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Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Lighting, Colour and animation style (Most…
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Setting
Gothic aesthetic - dark, gloomy, isolated, most action taking place at night/underground/in dim lighting
Victorian style setting - architectural, costuming and characterisation style, atmosphere (the repressive, restrictive and overly-polite behaviour of the characters is a Victorian trope, as is the attention to MONEY)
Distorted buildings/setting - gives a sense of the surreal, strangeness, eeriness, connects with the 'dead world'
Although a rural setting, very little healthy natural world - this links to the Victorian style, and the Industrial Revolution (the natural world being undermined by new industry). This also links to the preoccupation with death/dying in the film
Dichotomy between two distinct worlds - crossing the boundary between the world drives the plot/action
Sound (diegetic and non-diegetic)
Soundtrack sets the mood and creates the Gothic atmosphere - the use of piano and eerie sound effects
Diegetic sound drives the plot - songs reveal plot points and develop characterisation/character development
Creates a sense of drama/melodrama through the use of orchestral scores
Music creates relationships between key characters e.g. Victor and Victoria, Victor and Corpse Bride (Emily)
'Dead world' music is more upbeat 'alive', uses more instruments and harmony/choral sections. In contrast the 'living world' music is more dramatic, classical and 'dirge-like'/funereal and uses one or two voices at most.
Lighting, Colour and animation style
Most colour is monotone and grayscale, with some use of bright accent colour e.g. the faces of the dead, the backs of the spiders and the blue glow surrounding Corpse Bride - this sets the mood as dark, gloomy and repressive
Animation is stop-motion style and features are exaggerated e.g. facial shapes, the size of the eyes, and the length of the limbs. The movement of characters is also exaggerated e.g. Victoria totters when she moves and appears to be constantly off-balance which emphasises her repression, the control her family has over her freedom and expression. Corpse Bride glides, showing her 'eeriness/otherness'. Victor is exaggeratedly clumsy at the start, showing his lack of self-direction.
There is more colour in the 'dead' world than the living world. This shows that there IRONICALLY is greater individuality, freedom, energy and enjoyment for the dead than the living
Faces are detailed and show complexity of emotion
Lighting is dim and often 'night light' or underground light - emphasises the Gothic themes and creates a sense of oppression, sadness
The monotone grey in the 'living' world shows the boring, oppressive, controlled and joyless nature of the Victorian life
Camera (angles and shot length)
Strong use of mid-shot and close-up shots creates a sense of intimacy between the main characters, particularly between the Corpse Bride and Victor; and Victor and Victoria.
Wide shots are used to establish setting and show the disparity between the 'dead' and 'living' worlds
Low angle shots create a sense of oppression in the architecture and vehicles in the 'living' world
Low angle shot of the parents of both Victor and Victoria are used to show the power these characters have over their children and create a negative impression
Characterisation
The contrast between the social status of the two families is shown through their appearance. Victor's family is rich but 'vulgar' and are shown as short and fat. Victoria's family is poor but aristocratic and are shown as very thin and tall.