Tim Burton's best film may be his most subtle film

Rating: 10/10 (2 December 2003)

Ed Wood, Tim Burton's biopic of the `worst film director ever' is a masterpiece. Not only does it feature an amazing cast, headed by Johnny Depp (doing a dead-on impersonation of Wood), but it more importantly does not mock the filmmaker himself. Burton obviously has a deep respect for Wood, because he is portrayed as what I personally have concluded him to be after much research about the man  an earnest filmmaker who would do whatever he needed to in order to have his films made. No, he was not a technically proficient director, but he had more heart than a lot of directors who are much more commercially successful and reputable than he.
Burton's stylish direction and gorgeous black and white cinematography perfectly compliment the subject matter. Minor touches, from Elfman's Theremin-laced score to his end credits (`Filmed in Hollywood, U.S.A.'  something that Ed Wood added to every one of his pictures) make this film a true tribute to its subject.
Having seen this film a minimum of 45-50 times, there is one scene in particular that is directed so beautifully by Burton that it bears mentioning. After a particularly stressful day of filming, Wood suddenly stomps off the set and goes to a local bar. What makes this scenario different from most is that he is also wearing an angora sweater, skirt, heels and a wig. Wood then runs into his film idol, Orson Welles who proceeds to actually give him a pep talk and essentially say that in a basic sense, there are not that many differences between the two men. This scene could have been humorous, getting a laugh at Wood's expense, but Burton makes it so touching that it affects me every time I see it.

The supporting cast is nothing short of brilliant, especially Bill Murray as Bunny Breckinridge. It was this film that really opened my eyes to what he could do, before he was awarded accolades for his roles in Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums. But the real jaw-dropping character was the much-deserved Oscar winning performance by Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi. Barely recognizable under the makeup, he is both humorous and heartbreaking as the washed-up, heroin-addicted horror film icon that everyone assumes is already dead, or they mistake him for Boris Karloff. His friendship with Wood is absolutely touching and very and sincerely portrayed.

Ed Wood is by far my personal favorite among Burton's repertoire, which is relevant since I am a fan of most of his films. It is a technical masterpiece and a masterfully told story of one of the most bizarre and earnest filmmakers of the last five decades.
--Shelly