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Corpse Bride (also known as Tim Burton's Corpse Bride) is a 2005 British-American stop-motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton. Corpse Bride was Burton's first full-length stop-motion film as a director.

Plot[]

Victor Van Dort, the son of nouveau riche fish merchants, and Victoria Everglot, the neglected daughter of impoverished aristocrats, prepare for their arranged marriage, which will simultaneously raise the social class of Victor's parents and restore the wealth of Victoria's family (According to Plan). Although they fall in love instantly, the nervous Victor ruins their wedding rehearsal by forgetting his vows and clumsily setting Lady Everglot's dress on fire. Pastor Goswell then declares that until Victor is ready, there will be no wedding. Fleeing to the nearby forest, he practices his vows with a tree and places his wedding ring on a root. However, the root is revealed to be the finger of a dead woman named Emily, who rises from the grave claiming that she is now Victor's wife, and spirits him away to the Land of the Dead.

During his time with her, Victor learns that Emily was murdered years ago by an unnamed perpetrator, on the night of her elopement, and he stole the family jewels she had brought (Remains of the Day). After trying to run away, Emily catches up to Victor and there they are properly introduced. Emily reunites Victor with his long deceased dog, Scraps, and they bond. Desperate to return to Victoria, Victor tricks Emily into returning them to the Land of the Living by claiming he wants her to meet his parents. Emily brings Victor to see Elder Gutknecht, the kindly ruler of the underworld, who grants them temporary passage. Victor, feeling guilty for tricking Emily, asks the bride to wait in the forest. He successfully reunites with Victoria by sneaking to her bedroom window (he tried to use the door but couldn't) and confesses his wish to marry her as soon as possible. Before the pair can share a kiss, Emily discovers them and, feeling betrayed and hurt, drags Victor back to the Land of the Dead. She confronts him for his actions but Victor tells her plainly that the marriage would never work as they are too different and accidentally states that he would never marry her. This deeply hurts Emily and she leaves, causing Victor to regret what he said. After arriving at her home, Widow and Maggot try to convince Emily they are right for each other but she knows that a corpse and human cannot be together ("Tears to Shed"). Back in the Land of the Living Victoria tries to tell her parents of Victor's situation, but neither believe her and assume Victor has left her and she is mad. She tries to go to Pastor Gaswell, but he is no help and sends her home. Against her will, they decide to marry her to a presumed-wealthy visitor named Lord Barkis Bittern, who appeared at the wedding rehearsal. He states he lost his betrothed many years ago and that he wants to share his wealth with someone. Despite her protests, her parents tell her that with Victor gone, she has to marry somebody or they will end up on the street. Unbeknown to them Lord Barkis plans to actually kill Victoria after they marry. Meanwhile Victors parents teach everywhere for Victor but during this the coachman dies due to his constant smoking.

After reconciling with Emily, Victor learns of Victoria's impending marriage to Barkis from his family's newly deceased coachman. Upset over this news, Victor decides to marry Emily, learning that this will require him to repeat his wedding vows in the Land of the Living and drink a deadly poison in order to join her in death. The dead swiftly prepare for the ceremony and head "upstairs" ("The Wedding Song"), where the town erupts into a temporary panic upon their arrival until everyone recognizes their departed loved ones, and joyously reunite. The chaos causes a panicked Barkis to expose his own poor financial standing and his intentions to marry Victoria only for her supposed wealth, leading her to reject him.

Victoria follows everyone to Victor and Emily's wedding as Victor completes his vows and prepares to drink the poison, only for Emily to stop him when she realizes she is denying Victoria her chance to live happily with him. Just as Emily reunites Victor and Victoria, Barkis arrives to kidnap Victoria. Emily recognizes him as her previous fiancé and reveals he was also her murderer. Victor duels with Barkis to protect Victoria, and Emily intervenes to save Victor's life. Barkis mockingly toasts Emily for dying unwed and unwittingly drinks the poison that Victor nearly took, causing him to die and allowing the dead – who cannot interfere in the affairs of the living – to take retribution against him for his crimes. Emily, now freed from her torment, frees Victor of his vow to marry her and returns his ring, allowing him to marry Victoria, whom she throws her wedding bouquet to. As she steps into the moonlight, she fades away into hundreds of butterflies and flies into the sky, finding peace, as Victor and Victoria watch and embrace.

Cast[]

Uncredited[]

Musical numbers[]

Main article: Corpse Bride (soundtrack)

Production[]

Development[]

The film is based on a 19th-century Russian-Jewish folktale, which Joe Ranft introduced to Burton while they were finishing The Nightmare Before Christmas. The film began production in November 2003, while Burton was completing Big Fish.

Filming[]

The filming was done at 3 Miles Studios in London. During the shooting of this film, Burton and Depp were working on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. During the day Depp was Wonka, at night he was Victor. Burton had an assistant director who would take his place when he was making Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Reception[]

Critical reaction[]

The critical reaction was generally positive. It even received an Oscar Nomination for Best Animated film but lost to Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit. Coincidentally, Helena Botham Carter also starred in that movie as lead character Lady Campanula 'Totty' Tottington.

References[]

The film itself is based on a Jewish folk tale called "The Finger," both plot lines involve a bridegroom accidentally placing a ring on a finger while practicing their wedding vows.

External links[]

  • Official website
  • Corpse Bride at IMDb
  • Corpse Bride at Box Office Mojo
  • Corpse Bride at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Corpse Bride at Metacritic

Videos[]

Trivia[]

  • This is Tim Burton's only stop motion film not to be made by Disney.
  • This was Depps first animated feature role and his first voice over work.
  • One important distinction from the Land of the Dead and the Land of the Living is the lands are the opposite of their names. The Land of the Dead is more colorful and lively while the Land of the Living is more dull colored and deadlike.


  Burton films
Features

Pee-wee's Big Adventure ·' Beetlejuice · Batman · Edward Scissorhands · Batman Returns · The Nightmare Before Christmas (film) · Ed Wood · Mars Attacks! · Sleepy Hollow · Planet of the Apes · Big Fish · Charlie and the Chocolate Factory · Corpse Bride · Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street · Alice in Wonderland · Dark Shadows · · Frankenweenie · Big Eyes · Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children · Dumbo ·

Other

The Island of Doctor Agor · Doctor of Doom · Stalk of the Celery Monster · Luau · Vincent · Hansel and Gretel · Frankenweenie · Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp · James and the Giant Peach ·Batman Forever · Batman & Robin · The Jar · Conversations with Vincent · The World of Stainboy · Kung Fu · Mannequin · Bones · Here With Me · 9 · Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter · Alice Through the Looking Glass


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