BIG FISH
US, 2003, 124 minutes, Colour.
Albert Finney, Ewan Mc Gregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, Danny de Vito, Helena Bonham Carter, Alison Lohman, Marion Cotillard, Robert Guillaume, Steve Buscemi.
Directed by Tim Burton.
For just a few opening minutes, it looked as though this could not be a Tim Burton film. What was he doing? Some father-son storytelling like A River Runs Through It? A straightforward piece of Americana? The doubts are quickly dispersed and we are back in Burton territory. Yet, it is unlike anything he has done before even if there are visual references to other films, like the box-house suburbia of Edward Scissorhands.
This is a film for those who delight in storytelling.
Once we have got our bearings, we find we are listening to a tall story about a larger than life fish, that Albert Finney is relating it at his son's, Billy Crudup's wedding. And, instead of it being an endearing situation, it is the occasion for alienation. It's the kind of film that defies a neat synopsis as it moves from present to past, from reality to fantasy, from story to story.
Albert Finney is masterful as he invents his life, especially as he comes to the end of it. Billy Crudup is earnest as his less than imaginative son who has heard the stories a thousand times but wants to understand his father before he dies. Much of the film is about his father as a young man who finds he has great talents, leaves town with a giant and finds himself saving a community, finding and wooing his wife and embarking on a whole lifetime of adventures from down the street to Korea. The young man is played with charm and supreme self- confidence by Ewan Mc Gregor. Jessica Lange has a smaller role as the mother and Helena Bonham Carter gives one of her
calmest performances as a mysterious woman who may be a witch.
That is description and a taste of the plot and performances. It is too difficult in words to communicate Burton's ability to create a different and wonderful world full of truly magic moments, a mixture of the mundane and the marvellous, the tragic and the comic, building up to an ending that diehard realists may be annoyed by but illustrates the wonder of storytelling.
1. The appeal of the film? Genial, happy? Storytelling? The dark side of human nature?
2. The films of Tim Burton, his capacity for creating fantasies? The blend of realism and imagination? Storytelling, visual impact, verbal impact? The references to Burton's other films like Edward Scissorhands?
3. The Alabama settings, the town, the magical town of Spectre, the world of the circus, the world of war? Texas and the open roads and the small towns and banks? A piece of Americana? The atmospheric score?
4. The title, Edward Bloom's initial story about the legendary fish, in the river, his trying to catch it, his achievement - at the moment that his son was born? The reappearance of the fish? The finale and Edward turning into the big fish? The story itself, its tone, significance? The later vision of the mermaid and the fish? The image in language of the big fish in a small pond, Edward being the small fish, wanting to go out into a bigger world? The various morals of the story?
5. The film's delight in storytelling: Ed, his telling the stories, his listeners? The doctor and his listening and confirming the stories? Jenny and her telling Will the truth about some of the stories? Will, his voice-over, his commentary about his father, hearing the stories, his anger at hearing the fish story at his wedding reception? The audience response to the stories, finding them fascinating, delightful, true lies? The difference between truth and embroidering imaginatively to give meaning? Reality and fantasy?
6. The film and its structure, the telling of stories, Will and his memories of his father, wanting to reconcile with his father and understand his truth, his father's illness and death? The insertion of the flashbacks, the perspective of Edward as a boy, as a young man, as an older man?
7. The character of Ed, having the two actors portray Ed, Euan McGregor? acting out the narrative, Albert Finney and his verbal skills in telling the stories? His life story, his son, telling the story at the wedding, the break of three years' lack of communication, Will and his phone calls to his mother, his father's illness, Josephine and Will returning to Alabama? Ed and his illness, indomitable spirit, facing his final illness - yet still telling stories to whomever will listen?
8. The character of Will, his job in Paris, a journalist seeking facts and the truth, the alienation from his father, the phone calls, his return home, seeing his father ill, comforting his mother, in the corridor listening to his father telling stories to Josephine? Taking up the meals, wanting to talk to his father? His sorting out his father's papers, the discovery of Jenny, going to visit Jenny and finding out the truth about his father? His father's final stroke, hospitalisation? His sitting with his father, coming to realise his truth, his father's story about looking into the witch's eye and seeing his death, not in a hospital? Will and his becoming creative, telling his father's story, involving all the characters, taking him to the river and his turning into the big fish? The funeral and the irony of so many of the characters being present?
9. The two Edwards and the personality of each, Edward as a young boy, with his friends, the house, the daring each other to look at the witch, knocking on her door, their all looking into her eye and the visualising of how each of them would die? Their fears, Edward courageous, forever having the memory of the witch and her friendliness towards him? His being ill for years, his growing out of all proportion? The years when he was away from all his friends? The boys, their rivalries, especially the tall boy?
10. Edward at eighteen, growing up, winning all the prizes, at school, the football, his being the champion, his friend and the rivalry? His success in the town, his volunteering to go and confront the giant? His offering to be eaten, the friendship with the giant, getting him clothes, reassuring the people of the town, leaving town with him, finding the detour, his going through the terrors of the forest, the dangers, the spiders, the fears? His finding the town of Spectre? The people of Spectre and their welcome, the young girl talking about his age and what would happen in ten years' time and her becoming Jenny? The authorities of the town, the welcome? His staying with them, meeting the poet? His continuing his journey, finding the giant, Amos Callaway and the circus, the giant finding his place in the circus? Edward and his vision of Sandra, wanting her for his wife? His staying and working with all the menial jobs in the circus, Amos giving him a clue each month? The years passing? His finding out the name of Sandra, going to visit her at college, her being engaged, his disappointment, the irony that it was his rival friend? The field of daffodils, the fight, Sandra and her breaking the engagement, her love for Edward? His going to war, the irony of his mission and the derring-do? The Siamese twins and their singing, the Chinese audience, his escape and taking the girls with him? His return and marrying Sandra? Buying the house? Becoming a salesman? His being on the road, going to Texas, the bank robbery and the irony of finding Norther? Helping him with the escape, the lack of money? His later visit to Norther with his success on Wall Street, getting the money to buy Spectre and bringing it back to life again? His helping to rebuild Jenny's house and her not selling it to him? His realising who she was? An extraordinary range of stories?
11. Edward, his vision of Sandra, time standing still, fast-forwarding, Amos and the information? His fighting with Don, skywriting his love for Sandra, marrying her? His absence on his war mission and its effect on her, the letter telling her that he was dead?
12. His adult life with Sandra, the birth of Will, bringing him up? Sandra and her continued devotion, her care for Edward while he was sick, bringing him meals, the companionship, in the bath? Her love for her son?
13. Jenny, Will finding her, her house, the story, Edward restoring it? Her place in Spectre, her love for Edward, his fidelity to Sandra? Her story of the revival of Spectre? Carl the giant and his straightening the house? Jenny and her reassurance to Will? Her selling the house to Edward and his owning and restoring the whole town?
14. The character of Carl, the giant, his booming voice, in the cave, people afraid of his hunger and his killing the animals? His meeting with Edward, the clothes, the haircut, being introduced to the town, on the road with Edward, waiting for him after his visit to Spectre? His finding his place in the circus?
15. Amos Callaway, the Danny de Vito style, the circus master, the range of people in the circus, the performance, the audiences? The fantasy of his being in his trailer, the movement, his racing out into the forest, Edward finding him, the fact that he was a werewolf?
16. Will and Josephine, the marriage, their life in Paris, her pregnancy, her wanting to be with Will, listening to Edward's stories, part of the family?
17. Will's final story of Edward's death, fulfilling what was in the eye of the witch (just as Don had died with the magazine in the bathroom as seen by the witch)? Everybody appearing in the story? Everybody coming to the funeral - as their normal selves?
18. Norther, his poetry, his twelve years to write two lines, at the river with the women? His failure as a poet? His robbing banks, failure at that? His friendship with Edward and finally lending him the money?
19. The enjoyment of storytelling - the hard and abstract nature of truth compared with imaginative interpretation?
