Review of Ed Wood (1994) by Mitchell S — 12 Jul 2017

A wonderful and whimsical tribute to the love of art, filmmaking and writing. It would be an inspirational piece on believing in yourself - if not for the movie's ultimate pessimism. Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's most mature and ambitious effort to date.

Why do we keep creating art, even when the world tells us to stop? Because it's the only thing we know how to do! Tim Burton's tribute to the worst filmmaker of all time is not a parody. It is an homage to a filmmaker whose talent wasn't missing-it was just alien. There is something inspiring about a filmmaker who is willing to destroy his career to create something he believes in. Like Tod Browning's Freaks (another memorable film) Edward D. Wood Jr.'s films were less about creating entertainment, and more about a troubled artist working through his issues through the magic of cinema. There's something even more inspiring about Tim Burton getting the point of Ed Wood's life and making a poignant biopic about it.

What I Learned: Really helped me to understand that the process of writing, art, and creating is the real joy in life. Orson Welles started at the top and worked his way to the bottom. Ed Wood worked himself to the bottom and lower to the basement. But he never lost the joy of his art. He was bulletproof and had an unquenchable optimism that was strong enough to survive criticism, mockery, and postmodern love-mockery. Regardless of whether his movies sucked or not, Ed Wood was an artist. Because an artist creates art until he dies, and he enjoys every thankless moment of it.