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Tim Burton's Frankenweenie opens BFI London film festival
Friday 12th October 2012 | Angie
Is Frankenweenie the most anti-Disney, Disney film ever? The stop motion animation brought to us by the innovative mind of Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, as if he needs further introduction) tells the tale of a young boy, Victor Frankenstein, who uses scientific ingenuity to resurrect his dog Sparky after the latter is tragically killed when knocked down by a car.
This feature length film, which premiered on Wednesday 10th October for the BFI film festival at the Odeon Leicester Square, was engendered from an original idea by Burton almost three decades ago which led to the creation of a short film of the same name, the second of his career. Around the time, he was reportedly fired by Disney for the film short, deemed too scary for young children (although he was still grateful for being given the chance to make the film at all). How times have changed.
It has been said by Burton that he doesn't actually see the films he makes or the characters as 'dark'. Maybe then, rather than viewing it as an unlikely hero in the Disney family, it becomes quickly apparent that it’s just at home as the likes of Tangled, albeit without the blatant pre-lapsarian innocence of Mickey Mouse and co. The black and white imagery adds to its charm, breathing fresh life into the concept of family-friendly animation.
“The idea of seeing black and white in 3D and stop motion was an exciting prospect for me”, said Burton on the day of Frankenweenie’s premiere. "The reality of [the puppets], the tactile nature of it...black and white and the 3D process really shows you all the work that the artist put into it". Inspired to return to the project after looking at some of the original drawings, he recognised that the animation had become a real ‘memory piece’ for him, with reflective relics of his childhood dog, kids remembered from school and weird teachers echoing throughout the artwork and plotlines.
Previous Burton collaborators Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Martin Landau return to bring to life the characters that inhabit the town of New Holland. 14-year old Charlie Tahan voices Victor, the quiet and thoughtful lead, content with the company of his dog for a best friend as opposed to the kids at his school. He gives a verbal performance that is at once subtle and lively, hailed by Burton and team for understanding the ‘thoughtfulness and maturity’ that was needed to portray such an internal character.
O’Hara and Short mix it up a little by playing a variety of characters – the former as mother Susan Frankenstein, Weird Girl (an eerie wide-eyed child who is a medium for the physic predictions of her cat, both favourable and foreboding) and the highly-strung Gym Teacher, and the latter as father Ben Frankenstein, high school kid Nassor and the irritable, perfectionist mayor Mr Bergermeister. Ryder takes her turn as the girl next door Elsa, whom Burton in part actually based on the actress, and screen legend Landau provides the voice for Mr Rzykruski, the new Eastern European science teacher, passionate enough about his life subject to inspire a generation of young children, especially Victor.
The diverse assortment of personalities, along with passing Frankenstein ‘easter egg’ type references (see the bolts on either side of Sparky’s neck used to top him up on electricity when he’s running low, or the white Bride of Frankenstein stripes on Elsa’s dog Persephone) ignite a comedic and enthralling sense of charisma that burns at the heart of the film. All this is set to the musical score of Danny Elfman, who is to Burton's composing as Johnny Depp is to his leading man. Dramatic and heart-warming, it intimately follows the action and emotions engendered in the adventurous storyline, from the gothic corruption of the Disney opening logo, to the gratifying concluding of events.
Frankenweenie is out in cinemas now.
Angie Moneke (@angiejudeLDN)
