THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
US, 1993, 78 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Henry Sellick.
It was actually in 1993 that The Nightmare Before Christmas was first released to some acclaim. While directed by Henry Sellick (who later directed James and the Giant Peach), it was based on characters created by Tim Burton and the screenplay written by Caroline Thompson who had also written Edward Scissorhands for Burton.
The animation style is quite striking, taking the audience into the bizarre world of Halloweentown and its ghostly and ghastly tricks and treats for frightening everyone. Stick characters and dark and dank atmosphere along with ghoulish creatures and special effects make for quite an eerie experience akin to Burton’s other fantasies like Beattlejuice, Sleepy Hollow and, particularly, his own animated film, Corpse Bride. Burton is a sketcher, an artist as well as a film-maker and this gives him his distinctive make-believe nightmare style.
But a great deal of the credit must go to composer Danny Elfman who has scored most of Burton’s films and many others with his distinctive, at times haunted, melodies. This time he has composed a complete score and suite of songs with their part nursery rhyme, part nonsense-song tunes and lyrics and atmospherically charged horror-film rhythms. They work very well indeed and sustain the mood for the audience as well as give us time to appreciate the locations, both Halloweentown as well as the lighter and brighter Christmastown, get to understand the characters, especially the Pumpkin King hero, Jack Skellington and heroine, Sally, as well as the villain Boogeyman.
What if Jack Skellington wandered disconsolately away from home after Halloween feeling he did not have enough ideas for the next celebration? What if he discovered the ordinary world and the celebration of Santa Claus? And kidnapped him and took his place? And did not realise that the horror toys he lavished on the children really frightened them? Well, that is what this film is all about.
And praising Danny Elfman further… he does all the singing for Jack Skellington himself.
The film is being re-released after thirteen years with a newly developed 3D process. The clarity of the three dimensional images is particularly suitable for this kind of scenic and character layout and enhances the impact of the original.
1.The popularity of this film in the 1990s? Its 3D release thirteen years later?
2.The quality of the animation style, the drawings, the characters, the stick characters, large characters? Backgrounds, detail, colour and darkness, movement? Halloween Town and Christmas Town?
3.The musical score, the music itself, the rhythms, the songs: ‘Halloween Town’, ‘What’s This’, ‘Jack’s Song’, ‘Christmas Town’, ‘Sally’s Song’? Their insertion into the plot? Mood, witty lyrics? Illustration of character?
4.Halloween Town, Halloween and its myths, scaring people, the dark? The contrast with Christmas Town and the families, Santa Claus? Gifts? The interchange of the two?
5.Halloween Town and its identity, the mayor, the different characters, the visuals, the touches of the monsters? The celebration of Halloween, the plan for the next year? Jack and the pressures on him? The Pumpkin King? His singing? Sally and her love for him?
6.The contrast with Christmas Town, Jack’s surprise, wandering into Christmas Town, seeing the light, the joy, Santa Claus? His decision to take it for Halloween Town?
7.The preparations for Christmas, building the toys, the inbuilt frights? The mayor and his pride? The other characters? Jack, his going to be Santa Claus?
8.Christmas, Santa Claus being abducted, Jack as the substitute, the skeleton horses, his exhilaration, riding through the skies, delivering the presents? The children, their joy, the frights, their fears? The parents, the newscasts and the information?
9.Sally, her character, being taken by the Bogeyman, the abduction of Santa? In the Bogeyman’s chambers, his song, torment? Sally’s fears, escape, freeing Santa Claus?
10.Jack, the confrontation with the Bogeyman, releasing Santa Claus? The Bogeyman and his dissolving?
11.Halloween Town, the change or not? Jack and the lessons learnt? The nightmare with the popular ideas (rather than any depth of ideas, especially about Christmas) of these celebrations?
