Answer to Question #181600 in English for Maria

Question

Write an explanatory paragraph about how Burton uses a specific cinematic technique. In your reflective commentary, show the relationship between your claim and the evidence that supports it. Your reflection should logically extend your explanation of the technique and its effect. Be sure to:

• Begin with a clear thesis that identifies a cinematic technique Burton uses effectively and his purpose in doing so.
• Cite specific examples to describe the purpose and effect of the cinematic technique.
• Use a logical organizational structure that shows the relationship between your claim, the provided supporting evidence, and your conclusion.
• Use appropriate terminology knowledgeably to discuss Burton's cinematic style.

Answer 1

Director Tim Burton has been captivating audiences with his unique style for over 30 years. One can agree that Burton has a rare and uncommon gift in the directing world, which allows him to twist the audience's emotions, and create feelings that wouldn’t normally be there.

In many of his films, Tim Burton uses framing and angles, music and sound, and lighting to control the mood of the scene. To begin, director Tim Burton manipulates lighting to create a feeling of fear and suspense in the audience. One way that Burton does this is when he uses low key lighting, mixed with side lighting, in Corpse Bride. When Victor is walking through the forest, repeating his vows over and over again, the low key lighting creates many creepy shadows, making the forest seem much more ominous than it actually is. Later, when the audience sees Victor stopped in the clearing, there is side lighting on his face from the moon, which creates even more creepy shadows on his face and the ground. When paired together, these two techniques fill the scene with ghost-like shadows and silhouettes.

By creating these eerie shapes in the shadows, Burton makes the audience fear for Victor, and makes one wonder what will happen while foreshadowing that it will be something of undead proportions. Not only does Burton use lighting in Corpse Bride to manipulate the audience into feeling fear and suspense, he also uses this same technique in Edward Scissorhands. When Edward is walking out of the house, towards the police, the front and side lighting fill the scene with strange shadows. These shadows make Edward seem much more dangerous than he actually is, while also creating the illusion that he is alone, even though he is surrounded by police and police cars. By using the lighting to create this effect, Burton achieves a balance between the police’s perspective and Edward’s perspective. The audience can understand both sides of this event, and while they hope Edward doesn’t get hurt, they also feel as though he is dangerous, and must be stopped. From Pee Wee’s Big Adventure to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, from Edward Scissorhands to Alice in Wonderland,