Edward Scissorhands is benevolent to the core yet shunned by a misunderstanding society. Burton's stylised fairy tale is one of grand emotional bravado

Rating: 8/10 (6 July 2009)

Tim Burton's 'Edward Scissorhands' is a beautifully constructed modern fairy-tale detailing the life of an unfinished humanoid named Edward. His inventor died before he could complete Edward so he is left with a frightening set of razor sharp blades for hands. Edward remains isolated in the darkness of his inventor's hilltop mansion until a kind Avon lady comes to him and offers to let him stay in her house within a sickly prim, proper and perfect suburban neighbourhood where your every move is judged by the unforgiving inhabitants. Unexpectedly, Edward finds a love interest yet his naive inability to distinguish between right and wrong leads to him slowly being denounced by the neighbourhood.
Johnny Depp is simply an astonishing actor. His character of Edward is heart-warming and extremely lovable. With very little dialogue to work with, Depp's body language is perfect, embodying Edward as shy but very benevolent. He carries the film in a performance that would withstand his position as one of the most versatile actors in the history of cinema. Perhaps he could have got an Oscar nomination for his performance.
Burton has never been one of the most conventional film-makers and 'Edward Scissorhands' is no exception. Elfman's haunting track is brilliant over the almost clichéd fairy tale shots of the great mansion on the hill. This film is almost like Burton's homage to all fairy-tales or rather a telling of his very own.
Such a film will always be open for any interpretation in terms of meaning. It could be a satire about the crushing effects of judgmental American suburbia or some see Edward as a metaphor for Jesus. However outlandish you want to go with your interpretation of the film, 'Edward Scissorhands' is a great mystical film that is surprisingly poignant.
8/10