Suspense In Tim Burton's Movies

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Darkness. Mystery. Suspense. All of these characteristics are ones that are present in many of Tim Burton’s movies. The fifty-eight-year-old Tim Burton has directed over twenty-three movies throughout his thirty-seven-year career. Tim Burton is well known for his dark and mystical fantasy films like Edward Scissorhands and Alice in Wonderland, which are movies that can be loved by people of all ages. Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp frequently work together in movies that require roles for characters that most male actors would turn down. For example, Johnny Depp plays both the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland and Edward from Edward Scissorhands, which are both very abnormal characters that many actors would believe are “too weird” for them. …show more content…
Firstly, In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, during the opening scene, five consecutive close-up shots are used on Willy Wonka’s hand when he places the five golden tickets on the chocolate bars. Tim Burton uses these close-up shots to foreshadow events in the future and show the viewer that they should be remembered. By having the five close-up shots in a row, it forces the viewer to see the same item five times in a row, which plants that image into their mind for a later time in the movie. Secondly, in Burton’s 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, when Alice goes to meet the White Queen, high-key lighting is used by Burton to show to the viewer that she will be an important character down the road. The high-key lighting also implies that she is a supportive character that will help Alice overcome a major obstacle later in the movie. The sense of importance that the high-key lighting gives the viewer helps to add understanding to the storyline of the movie. As can be seen, hinting at important characters and objects in a film can be done through the precise use of high-key lighting as well as close-up