Review of Corpse Bride (2005) by Kathy J — 05 Nov 2016

"The Corpse Bride" (Tim Burton, 2005) is not like the typical romantic Halloween movie because the way the main characters get their happy ending is unexpected. Victor Van Dort, (Johnny Depp) attains his happy ending through his marriage with Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), while the Corpse Bride (Helena Bonham Carter) gains her happy ending through sacrificing herself.

Before one even watches the movie, it can be expected that "The Corpse Bride" will have elements of creativity, irony, and humor because of Burton's previous works such as "Frankenweenie" (1984), "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985), and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), all of which received high ratings.

The biggest overarching style of "The Corpse Bride" is Burton's use of expressionism. Chiaroscruro, the use of light and shade, is used throughout the movie to exaggerate the creepy mood of the film.

To align the film with the expressionist style, character designers such as Carles Burges, drew the characters with jagged, distorted lines with very little color. Victor Van Dort is portrayed as a tall, pale, and bony character with very heavy shadows under his eyes.

All of the characters in the movie are portrayed in a similar way. Like many Halloween movies, Burton's "Corpse Bride" displays the world of the dead as a lively and fun world. There are multiple luminescent colors used in the world of the dead, in contrast to the dark and gloomy world of the living.

Even if you are not a big fan of it, this film will help you to appreciate Halloween a little more because of the light and humor the characters bring to the screen. The "Corpse Bride" is a light hearted, easy movie to watch and I would highly recommend it as a family movie.