Dir: Henry Selick, 1993, USA, 76 Mins
Cast: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Greg Proops, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix
It is a well established fact that Disney are the creators of some of the most endearing, sugar-sweet animated features that have ever graced the silver screen. A lesser known fact is that years ago gothic visionary Tim Burton was a resident animator who actually worked on features such as The Fox and the Hound. He spent much of his time feeling out of place as he doodled and sketched any weird and wonderful character that sprung out of his mind; creations that would be archived by Disney who, unsurprisingly, had no clue what to do with them, or the oddity that had created them.
Years later Burton had broken away from Disney’s clutches and had allowed his unique vision to spread its wings into feature films such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Batman.
His creations from those early years still haunted him, so he crept back into Disney to have a quiet look around their basement. There, lurking in the dusty gloom, he found his outlandish sketches which were now the property of the animation giant.
Realising that Burton was now an extremely financially successful director, Disney were keen to capitalise on this opportunity, allowing Burton creative freedom and hoping it would support their image of thinking outside the box and being a leader of the animated world. $18 Million (far less than the average Disney film) was allocated for its production, meaning less pressure to be financially successful, and The Nightmare Before Christmas began development. Burton took on the role of Producer, but his vision and presence can be felt in every scene and character, challenging Autuer theory which often assumes that only a unique director with a distinct style can impose his personal vision onto a film.
Talented animator Henry Selick took the directing reins and helped push the stop motion envelope, achieving an outstanding level of technical proficiency with swooping camera shots that have yet to be rivalled. His team of the world’s best animators worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life, necessitating the employment of a masseuse to be on hand to revitalise the aching backs and muscles of the committed team.
The final product is a magical vision, a journey through the warped consciousness of Tim Burton who puts forward the premise that each of the holidays has their own town in which ideas are formulated and developed.
The patriarch and king of Halloween town, the spindly Jack Skellington, has become bored with the monotonous routine of discovering new and inventive ways to make Halloween more terrifying, and in a chance encounter with Christmas Town decides that Santa could do with a break, and takes over his role. Misunderstandings ensue, and instead of Christmas gifts that bring joy and happiness, the children receive human heads, freaky killer dolls and giant sandworms looking for a snack.
The regular Burton theme of identity crisis forms the crux of the narrative, with Jack Skellington losing faith in his role of “Jack, the Pumpkin King” and looking elsewhere for fulfilment, believing the role of Santa Claus may suit him better. Christmas intrigues him because “There’s children throwing snowballs instead of throwing heads, they’re busy building toys, absolutely no-ones dead”
Jack is adorable and visually intriguing as he prances around Halloween Town with his skeleton grin. However, it is his voice (Sarandon), particularly his singing voice (Elfman) that adds the warmth, charm and depth that makes his character so endearing. Danny Elfmans songs and the performance of them is mind blowing, adding an energy and pace to the proceedings that it is impossible not to get swept up in.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is full of iconic images that will intrigue and delight audiences young and old, from vampires playing ice hockey with a jack o lantern, a red-nosed ghost dog leading skeleton reindeer through the fog, to the many warm-hearted but misplaced Christmas gifts containing Halloween surprises.
The distinct style, witty dialogue, unforgettable characters, imaginative story and songs that will rattle around your head for days, combine to create an animated experience that is it impossible not to enjoy.
This is a brilliantly conceived ghoulish tale with laughter, tears and suspense that will whet your appetite for the eagerly-awaited Burton directed Corpse Bride.
Darren Horne
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