Edward Scissorhands (1990)

 A film that cuts deep...

Described as a `Gothic fantasy film`, Edward Scissorhands is one of my favourite movies, definitely in my top 10, of all time. I remember when it came out I went to see it several times at the cinema and since then have re-watched it periodically. Of course it has now been thirty five years since then and time has marched on. Yet the film still weaves a lot of magic for me even if it may not be the overwhelming emotions I felt when I first saw it. I was younger then, less lived. At the time I saw it as a fable for loneliness and not fitting in and while it is those things, now I can appreciate the other aspects more. It’s not just about loneliness or belonging, it’s about generosity, jealousy, misunderstanding and awkwardness. Yeah, it’s still pretty amazing.

There’s been some debate over the years as to whether we are expected to see the film as a narrative or a fable. Did these events really happen to Kim who relates them to her granddaughter decades later or is she just making it up to teach a valuable lesson. When you look at it again, there is something fairy tale-like about Kim’s house now and it would seem that despite never having seen Edward again she remained in the same road with the latter’s gothic castle visible through her window, a constant reminder of these events. The internal decorating style doesn’t seem to have changed much either.

In the pastel painted houses of the town beneath the castle there is a perfect contrast with the gloomy stone and dark rafters above. It looks very 1950s sitcom style with more than soupcon of the style we now associate with Wes Anderson. The sequence where all the husbands arrive and depart for work in unison, shot from above with a static camera, could be a template for many an Anderson movie. The contrast is not just architectural – we see the outward civility of this place and the actual feelings of its inhabitants compared to Edward’s naïve innocence. The narrative superbly captures how public opinion can fluctuate or be manipulated, turning on even a minor event or misunderstanding into something different. Of course we understand this now more than ever.

Beginning with the elderly Kim relating the story to her granddaughter is a perfect way to start a movie that essentially joins the narrative part way though. Rather than open in the castle with Edward being created by the unnamed Inventor, we have Kim’s summary and later flashbacks showing the legendary Vincent Price as the man who builds Edward seemingly inspired by gingerbread men. I love the way the machines he uses are part Victorian bakery and part science fiction robot shapes seemingly inspired by pulp sci fi comics of the Thirties.

Hinted at by his treatment of Gotham in  Batman, Burton’s full aesthetic is really coming into fruition here. Familiarity in subsequent films may have dulled its effect but you have to remember that movies rarely looked like this before. Some of the iconic scenes remain timelessly beautiful; the topiary, the ice sculptures, the hair cutting montage and of course the scene where Kim says “Hold me” to which Edward replies, “I can’t.” The other vital ingredient is Danny Elfman's musical score which is so in sync with the visuals, swirling like snow and surging at some moments. Its the prefect accompaniment.

When Peg first brings Edward down from his castle the neighbours are curious. If the film is set in any year it must be a time when wives did not work and stayed at home all day, filling their spare time with gossip and chatter. The curiosity leads to initial bonhomie once Edward’s topiary skills are revealed. Will he perhaps cut their hedges similarly? Or cut their dog’s hair. Or, eventually, their own hair. For a while the film looks like it could become a tale of the most unlikely hairdresser. Yet all of this attention - which Edward enjoys of course after all his isolation- is selfish. It’s all based on what he can do for them, not what they might do for him, Even the Boggs family with whom he now resides use him as a sort of all purpose helper. Is he really a sort of slave, albeit willing to undertake this work because he knows no different. 

Having lived alone in a draughty castle with those very awkward scissorhands (which do seem melodramatically large) to be surrounded by people he can please by undertaking these chores is obviously going to be something he falls into. Here, I wonder if the script might have brought Kim’s objections to the way he is being used to the fore a little earlier. She does seem underwritten in the first half of the film which is a pity because once Winona Ryder gets more material to work with she is excellent.  Even though the script doesn’t really sell it enough, she makes you believe the character’s growing feelings for Edward.

There are some lighthearted scenes though; his initial attempts to pick up food or don clothes with his blades are almost slapstick. Yet all it takes is one thing that’s not even his fault - and the interference of Kim’s boorish boyfriend - to ruin Edward’s reputation ultimately finding him literally tun out of town in a more modern version of the villagers with torches chasing the monster away. This seems to have more resonance now than it did in 1990 because it happens all the time online with cancel culture. Not that Edward is perfect so much as naïve.

Has there ever been a more warm hearted character in cinema than that of Peg Boggs? In her introduction we see why she wants to help Edward; he own career as the local Avon Lady is met with rejection and people politely declining to buy what she is selling. On a whim she goes up to the castle though you do have to ponder why nobody has thought to go up there till now; after all the gates are not even closed. Marvelling at the topiary creations in the garden she eventually finds Edward hiding in the expansive attic and declares, “I really think you’d better come home with me.”

Dianne Wiest’s performance in this film is extraordinary. At the time a lot of the critical attention was given to Johnny Depp but I think she is his equal when it comes to stunning acting. Never showy, always caring and practical, Peg looks out for Edward even when things begin to go awry and this is such a warm, open performance I appreciate even more now than I did back then. Of course, Johnny Depp is also terrific. What you notice is how still his performance is; sometimes he’ll hold an expression of shock or puzzlement for ages like a cartoon drawing. He plays Edward like the child that character essentially is, smiling widely when people like him, brooding or stomping off when things go wrong. In fact it is a great cast including Alan Arkin’s matter of fact Bill, Robert Oliveri’s cheeky Kevin, Kathy Baker’s lascivious Joyce and O Lan Jones’ religious zealot Esmerelda. I did like Anthony Michael Hall’s performance as Jim even if the script doesn’t bolster his behaviour strongly enough. In what would be his last screen appearance, Vincent Price makes the most of his brief scenes as the Inventor.

Some people have called the film, especially the ending, overly sentimental or melodramatic but it does have some fire in it and Jim ends up dead in the castle gardens. Its true as well that the story doesn’t even start to address practical matters such as how Edward has survived until Peg finds him. He does seem to need to eat yet in the Bogg’s homes struggles with picking up food. I think this is why Edward Scissorhands is best seen as a fable about how the real monsters are amongst us, people who dislike anyone different or unusual. And the way things are right now, that’s a topic we shouldn’t ignore. Edward Scissorhands is also a unique, beautiful film with moments of pure magic whether they are supposed to be real or imagined. Thirty fives years on, it still holds a lot of power.