Beautiful Masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (26 April 2006)

Tim Burton was a rising star in film-making when in 1988 he released his successful mix of dark comedy and horror "Beetlejuice". This success took him to direct the ambitious adaptation of "Batman" in 1989 and gave him enough freedom to develop his own personal projects. The first of them was this little film. "Edward Scissorhands", a charming fable about a misunderstood young man, is probably the first film where Burton expresses his personal views on the world and at the same time, expands his vivid visual style to new heights.
The story begins with Peg (Dianne Wiest), an Avon door-to-door seller who discovers Edward (Johnny Depp) living lonely in the haunting mansion that rises above the little suburban town where she lives. Surprised at the fact that Edward seems to have scissors instead of hands, she takes him home in order to help him to adapt to the community. While at first he is accepted, he'll discover that human relations are more complex than he imagined; and things will complicate even more when he falls in love with Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder).
Burton creates a modern fairy tale that is not only visually impressive, but also very entertaining and most of all, very meaningful. Edward is a man who is just experiencing life, but due to his handicap he can't fully fit in Peg's apparently perfect world. His love for Kim also creates problems when Kim's boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall) makes Edward's life even harder. Edward is an outcast whose inability to touch gets in conflict with his desire to love, while at the same time faces the suburban community which seems more frightening than the haunting Gothic castle where he was living before.
Johnny Depp changed his image of teenage heartthrob and with this film he began to show his great potential and superb talent to literally become one with his character. He portrays the emotions of the confused Edward with feeling and power, and gives life to Edward's mix of fragility and naiveté. Winona Ryder also was a rising star at that moment, and while her character is nowhere as complex as Depp's, she plays the role of Kim with dignity and grace. In this movie she displays the talent that would convert her into one of the most promising young actresses of her generation.
Burton imagination has no limits and his eye for visuals excels in "Edward Scissorhands". His care for detail creates haunting images and beautiful compositions; from the haunting castle where Edward lives, to the grass sculpture that he creates, everything fits in this bizarre fairy tale and complete the perfection of this movie.
It is hard to find a flaw in the film, as it is probably the first masterpiece that Tim Burton would create in his career. While of course it has some logical plot holes, as a whole the film is one of the best movies ever done in history, as it successfully mixes fantasy, drama and romance with a small dose of Burton's black humor. Depp and Burton would continue working together in many films, including Burton's masterpiece "Ed Wood".
With the exception of "Ed Wood", Tim Burton has never been this good. "Edward Scissorhands" definitely has earned its classic status on its own right, as it is one of those movies that touch the deep parts of the soul with its inventive originality and almost-magical charm. "Edward Scissorhands" is simply unforgettable. 10/10