(All photographs are taken by me of Tim Burton's artwork from his book The Art of Tim Burton)
Tim Burton is my all time favourite movie director, but not only is he great at directing creepy and original films, he's also an incredible creative and artist and a huge inspiration of mine. His Gothic and twisted cinematic style, known as 'Burtonesque', that he displays in his original films like Corpse Bride and Edward Scissorhands, inspires me everyday in my fashion, photography and in my own artwork. Being an avid lover of Halloween, it's no surprise really that I'm a lover of Tim Burton and his incredible creations; his iconic characters like Jack Skellington and Beetlejuice make Burton the King of Halloween.
With his eerie characters and dark artwork, Burton always teaches us all that being normal is overrated and that you should embrace your quirks and differences, as there will always be others like you out there somewhere, you just have to find your tribe. One of my favourite Tim Burton movies has to be Sweeney Todd; I think Burton's 2007 version with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter really captures the grim and horrific events that take place, and I love Johnny Depp's portrayal of Sweeney Todd; his rugged appearance and cockney accent just kills me every time. The musical score in this film is incredible and I can't help but burst into song whenever I'm watching it, and again Johnny's voice is perfect and I melt when I hear him singing about bloody murder and the shitty streets of London. Corpse Bride is another favourite of mine, because it's such a cute and innocent love story, it just so happens to take place in the land of the dead. The stop-motion in this film is seamless and the Burton's use of colour, from dull and dark above ground, and lively and vibrant down under, is just incredible to behold, not to mention this is another Burton movie with catchy little tunes, like this song sung by dancing jazz skeletons.
I've always been interested in the Gothic, whether it be literature or fashion, but Burton can produce some fantastic Gothic scenes, characters and costumes. Many of Burton's characters costumes are designed by Colleen Atwood, who has collaborated with Burton on Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children and Sleepy Hollow. Besides Tim Burton movies, Atwood has also designed costumes for Fantastic Beasts, Snow White and the Huntsman, A Series of Unfortunate Events and for the famous My Chemical Romance's Black Parade outfits. Atwood has designed some stunning costumes, like the Gothic dresses that Mrs Lovett wears in Sweeney Todd and Edward Scissorhands classic black leather costume. Not only do the beautiful costumes compliment Burton's Gothic style but he often places actual goths in his movies, for example Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice, who wears lots of black and is obsessed with death and is famously known for being 'strange and unusual'.
Tim Burton's dark humour, love for all things twisted and amazing choice of cast, costumes and settings is what makes him my all time favourite movie director. Besides movies, I also adore his artwork as he creates some colourful watercolours and spindly, delicate doodles of some of his characters which I just adore. My own style of drawing has been heavily influenced by him and I now cannot draw a face unless it has a slim face, pointed chin and huge round eyes. I would love very much so to see some of his work in a gallery, but it seems unlikely to happen anytime soon as he hasn't had an art show for quite some time now and it's unlikely his next one will be close enough for me to go.
I am excited for Burton's upcoming movie, Dumbo, which is set to be released sometime next year, and I hope he announces some more future projects soon to get me excited. I would love to see him remake some old movies like The Little Mermaid or Cinderella in his own dark and Gothic way, whether it's live action or stop-motion, frankly I'd watch anything he'd produce.
What are some of your favourite Tim Burton movies or characters? And are there any films you'd like to see him remake? I'd love to know so make sure to leave me a comment below with your answer. Thank you for sticking round till the end of the blog post, you can subscribe via email to my blog if you want to get updates for when I publish a new post!
India X
