In this celebration of the proclaimed “worst director ever”, Burton has found that character depth and connection are better substitutes for quirky aesthetics. True, the film is littered with Burton’s twisted perceptible fingerprints, but rather than concentrate on overbearing visuals, Burton has offered something different in Ed Wood -- well rounded characters. Granted, he had luck with the story and the characters as their tale is a true part of cinematic history, but his pension and empathy for the rejected has never been stronger.
Coming from a background of rejection himself, Burton’s connection with outcasts and oddities has always been the drive behind his films, and for the first time since Edward Scissorhands, these people actually fit in with their surroundings. A wide-eyed visionary with a passion for angora and women’s underwear, an elderly morphine addicted horror-film legend with a covet for the glory days, an apathetic scream queen hostess with pencil drawn eyebrows and an intimidating bust line -- these are the people that belong in a Tim Burton film. His universe makes for a perfect playground for such uniqueness.
Credit for this feature cannot be given to Burton alone. The reunion with Depp has created a brilliantly lovable protagonist, and Landau gives a heart wrenching performance as the washed up Bela Lugosi. Together, they create a duo that is as originally perfect as any I have ever seen. The supporting cast including a gender confused Bill Murray and a impatient, fame seeking Sarah Jessica Parker only enhances the connection between audience and character. These weirdos are as lovable as they are charismatic.
At it’s heart, Ed Wood is a story that reminds us that our dreams are worth following. We may lose faith along the way, especially after what may seem like endless rejection from unappreciative annotators, but we can’t crumble into a pile of self-loathing. We must not compromise our character or who we are as imaginative beings in order to satisfy the masses. I can’t think of too may other directors that are as familiar with this concept as Tim Burton. Even though this should be the film that he is remembered for, it won’t be. It’s too solid of a movie. And even at it’s weirdest, it never reaches that forseen level of obscurity we have come to anticipate from such a director. No, at best, Ed Wood will be a nice piece of trivia for future generations. Which is unfortunate for Burton because he won’t ever receive the credit he deserves as a serious director. His continuance to see how far he can stretch people’s tolerance for the strange and abstruse will always be compared to his earliest efforts. And when he does give another solid performance as a character driven director, people will only recognize the film’s lack of aesthetic curiousness.
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