Tim Burton's Corpse Bride's leading voice cast giving game performances that highlight this divide
Not only are the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead experientially separate, but they are also stylistically disparate. For a world of those who are alive, the Land of the Living is far more dreadful, with muted, cool colors that rely on blue and black tones. The Land of the Dead is far more vibrant, including distinctly more colors than the Land of the Living. Looking at the themes and stylistic touches exemplified by Corpse Bride's sweet and stirring ending, it is fascinating to explore why these colors are the way they are.
The Land Of The Dead Doesn't Suffer From The Politics, Societal Expectations & Constraints Of The Living
The Land Of The Living Is Constricting
The Land of the Living's dour colors in Corpse Bride reflect social constraints that the world suffers from. From the very beginning of Corpse Bride, Victor clearly feels the constraints of the living in the lead-up to his wedding to Victoria. Victor is set up in an arranged marriage with Victoria, which in itself is inherently restrictive. To complete said union, Victor must recite specific vows and live up to a certain standard that sets certain pressures on him. The stripped-down color mimics this constricting tendency, giving the Tim Burton movie a distinct visual element.
Tim Burton’s 19-Year-Old Johnny Depp Movie Was Already The Perfect Unofficial Beetlejuice Sequel
While it took 36 years for Beetlejuice 2 to officially happen, Tim Burton's hit 2005 movie already felt like the spiritual successor to Beetlejuice.
In contrast, the Land of the Dead does not have these same restrictions. Unbound by the need to adhere to social conduct or even the need to stay alive, the Land of the Dead is a world of music, drinking, and play. Their colorful world mirrors this structure, wherein characters are free and shown in color. In a sense, the fact that these characters are dead makes them feel more alive because they are allowed to do far more than those in Corpse Bride's Land of the Living.
Corpse Bride's Colorful Aesthetic, Lively Emotion & Action In The Land Of The Dead Offsets Its Dark Themes
The Land Of The Dead Is Not Completely Depressing
The aesthetic and action in the Land of the Dead also help Corpse Bride maintain a grim tone that is not overwhelmingly dark. The character backgrounds and themes in this post-mortem universe are dark themselves, and the film could risk getting bogged down in such morbidity. Corpse Bride's songs, colors and comedy of the Land of the Dead, however, allow the viewer to be distracted from these darker themes and instead focus on these fun elements.
Corpse Bride's artistic merits led it to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2006.
This plays into the film's themes, highlighting the sense of freedom one experiences when freed from the dreary expectations and realities of life among the living. It underscores the emotional core of the film, highlighting how the larger emotions between Victor, Victoria, and Emily brings out the liveliness in all of them. This serves Corpse Bride well by keeping the film whimsical rather than downright depressing.
Corpse Bride
- Release Date
- September 23, 2005
- Runtime
- 77 Minutes
- Director
- Mike Johnson, Tim Burton
Cast
Helena Bonham Carter
WHERE TO WATCH
Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is a stop-motion fantasy-horror musical released in 2005. Set in the Victorian Era in England, a groom named Victor accidentally weds Emily, a skeletal woman, while practicing his vows alone in a forest. Whisked away to the Land of the Dead, Victor attempts to help Emily with the circumstances surrounding her fate while trying to escape his new temporary undead home.
- Writers
- John August, Caroline Thompson, Pamela Pettler
- Studio(s)
- Tim Burton Productions, Laika Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Budget
- $40 Million
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