Review of Ed Wood (1994) by Sergio Z — 23 Nov 2011

For a long time, bad filmmaking had a face. That face was the face of Edward D. Wood Junior, an ambitious director with little talent but big dreams. I see something most admirable in the figure of an artist who refuses to give up. Sure, Ed Wood's pictures were bad, at some points even horrendous, but the world of art is open to everyone. This is why I believe that Tim Burton's biopic; Ed Wood may be one of the greatest films of the 1990's, if not of all time. Tim Burton's direction is second to none with a meticulous attention to detail, and Johnny Depp's performance is only trumped by Martin Landau's disturbingly realistic performance of the late Bela Lugosi.

Burton knows how to work with his rejects. Having done Edward Scissorhands, Batman and Beetlejuice, it was clear that if there would be anyone capable of casting a positive light on the worst director of all time, it would be Tim Burton. The films incredible charm, the magnetic charisma from the leads and Burton's stellar attention to detail draws the viewer into a wonderful world that blends formalist cinematic techniques with realistic depictions of 1950's Los Angeles. Although the film takes huge emotional drops, there is an overall feeling of rejoice that is felt when Ed embarks onto another film endeavor, regardless of his failures. I finished the film feeling that regardless of how your movie is received, a filmmaker will always be a noble human being.

The performances are mind blowing; Depp gives Wood a sincerity and sympathy that few actors could have achieved. The viewer feels close to him and his constantly optimistic outlook is uplifting and incredibly motivational. One starts to see how Wood himself managed to get films as ridiculous as Glen or Glenda, or Plan 9 underway. However, Martin Landau steals the show. His visceral performance, coupled with the black and white photography is a powerful portrayal of a fading legend of early cinema. Bela Lugosi could have risen from the grave and not done a better job.

Ed Wood is one of those films that leaves you loving and hating the film industry all at the same time. The optimism with which the film leaves the viewer might not be factually correct, but there is an unconditional love for cinema that flows throughout the film. Tim Burton manages to bring an entire emotional outlook to life through this film: the respect for art and the pursuit of success.

Burton recreates entire scenes from Ed Wood's films with a sense of dark humor. The shot framing and composition is incredible at some points, one might as well be seeing the footage from an actual Ed Wood film. The character interactions on set with Ed Wood, Lobo and Bela Lugosi are hilarious as well as surprisingly believable. Tim Burton finds an incredibly efficient method to slowly introduce us to the eccentric character of Ed Wood, whose interests in cross-dressing and filmmaking all appear wonderfully sympathetic instead of off-putting.

This film finds a special place in my heart. Any film enthusiast can see the power of Tim Burton's film and although the film shows us a horribly inept director, the film could motivate just about anyone to go make their own movie. Tim Burton manages to make Ed Wood's disastrous career look fun, and therefore awakens a love for the art of filmmaking. I sincerely doubt that a biopic on the life of Orson Welles could be as inspirational as Tim Burton's film on the masterful Ed Wood.