Big fish film analysis

In big fish, one of tim burtons most surrealistic films believed to be a reflection of his adult self an expansive and imaginative view is shown when a young man by the name of edward bloom allegedly lives an extraordinary life. Were a a part of him, who he is, just as he is a part of us. It isnt full of the dark, sinister scenes that we normally. There are giants and small people and circuses and conjoined twins and people with 1950stype haircuts and smalltown. Its about all kinds of stories, from the first stories whispered by a father to a sleepy child to the stories a son tells his father to comfort him as he nears death. A reader forwarded a link to this structural analysis of big fish, which attempts to break down my screenplay down into five plot points inciting incident.

Big fish is a quintessential burton film in that it celebrates people who inhabit the fringe of society. A 2003 fantasy drama film written by john august and directed by tim burton, based on the novel by daniel wallace will bloom, a journalist billy crudup, returns home with his wife to visit his dying father edward elder played by albert finney, younger played by ewan mcgregor. Big fish summary and study guide supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Big fish is all color, light, and harmony the movie is about the. Big fish is a 2003 american fantasy drama film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by daniel wallace. Much of the story dwells in specter, a strange town with quirky inhabitants, but time is also spent at the circus, as edward works his way up through the ranks under the big top.

The story follows a son who seeks to separate truth from fiction in his fathers tall tales. Essays for big fish film big fish essays are academic essays for citation. The film is set in the realm of the others, a sort of parallel dimension that controls the seasons and tides on earth and is where the souls of humans go after they passthe good ones to be reborn as whales and the damned as the rats that scurry about in the underground. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, william. Burton made big fish while grieving his fathers death, and as a result, theres an unusually quiet, introspective quality to the way the film is constructed. A novel of mythic proportions by daniel wallace is about a young man, william bloom at the deathbed of his father, edward bloom, trying to figure out who his father really is as a person. Theme literary elements the relationship between father and son is a major theme in big fish. The truth is that edward uses his large imagination to create a fantasy that represents his reality. But as william grows up, he believes in his fathers stories less, and comes to view. He spent the years before his sons birth having amazing adventures and meeting. As auteur, tim burton generally casts aside reality in favor of fantasy with his films, and his 2003 fantasyadventure big fish is no exception. If you have not seen this movie, you might want to do so before reading this post. Moreover, big fish is also burtons funniest film in ages. Big fish 2003, directed by tim burton, is a movie loaded with symbolism and metaphor.

This extraordinary film is a treasure trove of stories based on a very clever novel by. With big fish, burton is in total control of his creative powers as a director. Broad overall unit objectives include understanding the characteristics of a tall tale aswell as analysis and identifying of film technique and connecting the two elements. When william was young he looked up to his father, and believed that all of his stories were true. A novel of mythic proportions, a 1998 novel written by daniel wallace, is set up as william learns his father, edward, is dying of cancer. His boss devito turns out to be a weird beast in his own right. There are plenty of things in this film that should in theory be pretty weird. Its always strange seeing your work dissected by others, especially when theyre trying to fit a specific template with unfamiliar terminology. The cinematography of big fish 2003 cinematographer. There is a point at which his stories stop working as. A novel of mythic proportions and its 2003 film adaptation, directed by tim burton.

Big fish study guide contains a biography of director tim burton, literature essays. Big fish is a wondrous and fantastical film from tim burton. The novel, which is told from wills point of view in firstperson, is a chronological retelling. Big fish will serve as the study of one specifictype of folklore, the tall tale. Big fish being a nonanimated film, this setting is reality based, and flashes back through his fathers embellished stories. He is displeased to find that his father continues to tell the same old tall tales hes told all his life. Big fish is the enchanting story of a father and son, but its really the story of stories themselves. The novel follows the life of edward bloom as narrated by his son william. This film touches on the torn relationship between father and son, as well as many allegories along the way.

Multiple times through the movie, it was mentioned how heavily water impacted edwards life. As a teenager, edward bloom ewan mcgregor is a high school star athlete, entrepreneur, and local hero. Philippe rousselot nominated for the 2004 golden globe for best motion picture musical or comedy. Magical realism as used by tim burton and gabriel garcia marquez. However, unlike other films in his repertoire, burton also calls attention to reality within big fish, making the dying mans son a. William, evolution and maturity of the son and reconciliation with his father the big fish. A frustrated son tries to determine the fact from fiction in his dying fathers life. A good script, with great cameos and excellent effects are bolstered by an upturn in tim burtons ability. This page includes a synopsis that describes most of the plot. Edward bloom albert finney, a charismatic teller of tall tales, is a source of frustration to his only child, william billy crudup. Edward tracks down the culprit, a gloomy but goodhearted giant named karl matthew mcgrory, and convinces him. While the tale presents death as a stop on the way to eternity, the characters go to extreme lengths to save others lives, including giving up their own. With big fish, burton emphasizes fantasy by exploring what the tall tales of a dying man may look like.

The town of spectre seems more imaginary than real when we first encounter it. The big white house with backyard and lovely wife and kid, represents the fulfilled american dream. The father still told the ridiculous story to everyone, and his son didnt take it. Ed likes telling stories, and the story of the day his son will billy crudup was born is his favorite because it was on that day, he caught the biggest fish in the river using his wedding ring as bait. He aims to live a remarkable life, and to achieve immortality by passing down the stories of his life to his son, william. Big fish is een film uit 2003 van tim burton met onder anderen ewan mcgregor en. When a mysterious monster comes to town and eats livestock during the night, he volunteers to talk to it and get it to leave.

Focusing on the multiple meanings of the title big fish, write a paper analyzing the significance of the fish imagery in key scenes throughout the film. Because edward always told exaggerated or fabricated stories about his life, william relates those stories while trying to grapple with their true meanings. Will and his father have been estranged for the past three years largely because of the fanciful tales that edward has consistently told about. When the camera shows this house, we see the same highangle shot, like when will arrived home after three years. Big fish is tim burtons 2003 criminally underrated fantasy epic.

Still, in so many ways, it is decidedly burtonesque. With ewan mcgregor, albert finney, billy crudup, jessica lange. The big fish was the major symbol that reoccurred multiple times throughout the movie. There are quite a few truths to the film big fish, which are perceived differently for many people.

What is the underlying message of the movie big fish. At wills wedding, edward embarrasses him by telling the guests an impossiblesounding story about the day of wills birth, involving a giant catfish that ate his wedding ring. This 49page guide for big fish by daniel wallace includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 3 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expert. Josephine tries to hold him back, but he gets up and leaves. Williams father was always telling tall tales of his life and events that happened to him, clearly describing his life as completely extraordinary. It has some brief, softfocus nudity and a moderately brutal fight scene. It isnt full of the dark, sinister scenes that we normally associate with burton. Water, a motif in the film, best exhibited the symbolism of the fish. Edward bloom born in ashland, alabama, some time in the 1930s, edward bloom is one of the novels protagonists. Now, to get to know the real man, will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures. Edward bloom is near the end of his life and loves to share the crazy things that he has experienced growing up with his family. Throughout his life edward bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. The theme of big fish, adapted by john august from the novel by daniel wallace, is the transforming, sometimes bewildering power of the imagination, which would seem.

We cannot change the truths, but we can definitely alert our attitudes to them, something had happened, and something will happen. Edward is a jocular, wellliked man, who had his own business as a. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of big fish, directed by tim burton. Because burton is the director, big fish of course is a greatlooking film, with a fantastical visual style that could be called felliniesque if burton had not by now earned the right to the adjective burtonesque. It tells the story of ed bloom, a man with a loose relationship to the truth but a wonderous imagination. The fish as a metaphor for life exploring your mind. From edwards birth, shooting between his mothers legs and down a hospital corridor, to his run in with the kung fu fighting korean. The film was directed by tim burton and stars ewan mcgregor, albert finney, billy crudup, jessica lange, and marion cotillard. It tells the story of a parisbased journalist named will bloom who comes home to ashton, alabama, when he hears that his father, edward, is terminally ill with cancer and has been taken off chemotherapy. Characters are frequently in peril, and there are mildly scary and upsetting scenes. The film big fish directed by tim burton uses many of those gothic elements to tell the story of the films characters. Big fish character descriptions fine linen theatre. To be able to achieve something that one always wanted to achieve is not a mean thing and a person who is able to so is a hero of his own life if not that of others. Movie analysis big fish essay example for students 525.