Tim Burton's Lost Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2005)

Doubtlessly the most underrated and misunderstood movie in this brilliant director's career, Ed Wood is one of Tim Burton's best movies, right up there with his four timeless masterpieces - Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Batman. It's very different from anything else he's done before, though. Even the music is different - it was composed by Howard Shore ('The Lord Of The Rings') instead of Tim's regular partner since the beginning, the brilliant Danny Elfman. Few of Burton's beloved motifs are to be found here. I think the reason is that he meant for Ed Wood to look like an Ed Wood film rather than a Tim Burton film - and it works, down to the black & white and the cheesy dialogue. It's a camp masterpiece, and essential for Burton fans.
Granted, Tim's choice of subject matter for this film - a biography of the worst director in history - may seem odd, but then again he was never the kind of director who repeats himself (except for the excellent Batman Returns, of course). And in his skilled hands, the rather messy storyline makes for a wonderful comedy that is absolutely hilarious - but also, at times, touching. The character of Edward Wood (played skillfully by the one and only Johnny Depp) is so absolutely pathetic that he can really get to you - his incredible ambition even at the face of repeating failure ("...The worst movie you ever saw? Well, my next one will be even better!"), his childish enthusiasm, his absolute assurance in his 'vision' (his wonderful dialogue with Orson Wells) and lack of patience to get it done with (he does one take for every shoot) and his fondness for women's clothing make him a unique and lovely character, and in Johnny's hands he is brought back to life.
The rest of the cast is also wonderful, and a great deal effort was put into choosing actors as similar as possible to the real people they're portraying. Best of all is of course the wonderful Martin Landau who does fantastic job as horror superstar Bela Lugosi. Jeffery Jones as Criswell, Bill Murray as Bunny Breckinridge, pro-wrestler George 'The Animal' Steele as Tor Johnson and Sarah Jessica Parker as Dolores Fuller, as well as all the rest, are terrific. I recommend seeing at least one of Ed Wood's films (preferably 'Bride of the Monster' or 'Plan 9 from Outer Space') before watching Ed Wood, and that would give you a much better perspective at the film and the characters.