A Story Told In Beautiful Simplicity

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 1999)

Edward Scissorhands is really an amazing movie. The plethora of lush cinematography, beautiful musical score, and great characters are extremely entertaining. The storyline is simple yet very moving. I still get misty-eyed at the end, even though I watched it many times already. The musical scores by the amazing Danny Elfman in Edward Scissorhands are one of his best work. It is achingly beautiful. Everytime Tim Burton and Danny Elfman worked together in a movie, magic happens. Burton's gothic style and Elfman's halloween-like scores always blends perfectly.
The story surrounds an unfinished creation named Edward, played brilliantly by Johnny Depp. The talented actor managed to make Edward a simple being that radiates vulnerability as well as restrained passion suggesting the real, imperfect humanity within. Edward's intimidating scissorhands and strange black & white physical appearance looked out of place amongst the pastel-colored suburban surroundings. He is unique; we both laugh and sympathize when we see Edward having a hard time trying to eat a single green pea with his scissorhands, but then we become slack-jawed to see that his expression of artistry in sculpting are effortless, masterful, imaginative, and passionate.
The movie ends rather sadly, yet beautifully at the same time. The tragic incident at the end over Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) is a single act of both unvented frustrations over the injustices done by Jim, as well as to protect Kim Boggs (Winona Ryder), the love of his life. This shows that although uncompleted, the fearsome scissorhands merely masks our eyes to his feelings, conflicts, and the imperfections of that of a real human being. His body is not completed, but his heart is.