German expressionism in Tim Burton’s films: The case of Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow

Abstract

German Expressionism was one of the essential movements in the history of cinema. From the formation of the movement to its honorable end, German Expressionism was revolutionary. It became the starting point for creators in post-war Germany to explore their pain and show it though mentally ill characters, twisted decorations, and the image of death in almost every movie. After the movement became popular all over the world, creators from Hollywood picked up the idea of expressing emotions through dark narratives. Because of this, we now have such films as Vertigo, 1958, by Alfred Hitchcock, Frankenstein, 1931, by James Whale, Blade Runner, 1982, by Ridley Scott, and many more. It seems like even nowadays German Expressionism has not lost its influence. Many award-winning directors today were inspired by the German Expressionist cinema. One of those directors is going to be the focus of this paper. Tim Burton is a brilliant and exceptional director, with his eccentricities. From his early childhood, he was quiet and reserved, but it didn’t stop him from becoming an artist with a very unique style that critics named “Burtonesque”. In his works Edward Scissorhands and Sleepy Hollow, he uses different amounts of Expressionist features masterfully mixing it in with his style. In this paper, I would like to discuss how German Expressionism influenced Tim Burton's style. And make a case for aspiring artists not to be afraid of being inspired. Inspired work is still original.