June Winners, Anderson: Level 4

Genre: Soundtrack
Film: Edward Scissorhands
Composer: Danny Elfman

The quirky horror flick, Edward Scissorhands, could have easily gone down in the book of films gone wrong, but instead it has come to be memorable and well cherished among moviegoers since its release in 1990. Why? Well, aside from the fact that it stars Johnny Depp, the music score composed by Danny Elfman is phenomenal. Even though I knew and loved the soundtrack to this film before actually watching the movie, I was hesitant to see it. I was afraid the movie would be a disappointment and not live up to the soundtrack. Honestly, a story about a boy with scissors instead of hands can be hard to take seriously. Luckily for me, I was wrong. What ties this film together with all its randomness and sometimes rather unfortunate happenings is the main theme in the score — a sweet, whimsical melody that perfectly reflects the main character's childlike innocence. Throughout the film, Elfman uses imaginative and elaborate variations of this central theme in order to connect the different musical arrangements into a unified score. Compared to other film scores by soundtrack composers such as John Williams and Hans Zimmer, who are famous for the adrenalin-driving histrionics in their compositions, this soundtrack is more subdued and does not achieve that level of musical ferocity. However, Danny Elfman's masterful score to Edward Scissorhands lures the viewer with its mysterious and capricious air which reflects the film's peculiar characters and the world they inhabit. The seamless fusion of haunting melodies and off the wall note sequences creates a very unusual and unique soundtrack that continues to captivate not only viewers, but listeners as well.