It was in 1990 that Tim Burton offered us the sublime “Edward Scissorhands”. A classic to see or see again! Amid confusing settings was Edward played by Johnny Depp, who went to great lengths to bring the character to life.
Johnny Depp as an outcast in the face of a lambda pack
Edward Scissorhands takes us between dreams and reality. We follow the story ofa grandmother telling her granddaughter where the snow comes from which falls on the city. Created by an inventor (Vincent Price) in the heart of an isolated castle, Edward (Johnny Depp) remains unfinished when the latter dies. So he finds himself with scissors with sharp blades instead of hands. It was then that Peg Boggs (Dianne Wiest), a cosmetics representative, invited her to join her household.
Introverted and harmless, the young man quickly falls in love with his daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). The latter is all the more affected by its fragility whenhe will sculpt an angel of ice before his eyes. And snowflakes falling from the skies…
With this film, Burton wanted to deal with tolerance and self-discovery. It was thus based on own feelings of isolation and inability to connect with others. Growing up in the residential suburb of Burbank, he felt sorely rejected as a child. Our hero sees himself gradually excluded by society knowing that he does not fit into the criteria it imposes.
On the contrary, he is totally out of the mold, both physically and emotionally. This talented hairdresser and hedge trimmer is thus successively treated as an object of curiosity, a beast of fair or a trophy. Before being banished from this tasteless and uneventful residential suburb. In this regard, do not hesitate to read our article on the sale of the house ofEdward Scissorhands !
Draconian diet for Edward Scissorhands
For Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp had to go out of his way to stick to Tim Burton’s vision. His goal was toperfectly embody the character of Edward as the director imagined it. The actor therefore had to learn to master the blades attached to his fingers. Not to mention the make-up and hairdressing that took a considerable amount of time each morning, as mentioned in the making of the film (video below).
Lose twelve pounds was also one of the first requirements for the role. This to fit into his ultra skimpy costume! Note, however, that the costume designer omitted an important detail when creating this wildly salient leather/belt ensemble. She didn’t plan no ventilation. It was thus dripping with sweat and exhausted from the weight of her corset that Johnny Depp regularly turned his eye.
