Corpse Bride
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney; Joanna Lumley; Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant, Paul Whitehouse, Tracey Ullman, Enna Reital
Corpse Bride is a surprisingly tender and poignant love story illustrating the journey of a shy, young groom-to-be, Victor, (Johnny Depp) as he finds himself at the center of a unique love triangle with his fiancée, the sweet and caring Victoria (Emily Watson), and Emily(Helena Bonham Carter), the beautiful Corpse Bride who falls in love with Victor from beyond the grave. When things go terribly wrong at the wedding rehearsal, Victor wanders alone into the woods to practice his vows for Victoria. The moment Victor recites his wedding vows perfectly, he finds himself married to Emily, a ghostly woman, who was murdered on her wedding day, and thus, became the Corpse Bride. Meanwhile, there's a rich newcomer, with a secret plot to take Victor's place and win the heart of the beautiful Victoria for himself. So, with two beautiful women vying for his heart, who will Victor choose to be his beloved bride?
Butterflies play a powerful symbolic role in this film, and butterflies are the catalyst which illustrate Emily’s journey towards finding peace. When we first meet Victor in the story, he is painting a blue butterfly and we see that a real butterfly is trapped under the dome on his desk and Victor releases this butterfly just before he leaves to attend his wedding rehearsal with Victoria. This blue butterfly symbolizes Emily (aka the Corpse Bride) when she is trapped in the Land of the Dead. When Victor sees Emily after she is awakened by his proposal, she is also blue. Emily had unfinished business and that's why she was in the land of the dead. Emily was marrying to bring wealth and security to her family, but she wanted to find love, as well. When Emily’s fiancé murders her, Emily’s dream of finding love went unfulfilled. When Victor and Emily journey back to the Land of the Living, she tells Victor that she had forgotten how beautiful the moon was and we see the blue butterfly again. This time, it is flying freely, and likewise, Emily believed her dream of finding her true love had been restored when Victor "proposed" to her. But then Victor tells Emily that his heart belongs to Victoria. It is only when Victor is willing to remain with Emily, and honor his vow to her, that Emily finds the love that she has so desperately longed for…and in doing so, Emily is finally at peace and is able to cross over into death, allowing Victor to be reunited with Victoria. When Emily’s soul rises towards the moon, we see her transform into beautiful, white butterflies…symbolizing that Emily is now at peace.
There is a significant connection between Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), the Corpse Bride, and Victoria (Emily Watson), Victor’s fiancée, which goes deeper than mere happenstance. The women share a common tie because they are both connected to Victor through marriage. While Victoria’s connection to Victor stems from their commitment to being married to fulfill the ambitious expectations of their respective parents, Emily’s connection to Victor occurs when Victor unwittingly gives her his wedding ring, thus joining them together in marriage. Initially, Victor vehemently objects to Emily’s declaration of marriage, given the fact that she is dead, and his heart belongs to Victoria. He even goes as far as to deceive her so he can be reunited with Victoria in the Land of the Living. Consequently, Victoria’s parents arrange for their daughter to marry a wealthy stranger after Victor’s disappearance, to fulfill their original purpose of securing wealth for their family. Even so, Victoria protests that her heart belongs to Victor. When Victor chooses to remain with Emily, and honor his vow to marry her, Emily makes the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love: she relinquishes her bond with Victor. Emily’s sacrifice allows Victor’s connection with Victoria to be restored and Emily finds peace in death.
There is a strong, underlying symbolism in the wedding ring which creates a connection between Victor and his two respective brides. Initially, the ring represents the breaking of Victor’s connection with his fiancé, Victoria, and the catalyst which binds him (albeit unwillingly) to Emily. When Victor and Emily return from the underworld under the guise of meeting Victor’s family, Emily uses the ring to signify Victor’s marriage to her, and not to Victoria. When Emily releases Victor from his marriage to her, she returns the ring to Victor. This act symbolizes Emily’s willingness to return Victor to his true bride and allows Emily to finally be at peace.
Ever since I was a child, I have always been intrigued by Tim Burton’s films, and as I watched Corpse Bride, this extraordinary storyteller, once again, impressed me. The animation is a testament to the unique style of Tim Burton, his transcendent use of light and darkness creating a look that is both beautiful and haunting. The casting choices are perfect with both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter shining in the roles of Victor and Emily. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Tim Burton at his best.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Albert Finney; Joanna Lumley; Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant, Paul Whitehouse, Tracey Ullman, Enna Reital
Corpse Bride is a surprisingly tender and poignant love story illustrating the journey of a shy, young groom-to-be, Victor, (Johnny Depp) as he finds himself at the center of a unique love triangle with his fiancée, the sweet and caring Victoria (Emily Watson), and Emily(Helena Bonham Carter), the beautiful Corpse Bride who falls in love with Victor from beyond the grave. When things go terribly wrong at the wedding rehearsal, Victor wanders alone into the woods to practice his vows for Victoria. The moment Victor recites his wedding vows perfectly, he finds himself married to Emily, a ghostly woman, who was murdered on her wedding day, and thus, became the Corpse Bride. Meanwhile, there's a rich newcomer, with a secret plot to take Victor's place and win the heart of the beautiful Victoria for himself. So, with two beautiful women vying for his heart, who will Victor choose to be his beloved bride?
Butterflies play a powerful symbolic role in this film, and butterflies are the catalyst which illustrate Emily’s journey towards finding peace. When we first meet Victor in the story, he is painting a blue butterfly and we see that a real butterfly is trapped under the dome on his desk and Victor releases this butterfly just before he leaves to attend his wedding rehearsal with Victoria. This blue butterfly symbolizes Emily (aka the Corpse Bride) when she is trapped in the Land of the Dead. When Victor sees Emily after she is awakened by his proposal, she is also blue. Emily had unfinished business and that's why she was in the land of the dead. Emily was marrying to bring wealth and security to her family, but she wanted to find love, as well. When Emily’s fiancé murders her, Emily’s dream of finding love went unfulfilled. When Victor and Emily journey back to the Land of the Living, she tells Victor that she had forgotten how beautiful the moon was and we see the blue butterfly again. This time, it is flying freely, and likewise, Emily believed her dream of finding her true love had been restored when Victor "proposed" to her. But then Victor tells Emily that his heart belongs to Victoria. It is only when Victor is willing to remain with Emily, and honor his vow to her, that Emily finds the love that she has so desperately longed for…and in doing so, Emily is finally at peace and is able to cross over into death, allowing Victor to be reunited with Victoria. When Emily’s soul rises towards the moon, we see her transform into beautiful, white butterflies…symbolizing that Emily is now at peace.
There is a significant connection between Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), the Corpse Bride, and Victoria (Emily Watson), Victor’s fiancée, which goes deeper than mere happenstance. The women share a common tie because they are both connected to Victor through marriage. While Victoria’s connection to Victor stems from their commitment to being married to fulfill the ambitious expectations of their respective parents, Emily’s connection to Victor occurs when Victor unwittingly gives her his wedding ring, thus joining them together in marriage. Initially, Victor vehemently objects to Emily’s declaration of marriage, given the fact that she is dead, and his heart belongs to Victoria. He even goes as far as to deceive her so he can be reunited with Victoria in the Land of the Living. Consequently, Victoria’s parents arrange for their daughter to marry a wealthy stranger after Victor’s disappearance, to fulfill their original purpose of securing wealth for their family. Even so, Victoria protests that her heart belongs to Victor. When Victor chooses to remain with Emily, and honor his vow to marry her, Emily makes the ultimate sacrifice in the name of love: she relinquishes her bond with Victor. Emily’s sacrifice allows Victor’s connection with Victoria to be restored and Emily finds peace in death.
There is a strong, underlying symbolism in the wedding ring which creates a connection between Victor and his two respective brides. Initially, the ring represents the breaking of Victor’s connection with his fiancé, Victoria, and the catalyst which binds him (albeit unwillingly) to Emily. When Victor and Emily return from the underworld under the guise of meeting Victor’s family, Emily uses the ring to signify Victor’s marriage to her, and not to Victoria. When Emily releases Victor from his marriage to her, she returns the ring to Victor. This act symbolizes Emily’s willingness to return Victor to his true bride and allows Emily to finally be at peace.
Ever since I was a child, I have always been intrigued by Tim Burton’s films, and as I watched Corpse Bride, this extraordinary storyteller, once again, impressed me. The animation is a testament to the unique style of Tim Burton, his transcendent use of light and darkness creating a look that is both beautiful and haunting. The casting choices are perfect with both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter shining in the roles of Victor and Emily. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who loves Tim Burton at his best.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.