by Tyler Smith
Few things are more heartbreaking for film fans than when a bold, exciting director starts to phone it in, at which point their once-innovative work loses its novelty and becomes “by-the-numbers”. A prime example of this is Tim Burton, whose early film can only be described as visionary but eventually became perfunctory. For the last twenty years, Burton’s films have lacked the mischievous tone, inspired world-building, and heartfelt compassion of his earlier work. There was once a time when the announcement of a Tim Burton film would be met with giddy anticipation instead of an apathetic shrug. And rightfully so. These early films were made with the manic joy of a director who can’t believe how much he is getting away with. And indeed, in retrospect, it is mind-blowing to think that any studio gave him the opportunity to make films of such grotesque beauty, off-kilter melancholy, and disconcerting tone.
No movie better encapsulates the go-for-broke, kitchen sink nature of Burton’s earlier work than Beetlejuice. While he would go on to explore sentimentality in films like Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood, he had no such aspirations with Beetlejuice. This film is Burton at his most gleefully unhinged. The story begins with a young couple, Adam and Barbara (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), getting in a tragic car accident and returning to their home as ghosts, unable to escape. Their situation might not be so awful if not for the family that moves into the house, unaware that it is essentially haunted. Though the family would seem to be postmodern yuppies, the daughter (Winona Ryder) has such a morose outlook on life that not only does she feel distant from her parents, but she also is the only one that can see the ghostly couple. Adam and Barbara make several attempts to drive the living family from their home, but find that scaring people is not their fortè. Desperate, they turn to a self-proclaimed “bio-exorcist” named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), whose wacky hijinks disguise a much more malevolent personality.
In what would become commonplace in Burton’s films, the story is less important than the atmosphere and visuals. Inspired heavily by the German Expressionism of the 1920s, Burton’s movies have always contained a deeply skewed vision of the world. Sort of like a nightmarish Doctor Seuss. In this film Burton creates an afterlife that is both hilarious and disturbing. A bureaucratic office filled with ghoulish creatures and mangled bodies, this world would not seem to contain a single straight line or right angle. Instead there is a swirling, surreal quality to it all. This place may be absurdly funny, but to spend any time there is to soon feel uneasy.
The overall tone of the film is one that can only be described as madness. Just like our main characters, we are abruptly moved from one crazy situation to another, trying and failing to keep up. There is an overwhelming element to the film that makes it all seem… unsafe. The recklessness of the film’s pace creates a nervous energy that is enhanced (or made worse, depending how you look at it) by Michael Keaton’s mile-a-minute line delivery, non-existent attention span, and lascivious looks. Think of Robin Williams’ Genie from Aladdin, except he hates you.
When considering all of this, it becomes clear that Beetlejuice is a young man’s film. It feels as though it were made by someone who isn’t sure they’ll ever be allowed near a camera again, so they throw as much onto the screen as they can. Burton makes several risky choices in this film; the same types of choices that he would avoid later in his career. As with so many other quirky filmmakers, the audience eventually got used to Burton’s style. By the mid-2000s, the novelty had worn off, and Burton made no attempts to challenge himself. Rather than make choices that he was passionate about, he instead made those that were expected of him. It’s always sad to see for a film fan. Thankfully, though, we will always have those early films, with their sincere melancholy, delightful chaos, and horrendous beauty; three things that Beetlejuice has in abundance.
You can watch Beetlejuice for a limited time, here on ReDiscover Television.!
