So the big debate regarding this film is: Does it count as a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? As I don't want to way in on this debate I have decided the safe way to handle this would be to publish it in November as a half-way point between both seasons.
I just want to give you a little bit of atmosphere before we begin. At the time of writing this, I am currently in the office (on my break should anyone from work be reading this...), and it is absolutely pouring down. We were just mentioning how sunny it was and then we blinked and it was raining. But that is typical British Weather so that is no biggie. My atmospheric point here is: I personally think this film is best watched while the rain is tapping on your window, with the room all dark and cosy, a weighted blanket, a warm drink, and a childish love in your heart.
Absolute bliss.
So apart from Wallace and Gromit and perhaps Chicken Run, TNBC is one of my earliest introductions to the world of stop motion animation, and it has always intrigued me. There is actually a funny story behind my first viewing of this movie but before we get to that, this film was also my first Tim Burton film. I thought I would just mention that as those of you who know me, know how much of a big fan I am of Burton, to the point the majority of my A-level coursework was based on the director and his work.
So the funny story. I was very young, not that that is an excuse. But I was off school one day with a sick bug and this was back in the day when the TV only had 4 channels and for whatever reason I was stuck on BBC 2 as I physically couldn't get up to press the buttons on the TV to change the channel and my mum was in another room. So I sat there and I was watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, without my knowledge of course. Now I sat through that whole film and thought it was great, considering a few years previous I had watched Hocus Pocus for the first time and had scared myself stupid. Looking back actually I think that is where my fear of Zombies originated. Billy Butcherson. Wow. Anyway, I wanted to know the name of the film so when my mum came in I asked her to look in the TV magazine (you youngsters have NO IDEA how easy you have it) and tell me the name of the movie. Now she had come in after it had finished, and turns out it wasn't a billed movie, it wasn't supposed to be on and they had used it as a time filler for something else. So we had no idea, but at that moment she just assumed I had been watching whatever was written in the magazine. So we both naturally put it down to a really detailed, somewhat disturbing fever dream and I spent the majority of my childhood thinking about this Christmas skeleton and what a weird fever dream it was. Low and behold I came across it several years later, told my mum, we laughed it off. I am not crazy. Wasn't that fun?
One of my favourite little details in regards to this film is the contrast in colours between lands. We go from this dark set tone, grey, black, slime green, all very morbid, then jump into this world of colour that makes your eyes hurt. A prime example is the screengrab I have chosen above, you've got Jack, black and white, simple, spooky, fine. This contrasted against the Christmas tree, despite it still being a very Burton-istic tree, is a fine example of the emotional ploy we adopt for both of these seasons. The dull, almost formal colours of black and white are the epitome of Halloween, they scream supernatural, paranormal, spooky. We are supposed to associate this dark, morbid atmosphere with fear and the chills that run down our spines. Unlike Christmas. We are supposed to feel joy, be merry, Christmas needs to be bright and spark some sort of happy association within our brain. Just look at those lights, look at the bright colours opposite those dull spooky vibes. It was clever, let us leave it at that before I basically rehash my own A-level thesis, I've made my point.
This is the movie is the one which I share so close to my heart with my cousin. She loves Oogie Boogie, I love the movie in general. We bond over this film so well and it is just beautiful. But on a deeper level this film gets me. A bit like the Corpse Bride, it is the feeling of having to fill the void which I resonate so deeply with. The whole theme of this film is Jack has lost his way, he wants to take on something different to distract from his mundane life, and it isn't until it goes all wrong that he realises he is happy with the same old thing and can work on new ways to make the safe seem more exciting. I get that, I respect it. We were made for bigger things, new experiences, so much more than to sleep, eat, work, repeat.
I suppose if we are being technical here, we should also congratulate Henry Selick on this masterpiece as it is as much his baby as Burton's. The style of the two artists are actually very similar, hence people often confuse Coraline as a work of Burton when it is in fact Selick, but with the help of the internet we should now be able to get this right. It ain't so hard people. But yeah, thought I would throw that out there, I'm all about fairness in the workplace.
I also want to give a little shout out, like I do, to Danny Elfman. I don't know how, but this man has serious talent. Every score he has composed is both instantly recognizable and yet brilliantly original, and every single song is beautiful and in a playlist of mine. Seriously, I am in awe. I love the idea that someone can fine tune something so much that just the concoction of sound is enough to influence our emotional state. Truly divine. I currently have the Final Scene (it is actually called that) from Sweeney Todd on repeat, that bit where Mrs Lovett turns to Todd and confesses, the music tunes to a more sympathetic tone, honestly the best way I can describe it is to tell you the bit to listen to as I'm not entirely sure what instrument makes the noise. During the Final Scene, listen hard from the instrumental section when Todd says 'don't I know you, she said' and then following on from Mrs Lovett 'no, no, not lied at all, no I never lied', I find that one section that repeats in the background so melancholic, so full of regret and words left unsaid, life left unlived. It is a truly beautiful bit of music as it is very final, it wraps up so many emotions that we can never change, and generates so much sympathy for Todd who just accidentally killed his wife (spoilers) and Lovett who only ever wanted him to love her.
That brings us nicely onto my next point in regards to TNBC soundtrack. I like how each song carries the characters personality. Sally's song literally conveys her emotions and her internal turmoil. Her psychic abilities means she has seen what comes to pass but she doesn't want to rain on her friend/love interest's parade but at the same time wants to keep him safe. Her song is full of sadness and yet sums up her character to a T, the ever doting friend. If we look at Kidnap the Sandy Claws from Lock, Shock, and Barrel, we hear their utter chaotic tenancies. They sing over each other, they break song to tell each other to shut up, they weigh in their thoughts at switching sides and how best to do the job. Then finally if we look at Jack's Lament, the whole song just conveys how lost our Pumpkin King is, he has no identity other than Jack the Pumpkin King, he is merely a facade, the face of Halloween Town. I just think it is very clever is all.
Just a quick note following from soundtrack, if you haven't already check out the Nightmare Revisited. It is an album full of top bands covering the sound track. My personal favourite is Jack's Lament done by The All-American Rejects, I actually prefer it to the original!
On that note then, before this really does turn into an updated copy of my A-level coursework, I give The Nightmare Before Christmas a spooky 8/10. It is dark and yet Christmassy, perfect for us morbid few, it is deep in the emotional sense and yet simple to watch. And then finally it is just chock full of talent. I know from experience how hard it is to produce a single frame of stop motion footage, they managed a feature length film. Hats off.
I hope you all had a nice Halloween and you all stayed safe. Please continue to do so and just be aware, CHRISTMAS IS COMING.
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