On essay on beetlejuice
quotes
tim burton
movie
isolation
- lydia deetz - “My whole life is a dark room”
- Barbara Maitland’s comment towards Jane, a real estate agent, to “leave [them] alone [at home]”
- When the Deetzes settle into the house, the first things they do was to host a “dinner party” “for seven people.”
- Lydia relates to the Maitlands and their abnormal natures, stating that “I, myself, am the strange and unusual”, to which the Maitlands told her she “look[s] normal”.
- This juxtaposes with the actions of Delia Deetz, who encourages Lydia and tells her that she was “miserable in New York City” and “out here”. country vs city
- wallpapers, adams model of town
- “you cover the wallpaper … this place might be liveable.”
- “My agent, Bernard, is bringing a woman who writes for Art in America”
- “Two weeks at home” is the “the perfect vacation”
- charles deetz struggles to relax and cannot look around without seeing a business opportunity (symptom of his urban background.) family of maitlands vs deetz
- In the resolution of the film, the Maitlands ask Lydia of her grades in “maths” and “science”.
- Delia Deetz stating that “let’s play family just for tonight” explains their relationships, where the they parody a fractured family, appearance of harmony becomes more important than real love
- Delia Deetz lashing out towards Lydia, saying “Don’t you dare talk to others about me. I’m an artist! The only thing that scares me is being embarrassed in front of my friends.” underscores her blind focus on her own social standing and art career, putting it above Lydia’s angst, thinking of a waste of energy and a way of getting attention, rather than a manifestation of her depression, and a cry for help.
idk talk about family? everyone didnt have a full family
new essay
WHAT IS BEETLEJUICE WITHOUT BEETLEJUICE?: THOUGHTS ON DEATH, PATRIARCHY, AND CAPITALISM.
essay
beetlejuice
introduction (old)
Tim Burton describes his filmography as having “elements of horror, but they’re not really scary and can be funny not really a comedy.” This is evidenced in the 1988 film directed by the visionary Burton, titled Beetlejuice. The film has cemented its place as a beloved and timeless classic that effortlessly merges macabre humour and imaginative storytelling. This darkly comedic film offers a satirical exploration of the afterlife, weaving together the worlds of the living and the dead in a visually stunning and emotionally resonant manner. Through its well-crafted visual style through generic and narrative conventions, Beetlejuice presents a captivating examination of a film which intends to subvert the audience expectation of what a traditional horror film is by instilling elements of comedy.
body paragraph 1
Beetlejuice employs dialogue to highlight the Maitland’s attitude towards the outside world, and their values of spending time with only each other, but isolating everyone else.
- Barbara Maitland’s statement towards Jane to “leave [them] alone [at home]” establishes the Maitland’s desire for isolation from other people,
- Later, when Adam parks the car and runs into his hardware store, he cuts off the old man who runs a stereotypical small-town barbershop with a quick “hello” and runs into the store, leaving the old man outside to talk to himself.
- These two
- and they are “so glad [they’re] spending [their] vacation at home”. is expressed
- comments on the afterlife “Where are all the other dead people in the world? Why is it just you and me?“,
- “Two weeks at home - the perfect vacation”
Through Beetlejuice’s unconventional narrative, creating a melancholic film soon after introducing its happy protagonists, Beetlejuice serves as a reminder of our insignificance.
Burton creates a captivating visual style through his whimsical portrayal avoid using vague words like “captivating visual style” and “portrayal”… visual style of what? portrayal of what? not necessary of Betelgeuse’s characterisation through costume designs and setting, which blends traditional haunting elements but adds its own comedic charm too informal and not succinct, subverting the contemporary audience that expected a classic horror story with scary characters.
- The costume design in Beetlejuice blends the eerie and the whimsical, creating a world that is simultaneously haunting and comical. Betelgeuse wears a black and white striped suit, the contrasting colours are striking, and combined with his pale face and black liner, parts of Betelgeuse’s costumes are effective in accentuating the film’s status as a horror story.
- This invites the audience’s expectations of what a horror film would look like, with creepy but interesting characters, but subverts their ideas of the antagonist being scary.
- The creepy nature of Betelgeuse’s suit is balanced out by his whimsical green hairdo.
- The ridiculous combination of the horror and comedic nature of Betelgeuse’s comic design is a testament to Burton’s ability to balance on the thin line between horror and comedy.
- This juxtaposition of the costume design of Betelgeuse may strike the audience as odd. As a result, this subverts their expectation of a normal horror film antagonist, designed to be as scary as possible, which is not who Betelgeuse is.
- The juxtaposition of Betelgeuse embodies chaos and unpredictability, elevating him as an intriguing and multifaceted antagonist. Hence, through characterisation of Betelgeuse as one who has juxtaposing visual elements, of both horror and comedy, the contemporary audience’s expectation of what a traditional horror villain looks like is disrupted.
body paragraph 2
Beetlejuice deftly employs perspective and characterisation to subvert typical expectations and tropes surrounding ghosts, making it a compelling work of film that challenges the traditional horror genre, and subverts contemporary audiences who expected to watch a traditional horror film.
- Burton starts the film through the perspective of the two Maitlands before they suffered the untimely death and become ghosts.
- By highlighting the ghosts before their death, in their perspective, the ghosts are seen more human.
- This drifts away from a typical horror story, where ghosts are seen as beings who represent something horrible, desperate, and scary.
- This flips the haunted house trope on its head, whilst still including tropes from haunted house movies, Beetlejuice identifies itself with a more unique premise, which surprise and subverts audiences who expected to see the movie in the perspective of living human protagonists.
- Barbara Maitland describes herself and Adam as “horrible, desperate, ghoulish creatures” in an attempt to scare away the Deetz family.
- This instance of dramatic irony sharply with the previous portrayal of the Maitlands as a loving, albeit quirky, couple.
- In traditional horror films, like Frankenstein or It, the fantastical characters are actually horrible and desperate, but the portrayal of Maitlands and the irony that they are a sweet couple subverts audiences who expected to see ghosts portrayed as terrifying supernatural freaks, reinforcing the film’s comedic undertones and debunking the notion of ghosts as terrifying entities. Thus, through Beetlejuice’s usage of characterisation through perspective and irony, the audience expectation of a horror film is flipped on its head, where the ghosts are neither terrifying nor antagonists.
body paragraph 3
Beetlejuice intricately constructs its fantastical world by skilfully blending a variety of conventions, including genre, language, and audio/visual elements.
- The film defies the traditional horror genre, which are more grounded, by infusing it with dark humour and absurdity, establishing its unique identity as a dark comedy, where some things in Beetlejuice are specifically designed to make little sense.
- This is significant in subverting the audience’s traditional view on what the afterlife looks like. Burton’s distinct visual style, inspired by the German expressionism movement, contributes to the film’s world-building.
- The setting of the Deetz’s haunted house, with its eerie, labyrinthine corridors, is juxtaposed with vibrant, colourful afterlife sequences, allowing the film to seamlessly traverse between the living and the supernatural realms.
- The production design creates an otherworldly environment that balances the macabre with the whimsical, using surreal colours and grotesque aesthetics to challenge the conventional portrayal of the afterlife.
- The portrayal of an afterlife that ignores the sense of moral punishment and an eternal judgement to choose where you end up in Beetlejuice unlike many religions effectively subverts expectations of what they traditionally saw the afterlife as. Hence, Beetlejuice defies conventional afterlife portrayals with its usage of dark humour and genre-blending. This employment of dark humour and genre-blending effectively captivates the contemporary audience and subverts their views of what the afterlife looks like.
conclusion
In conclusion, Beetlejuice stands as a timeless masterpiece that seamlessly weaves dark humour, captivating characters, and imaginative storytelling into a compelling narrative. Through these generic conventions, Burton is able to effectively subvert contemporary audience expectations who expected a classic horror film. Tim Burton’s creative vision, reflected in the film’s striking visual style and cinematic techniques, elevates the experience of watching Beetlejuice to one that is both thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining. By skilfully blending horror, comedy, and fantasy, Beetlejuice offers a refreshing and unforgettable cinematic experience. Its willingness to challenge norms and embrace the unconventional has solidified its status as a cult classic and an enduring symbol of cinematic innovation, a testament to Burton’s ability to masterfully blend of horror and comedic elements together.