That's how I remembered it.

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2010)

Big Fish shows that everyone remembers the past however they want to remember. When William Bloom (Billy Crudupt) returns home to his father's death bed, he just wants to hear the true story of his father's life. The fairly tale story of young Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) is retold in flashbacks by the aging Edward Bloom (Albert Finney). Though William Bloom is disappointed by the lack of reality in his father's stories, he learns to accept the fantastical stories and that this is how his father wants to be remembered. The theme of Big Fish is similar to that of Orson Wellles' Citizen Kane. Both movies are told in a series of flashbacks, however, Citizen Kane is told by many people and Big Fish by one. In the film Citizen Kane every person who is interviewed on Kane remembers him a slightly different character, implying that there is some fabrication and personal impression in each version of his life. Much like in Big Fish, Edward remembers his life a whimsical fairy tale. In both films some stories are substantiated by fact. In Citizen Kane the reporter finds some things backed up in records and in Big Fish William finds some truth in his father's stories, looking through old documents in his garage. In the film, scenes in the past are much more colorful and high key lit than scenes in the present. This may have been done to separate the two, and to show how much more exciting Edward's past was, compared to his present state. Also, he remembered his past in such an unrealistic way. The color red is also used a lot in the past. This could represent passion. Another film technique used in Big Fish in relation to the theme is a barefoot motif. One of the first instances of barefooted-ness occurs in the picturesque town of Specter. Everyone in the town was barefoot because they had all tossed their shoes across a telephone pole long ago. Edward's shoes are also tossed up there and he has to continue his journey barefoot. Barefooted-ness occurs again when Edward's wife gets into the bathtub with him, in the present. Some characters are always shoeless as well; such is the woman manifestation of the Big Fish and the smaller giant. The werewolf circus conductor is also seen scratching his head with a barefoot. The movie ends with some one removing the adult Edward's shoes and tossing them over a telephone wire. Barefootedness may represent youthfulness because most young children hate wearing shoes. It is only once people grow up that they always wear shoes when outside. This fits with the theme of remembering a fantastical and youthful past regardless of what really happened. Though Big Fish is an obvious exaggeration, the past is always some what fabricated to fill in the details we forget and subject to each individual's interpretation.