is to be true to yourself, treat others as you wish to be treated and that if the bad guys win, we all lose-including the bad guys. Excellent cast, fine script and just overall a worthy effort not to be missed. One of Vincent Price's last performances, if not the last. I love this film! Most highly recommended.

Edward Scissorhands, directed by Tim Burton, is a charming and utterly original fable showcasing Burton's mastery in creating a visually unique world. The story revolves around a haunted mansion atop a nearby mountain, once home to an eccentric inventor (Vincent Price) who built Edward, a human with scissors for hands, before passing away and leaving him alone. The plot unfolds when Avon sales representative Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest) discovers Edward in the sinister castle and brings him to live with her family.

Edward, portrayed by Johnny Depp, is both delightful, curious, and likable. Depp delivers a moving and memorable performance, conveying emotion and humanity through a character who physically cannot touch others. Despite his peculiar appearance, the townsfolk do not see him as a brute; instead, they adapt his abnormalities for various roles like gardener or pet and human hairdresser.

The love story develops with Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder), Peg's teenage daughter, who initially finds Edward monstrous but eventually develops special feelings for him. However, Edward also faces seduction from the neighbor Joyce (Kathy Baker). The film explores Edward's relationship with middle-class suburban society, where he is the innocent and understanding one, while society reveals its potentially malevolent nature.

A plot twist occurs when Jim, Kim's brutish boyfriend, manipulates Edward into participating in a burglary, leading to Edward being ostracized by the community. Only the Boggs family, particularly Peg and her husband Bill, stand by him. The film concludes with Kim returning Edward to his castle for his safety, marking a melancholic ending that critiques human nature and conformity.

Edward Scissorhands tackles profound themes of acceptance, love, difference, and the cruelty of social norms, using Edward as a metaphor for those who are different. Visually appealing and easy to appreciate, the movie does not delve deeply into its storyline but its style and message make it memorable.

I really cannot add too much more to the wealth of praise directed toward this film...much of it very deserved. Tim Burton really shows us his ability to transcend mere comedic situations(Pee Wee and Beetlejuice) and tell a story of humour love, pity, conformity, and so on in an eerie and entertaining way. The way this film is constructed is amazing...the sets are wonderful as they depict something so real and yet so far away. Burton takes us into a kind of fairy land of Suburbia...with a haunting, empty castle at the end of the block that just happens to house a man with scissors for hands. The music in this film helps create a great deal of atmosphere and really lends to character development; I particularly enjoyed his use of the music of Tom Jones. The acting in the film is superb on all accounts. Burton got a subtle and effective performance from Johhny Depp, whose talents cease to amaze me. A nice Burton touch was the use of Vincent Price in one of his final roles. Although only in three scenes, seeing Vincent again was a real joy.