Mise-en-scene Presentation: Edward Scissorhands

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

What I noticed in Edward Scissorhands was a huge use of wide lenses.  I think this effect was used to create an eerie, wide-open feeling.

The eerie feeling is obtained through a lot of the tracking shots in the courtyard.  The wide lens, when focused on an object in close proximity, almost makes the subject seem to bubble out from the center of the frame.  It's very subtle, but effective.  The DP creates a feeling of eerie wonder through this use.

Secondly, the wide-open feeling needs to be explained because of the context of the film.  As you can see from the shots below, the castle is among some prim, way-too-perfect homes in a suburban neighborhood.  The citizens match them perfectly.  Even though they live these perfect lives, Edward, who lives in a creepy castle on a nearby hill, is by far the most innocent character in the whole movie.  So this challenges our perspectives on what's considered good and innocent.  We need to keep our eyes open to what may be whole and beautiful, because it may be behind an ugly mask.

As for the lighting, a lot of lighting in this scene comes off as very natural.  Even the castle is mostly illuminated by natural light, seeping through windows or gaping holes in the ceiling.

Distortion through wide lenses and camera movement create a fantasy-like feeling.

Peggy is framed very tightly by other objects in the frame, making the audience feel restrained and uneasy.

A very cool camera movement exists between these two frames.  Peg backs into the frame, looking small and vulnerable in front of this creepy statue, her figure just visible above the hips.  When she hears Edward upstairs, the camera tracks to the right and cranes upward as she ascends the staircase.  It ends with a wide shot of the whole staircase.

Again, natural lighting floods the floor, also representative of Edward's unfinished body.

Natural lighting is used as a backlight as Edward hides in a corner, so his entire body is silhouetted.  It's not until he slowly creeps out into the foreground that the lighting from the bigger hole illuminates him, so we actually see who he is.