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A Spooky Take on Compelling Women

10/9/2024

by Megan Sechrist

*This Article Contains Spoilers*

With October comes the height of the Halloween season. As one prepares a list of films to watch in the spirit of Halloween, the films of Tim Burton will likely hold the majority of that list. Tim Burton is known for his gothic, German expressionist aesthetic, which is perfect for the spooky season. He is famous for producing/directing works such as The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Beetlejuice (1988), and Corpse Bride (2005), as well as working continuously with famous actors such as Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder.
Burton takes an interesting spin on the horror genre especially when it comes to women. In a traditional horror or slasher film, women often take on the “damsel in distress” role. The women in Burton’s films are strong, and learn valuable lessons about acceptance, self-discovery and confidence by the end of their stories. Women in Tim Burton films have purpose far beyond the “damsel in distress” role and are inspiring and widely adored by his audience.

One interesting example of this is the character of Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Ironically, Sally (Catherine O’Hara) is a character that does not quite align with the previous description. A large part of Sally’s character is her love for the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington. However, the love that she has for Jack goes beyond the surface level appreciation that the rest of Halloween Town has for him. She understands that loving someone is accepting their joys and addressing their faults. She is Jack’s voice of reason throughout the film, trying to prevent him from taking over Christmas Town, to no avail. Sally is strong but does not allow her strength to weaken her feelings. Burton worked with long-time collaborator and star, Danny Elfman (singing voice of Jack Skellington), to create the famous soundtrack for this film. In “Sally’s Song”, Sally laments on her loneliness but continues to be a good friend and advisor to Jack. Despite the introduction, Sally does end up becoming a damsel when her creator locks her in a tower, but she is no stereotypical damsel. She ends up saving herself by committing an inspiring act of bravery and jumping out of the window of her tower. She then proceeds to save Jack himself by reigniting his love for Halloween. Her charm and kindness then convinces Santa to forgive Jack for trying to take over Christmas, which brings the first snowfall to Halloween Town.

An example on the complete other end of the spectrum is Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice. Lydia, brought to life by Winona Ryder, is a teenage girl who is struggling with her family dynamic. Her mother is dead and her father has remarried to her step mother, Delia Deetz, portrayed by Catherine O’Hara. Lydia describes herself as “strange and unusual,” spending a lot of her time in morbid thoughts, dressing in dark clothing, and generally being gloomy. Between Delia’s constant criticism, and her father’s general absence, Lydia feels out of place in her own family. She finds friendship in Barbara and Adam Maitland who are the ghost couple who lived in the house prior to the Deetz’s. Lydia is the only person who can see the Maitlands, which creates a special bond between them and a friendship that Lydia can grow her identity in. Lydia helps the Maitlands navigate the afterlife, which results in Lydia finding a place of belonging in a cause that is bigger than herself. Unfortunately, this bond is capitalized on by Delia which further strains her and Lydia’s relationship. In the end, Lydia saves her family and the Maitlands from the demon Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) in an act of sacrifice, which results in Lydia almost being married to the demon. She is strong, against Beetlejuice’s wishes, which solidifies her character development; being the first time she does something for someone other than herself. By the end of the film, Lydia is better-adjusted to her family as Barbara and Adam take on a parental role in her life in addition to Charles and Delia. Even after the Maitlands move onto the afterlife, Lydia has a better understanding of herself and how she fits into the Deetz family and grows into a young woman with the encouragement she received from her ghostly friends. It is Burton’s beautiful testament to growing up.

A less popular, but still widely known woman from Tim Burton’s catalog is the titular character of Corpse Bride, Emily. Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), much like Sally, is a woman who longs for love but is able to put her emotions aside for the happiness of the one whom she loves. Emily has a rather tragic backstory beginning with her own murder, committed by her ex-fiance Barkis. All Emily wants is to be loved, so when Victor (Johnny Depp) places a ring on a tree while reciting wedding vows meant for his fiance, Victoria, he is horrified to find out the tree is actually Emily’s bony finger and that he is now engaged to her. Due to her desire for love, she is overjoyed with finally being married. Victor realizes his mistake and starts to panic over the accidental marriage. Emily struggles with her unrequited love throughout the rest of the story but continues to put Victor’s feelings above her own, trying to be the best wife she can, but Victor only has eyes for Victoria. When Victoria is manipulated by Barkis, Emily makes the ultimate decision to save her and restore Victor and Victoria’s relationship. Emily learns to love herself and be the best version of herself for her own benefit, not for the benefit of any man she may be interested in. In the end of the film, Emily turns into a cloud of butterflies, a common representation of the living making contact with the dead, which is very fitting in the context of the film. Emily is a strong, selfless woman who learns the importance of loving herself; a fantastically complex and dynamic character by Burton.

Tim Burton does not waste his women characters on boring damsels, he uses horror to create strong, selfless characters who learn the most valuable lessons at the end of their films. They work together with the men of their films to create powerful storylines that are rich in teamwork and morals, and carry important messages about the balance of gender roles in the new age. Sally, Lydia, and Emily are just three of the many important and inspiring women that star in Tim Burton’s films and we continue to see more. Add Burton’s films to your Halloween watch lists for a frightening watch with valuable female leads!

Perfect Days: A Reflection of Appreciation

10/2/2024

by Eli Alderfer

*This Review Contains Spoilers*

Critically acclaimed director, Wim Wenders, is no stranger to success. Known best for his works, Wings of Desire (1987) and Paris, Texas (1984), he has made a return to cinema with 2023’s Perfect Days. Though Wenders did have numerous works since the 1980s and 90s, they went largely unrecognized, but Perfect Days made a name for itself at Festival de Cannes, where Koji Yashuko was awarded best actor. Wim Wenders takes us through the day to day life of Hirayama, a Japanese man who cleans public restrooms around the streets of Tokyo. While many would think this job to be lowly and wretched, Hirayama finds appreciation of his duties and the environment surrounding him, never complaining about it.

Although a fictional narrative, Perfect Days is presented in a style that is comparable to that of a documentary. There is not much of a story in the traditional sense, but rather it is the simple account of a man who loves life, following him as he cherishes kindness and the beauty of the world, even on the gloomy days. On his day to day, Hirayama has his agenda perfected, waking up to water his plants first thing in the morning, to reading a book under the dim lighting of his room after a day of work. He owns only the simplest of technology, and his cassette tapes are his most valuable possession; in wealth of both the wallet and the soul. Although the film is in Japanese language, American audiences will recognize many classic rock hits from The Animals, Lou Reed, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, along with some other familiar tracks. Perfect Days is comforting not only audibly, but also visually.

Wim Wenders is known for cinematically pleasing compositions, and Perfect Days is no exception. The aesthetics contribute to the calming atmosphere of Hirayama’s “perfect” life, presented in a square aspect ratio. A smooth blend of purples, greens, reds, and blues are utilized to create Wenders’ familiar palette of tranquil colors. The prominent green palette of Paris, Texas returns in Perfect Days, where it similarly represents the stagnancy and isolation of our main characters. Wenders perfectly balances cool and warm tones in his scenes, highlighting emotions throughout the film. One aspect that came as a surprise was the monochrome scale, used in each of Hirayama’s dream sequences. His dreams are displayed not as stories or events, but vague layers of memories, often including people and nature, in a grainy black-and-white frame.

The first half of the film focuses on Hirayama, and his seemingly perfect life. He is not only content with his mundane life, but he is happy with it. He smiles at strangers and studies the trees above him, photographing them to preserve the memory. He hardly says a word a day, until his niece, Niko, runs away from home to live with him. As the film shifts into the second half, we begin to see more of who Hirayama is. He is comforted by Niko’s presence, and opens up to her about life. Hirayama, aging and wise, and Niko, young and curious, admire Tokyo together, repeating the line “Next time is next time. Now is now.” We are reminded not to worry about the future, but to just live in the present and appreciate the blessings we have.

In the final act, Hirayama’s home is visited by his sister (Niko’s mother) who has come to take her daughter home. Niko is resistant, but her mother insists. It is here that we see much of what Hirayama has bottled up and hidden inside of him. His sister is wealthy and snobby, judging Hirayama for the work he does cleaning restrooms. He becomes defensive when his own sister criticizes him. After Niko and her mother leave, the film concludes with a long shot of Hirayama initially smiling, but then crying while Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” plays off of his cassette tape. We realize that Hirayama may not have been entirely happy throughout his “perfect life,” but he shows kindness and finds the goodness around him, rather than subjecting to the conformity of societal dissatisfaction.

Perfect Days is a subtle but emotional ballad. Held strong by aesthetics and acting, Yashuko’s performance as Hirayama was well deserving of his Cannes award. With Wenders’ return to filmmaking, we can hope for more films as beautiful as this. Perfect Days is a slow but intricate reflection of life, serving as a reminder that if you smile at the world, the world will smile back.