Tim Burton's use of mise-en scene in Beetlejuice, Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands

AS and A Level Media Studies

BeetleJuice and The Batman’s Scissorhands,

Burton’s clever use of Mise En Scene.

Where scenes are often used to build momentum in films, mise en scene refers to how

space in individual shots to create dramatic or emotional effect, or symbolic

meanings throughout the movie. The term mise en scene derived from France and

means “placing on stage”. In movies it refers to how objects, characters and materials

are placed inside the film frame. This relates to the choreography or design of

individual visual elements in individual shots, including people, objects and their

location. Sets, props, camera movements, make-up and costume all contribute to the

mise en scene of any particular movie.

Tim Burton as a director unleashes his imagination and experiences when making a film, his unique skill at creating dreamscapes of unusual, freakish characters, outsiders conflicting with the so called “norm”. The clashing of two worlds that co-exist as well as his gift at incorporating childlike imagery - the idea of innocence and taking pride in childish things is evident in most of his films.

I have decided to explore three movies that he directed, “Beetlejuice”, “Batman Returns” and “ Edward Scissorhands”. Each movie presented the viewer with a different look into a new world with Burton’s use of unique sets and props, lighting, costumes and acting. The first filmic devise I will look at is that of setting and props. The sets and props used by Burton are chosen for a particular reason, however it is not just the sets and props that play a intrinsic role in interpreting meaning, it is also important to note how they are filmed. Therefore, I will also camera shots and movements with regards to all three movies. There is a unique pattern to the sets which Burton uses, all three movies house a dark theme to them. In “Batman”, the whole film is shot in Gotham City and surrounds the Christmas period, but unlike most Christmas which are filled with vibrant colours, the set of Gotham is dark and in some way creepy. The wintry mise en scene of the city resembles the inside of a snow globe, a much like fairytale landscape where it snows softly. The use of a snow globe setting represents a façade to hide the true underbelly of the city and its crime or freakish characters, this underbelly would be in the form of the tyrant Max Shreck and The Penguin, the same setting can almost be noted in “Edward Scissorhands”, where it’s opening scene focus is snow fall and a deserted house on a hill, this movie also hides something from the viewer and that is the form of Edward, but as the viewer later witnesses that the character of Edward may be freakish in nature but very far from sinister and cunning like the previous two characters. The sets also have a distorted ambiance to them and can be compared to early German Expressionism, all three movies feature bizarre painted backdrops clearly reminiscent of “The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari”. This unique and bizarre sets strengthens the characterisations and also provides a distinctive line between the “norm” and the abnormal. This line is quite visible in “Beetlejuice” as the Expressionist backdrops is only evident in the ghost world, while the “normal” world portrays standard country homes. The best description of this line can best be seen between “Edward Scissorhands” and Beetlejuice. The gothic architecture of Edward’s home is out of place to the other world. It is an outsider, much like Edward is, as Peg approaches the house, viewers will notice the two worlds, that of the house and the suburban fighting for space, just like when the Maitlands enter the afterlife waiting-room, the startlingly normal clashing with the outrageously weird and spooky. In Beetlejuice however this is played for comedy, whereas in “Edward Scissorhands”, it’s played for surreal effect.

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Props play a huge role in Burton’s movie, in “Batman Returns” it’s the constant use of bats not only to signify the caped crusader’s entrance but also represents the dark and solitaire nature of the protagonist, this naturally stemmed from seeing his parents killed by criminals. As most viewers would link bats to vampires and therefore an emotion of fear, Burton adopted the bats prop to connote fear around “Batman” particularly to his victims. While the bats signifiers are visible throughout the movie “Batman”, Burton uses strong camera focus on two particular props in the other two movies. In “Beetlejuice”, there are deliberate camera focuses on the model town house that Adam Maitland is building, this model actually represents the normality of the world and where everything is in its rightful place, the ghost Beetlejuice lives in the cemetery of the model house, the cemetery being the most notable place for everything dead. The main house where most of the shots are represents the abnormal, by also injecting several different other props and costumes within the house, like Lydia’s mother’s bizarre art collection and Otho and Lydia’s gothic fashion sense, Burton has created the normal world in which the viewer sees into the abnormal. The hands prop in “Edward Scissorhands” were shot in focus to show hope, in Edward’s case, hope of being normal and accepted. The focus remained up until the hands were accidentally destroyed by Edward, this is turn changed from hope to despair as his possible hands were ruined, so was the notion of ever being normal. Burton had deliberately chosen to use particular camera angles throughout the movie “Edward Scissorhands” to convey these two emotions, in the first half of the movie the hand shots of the town people signified Edward’s hope but the continuous shot of the hands after his were destroyed are a constant reminder to the viewer, the one thing Edward needs to be accepted.

Although settings and props are Burton’s strongest mise en scene tools, they are not the only ones. Not always mentioned when discussing visual motifs but acting also plays a role in Burton’s movies.

“While thinking about décor, lighting and the use of colour, we should not forget how much can be expressed through the direction of action and through skilful performance”. (Gibbs, John. Mise-en-scene: Film style and Interpretation). It is for this particular reason that Burton chose to use his main characters in each movie to portray children and innocence. Edward’s childlike demeanour, Selina’s (Catwoman) childlike bedroom and Lydia’s ability to see ghost are performances that reflect isolation and a need for love. Each character in turn matures as the film progresses and symbolises the growth children also go through. As the suburbanites chase Edward out of the town, he cuts the limbs of the hedges, he had created. Selina rips her clothes and destroys her dolls after she realises she was killed and Lydia discards her Goth attitude after the Beetlejuice incident. It is also interesting to note how realisation plays a strong role in the growth, Burton successfully allows each character to come to their own individual realisation of the real world in unique ways, much like a child growing up.

Burton was able to stamp these three movies with his own artistic authority through clever use of devises such as sets, props, camera movements and completed with award winning performances. There were many realistic concepts that were conveyed through exceptional use of mise en scene in all three movies. I have come to realise that mise en scene hold great importance for auteurists like Burton because under the classical studio systems, directors had no control over editing, script or storyboarding unlike Burton who has complete control over his movies and introduces audiences to his own image of monsters and a possible world much like ours but different in many ways. The choices he makes about the use of signifying devises have made his movies hugely successful as well as allow the viewer like myself to identify with his characters. “The quality of a director’s work could be read through his/her style or his/her control over the mise en scene”. (Nelmes, Jill. An Introduction to Film Studies).

Tim Burton's use of mise-en scene in Beetlejuice, Batman Returns and Edward Scissorhands

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