When Dorothy landed in Oz, the film stock changed from black and white to color. Dorothy’s real life on the farm was drab and gray; the world of Oz – her fantasy - was a world of color. Corpse Bride does something similar with color. The world of the living is rather monochromatic. The world of the dead is one of color and light. It’s an interesting device and one of the many brilliant stylistic elements that are used throughout the film. I really think that stop-motion animation is beautiful. Computer generated animation can never quite equal it it.
What doesn’t work very well in the film are the musical numbers. The score is wonderful - I love the harpsichord and the organ - but when the characters began to sing, my ears almost hurt. Most of the lyrics were awkward and the singing was atrocious. Danny Elfman made an honorable attempt to mimic several music genres, such as opera and jazz, but he failed miserably with those lyrics. Often, the singers were trying to muddle through words that didn’t quite seem to fit with the melody.
In general, it was worth seeing. But how many of you figured out that Lord Barkis was the Corpse Bride’s murderer the moment he was introduced? My son called that one right away. Why else would that Lothario be in the film?
at February 11, 2006 11:09 PM