The reworking of the original folk tale in this movie changes the story for the better. In the original Jewish story, the corpse bride remains bitter and unfulfilled. In the movie, the story is more uplifting, making clearer the premise in the original story about the nature of love, that love liberates. (Actually, the reworking of the folk tale draws inspiration from a fairy tale, "Beauty and the Beast.")
The movie traces the steps of how love grows and deepens and becomes more God-like through the interaction of Victor (Johnny Depp) and the corpse bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter).
"The more one looks for love, the more one doesn't love."
"People need each other and think it is love. There's no hanging on to, or fencing in, of the other one when one loves."
The movie starts with Emily at this stage. She drags Victor to the realm of the dead despite knowing that he had not intended the vows to her.
"Love attracts love."
When Victor ceases to treat Emily as a freak and begins to feel compassion for her, enough to willingly marry her ("Beauty and the Beast" reversed), this empowers the spark of true love in Emily. Emily will not allow Victor to sacrifice himself for her.
"When one really loves, one can never be hurt."
And the movie ends with Emily neither hurt anymore by her past tragedy or by Victoria’s (Emily Watson) love for Victor. Victor’s love "has liberated her" and allows her to liberate him from her previous self-love.
Noticeable are compromises in depicting religion. The church is bereft of Christian icons, looking more like a crypt and the vows seem Jewish. This perhaps reflects on marketing concerns. A Jewish tale Christianized might grate on nerves hearkening to the times of forced conversions. At the same time with the current Zionist situation, rendering it as a Jewish story will put off hordes of people from it. Perhaps it be a good time to break certain memes about Judaism and Zionism by acquainting readers with this site, JewsnotZionists.
The musical elements in the movie, while witty, as was the satire of the landed gentry and class differences, wasn’t haunting in that there’s no hook effect. Also, Victor came across more like Frasier’s Dr. Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) than Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp up to his playful tricks again?
A Chicken Soup for the Soul movie wonderfully rendered! Glad I finally did decide to see it.
(The quotes are from Lester Levenson)
Originally post at The 10 of Clubs MovieWATCH.
ED/PUB:LM
Article comments
1 - -E
I'm just not a fan of Tim Burton's animations. You couldn't pay me to watch Nightmare Before Christmas again. And while I thought Corpse Bride was better, I still probably won't ever watch it again. The songs weren't great (but luckily there are only what? 3?). It is short, that's good. I almost fell asleep.
2 - Phillip Winn
That is a little bizarre about the semi-agnostic depictions of religion. I probably won't catch this until DVD, but I'll check it out then.