From Elfman to Theremin:
The Sonic World of Tim Burton

by Joe Cortez

Rotten Tomatoes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
FilmForce Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Tim Burton is a director who is unquestionably known more for his sights than his sounds, but it’s those sounds, the music, and the way he uses music, that help to define and give shape to his many wondrous sights. From the gentle flute that characterized his first short-subject masterpiece, to the pop tunes that litter his latest achievement, Burton is the rare filmmaker who knows the true importance of music and how to use it in a way that complements his images in almost every way.

Burton’s first major work, the animated short film, Vincent, took a minimalist approach to the music when compared to the scores used in his later films. Ken Hilton’s music added a touch of deranged whimsy to the black-and-white world of the film. The interpolation of familiar cues helped define an animated world that was culled from twistedly touching recesses of the mind of Burton. With Frankenweenie composers Michael Convertino and David Newman created a score that was quite different from Hilton’s score for Vincent, but was none the less a traditional Burton film score (if one could exist), one that danced the line between dark and cheerful. Even in these early works, the music displayed a certain quality that was as uniquely Burton-esque as the visuals. Just by closing your eyes, and listening to the music in these films, you can hear elements that would continue to resonate in Tim’s later works.

Burton’s first feature film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, also marked his first partnership with long time collaborator composer Danny Elfman, who was one of the founding members of the pop group Oingo Boingo. Elfman’s music in the film was very clever in the way it captured the spirit of Paul Reubens’ Pee-wee Herman character and also added a certain amount of scope to the production, as Burton notes on the commentary track featured on the DVD release: “We didn’t have money for a big credits sequence, so we had to try to set the tone as best we could right from the beginning so music certainly helps with that.” Pee-wee’s Big Adventure was the first major feature film Elfman would compose a score for, the pressure was on him to create a soundscape that would complement and enhance the low budget film, and Elfman pulled it off in spades. Elfman’s music brilliantly set up the demented carnival world that was Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Just as the film itself exploited virtually every cinematic genre so too was the score allowed to tread diverse musical waters. The fact that almost every type of scene that could be done in a film was attempted in Pee-wee’s gave Elfman that much more elbow room to try his hand at composing music for action sequences, romantic exchanges, and scenes of flat-out zany slapstick and irreverence. The film was a creative and financial success, not doubt due in part to Elfman’s brilliantly whimsical score. Tim Burton and Danny Elfman’s friendship and collaboration would go on to become the most fruitful director-composer relationship since Steven Spielberg and John Williams.

Beetlejuice, Burton’s next film and collaboration with Danny Elfman, featured one of the most atypical scores ever composed for a Hollywood film. The music infused polka-style melodies with a calypso beat. The film’s score was an absolute showcase for Elfman’s imagination; where another composer may have gone a safe route, Elfman took his compositions further. He clearly used the look and design of the film as inspiration to be as wild and creative with his compositions as possible. The film is also notable for being the first of Burton’s films to focus on pop music, and not just any tunes. The music of Harry Belafonte played a strong part in adding a fresh, tropical flavor to the netherworld. Much like the inclusion of a day-glow color scheme for the afterlife, Belafonte’s tunes, which included the “Banana Boat Song” and “Jump in the Line,” added an air of unpredictability, and inspired genius to the film. It would mark a trend in Burton’s films that would continue with his next flick.

1989’s Batman featured Danny Elfman’s grandest score yet, full of bombast and energy. Gone was the campy feel of previous musical takes on the character, replaced with dark and brooding compositions of gothic noir. Much like the film itself, the score doesn’t have that instantly recognizable Burton-esque feeling, and sounds much more like a precursor to Elfman’s later work on such super hero epics as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. Danny’s appreciation for the music of composer Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Citizen Kane) can clearly be heard as an influence on the music in the film. The film also featured several songs from The Purple One himself (no silly, not the Joker.) Prince recorded a total of nine songs for the film and released the collection as his 11th album (insert obligatory Amazon.com link here). The potentially disastrous pairing of Prince and the Dark Knight was thankfully averted and the songs added a funky flavor to a grim Gotham; heck, even “Batdance” turned out to be a decent tune.

If Batman was Tim Burton’s biggest film yet, then 1990’s Edward Scissorhands proved to be his most personal film ever. Taking a cue from the Christmas theme that was so prevalent in the film, Danny Elfman created a dark, brooding mood with just a hint of the ominous doings about to unfold. Danny has cited his love of movie scores from the 1930’s and 40’s as major influence on all of his works, but Edward Scissorhands in particular. While his Batman score was a perfect showcase for his talent as a composer of melody, Edward Scissorhands truly saw Elfman grow as a storyteller; combining elements of holiday themes, Gypsy melodies and Mexican rhythms Danny’s score could aptly be described as operatic (there’s even a cue for the film titled “Ballet De Suburbia.” His confidence as a film composer shines in almost all of his cues for the film. It’s little wonder that Elfman has gone on record as saying that his score for Edward Scissorhands may be his favorite of any film he has composed music for. Perhaps in a nod to the music he associated his childhood town with, Tim Burton tongue-in-cheekly used the music of Tom Jones as the soundtrack for the lives of suburban housewives, adding to the off-kilter tone of the scenes in suburbia.

Although they were released three years apart, Elfman’s score for 1992’s Bat-sequel, Batman Returns was, much like the film itself, much more Burton-esque in tone (and some say quality). Both scores deserved to be compared to each other not necessarily because of their similarities, but for their differences. For the film, Elfman added a choir to several cues, creating an eerie atmosphere that, on reflection, the previous Bat-flick lacked. It’s interesting to note just how powerful Elfman’s music is in this particular film by the way it sheds just a bit of sympathy on the characters, yes even the villains. Even the intimate (well, intimate for a Batman movie, anyway) moments had a certain air about them that truly made you feel for and connect with the characters. The film’s soundtrack also featured a song written by the man from Oingo Boingo and performed by Siouxsie and the Banshees called “Face to Face;” it was put to brilliant use in a tense scene late in the film where Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne and Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle reveal each other’s alter egos in a crowded ballroom.

1993’s Burton produced Nightmare Before Christmas proved to be one of Elfman’s true triumphs as a film composer, songwriter and even vocalist. Burton, who had grown up watching the musicals of holidays’ past, created a story that on the surface was done in contempt for those musicals but ended up joining the ranks of those films and became a true holiday classic in every sense of the word. Elfman’s music in the film ranged from the cheerfully pleasant to the delightfully frightening. This film, perhaps more than any other Burton film, showed the importance music plays in his films. The music was the true storytelling element in the film, moving the fiendish plot along and giving deep insight to the characters’ psychological state; never once letting up in its ability to be effortlessly melodic-these songs will stay in your head for years. Shortly after Nightmare Before Christmas was completed, Burton and Danny Elfman had a falling out, and Burton was left to find a new musical collaborator for his next film.

Ed Wood, Tim Burton’s loving tribute to the “world’s worst director,” saw Burton work with a composer other than Elfman for the first time on any of his feature film projects, however, the music for the film, composed famed Lord of the Rings maestro Howard Shore, still had that uniquely Burton feel. For the film, Shore used an instrument made famous in fifties monster movies (and The Beach Boys’ song “Good Vibrations”) called the Theremin. The unearthly sounds created by the Theremin were a centerpiece in the sound design of the film, not to mention a loving homage to those drive-in classics. Theremin aside, Shore’s score (try saying that three times fast) was a perfect fit for the film itself. When comparing the music in Ed Wood to the works Danny Elfman composed for previous Burton flicks, the subtle similarities and stark differences are really quite amazing. Despite the similarities, however, Shore’s score doesn’t in any way sound like an Elfman-light score, but rather very much Burton-esque, which only goes to show just how much of an impact Burton’s unique way of telling story affects and influences even his closest collaborators.

1996’s Mars Attacks re-teamed Burton with Danny Elfman. Taking a cue from the genre that inspired the film, as well as Shore’s work on Ed Wood, the film once again featured the Theremin during several cues. However, the two scores couldn’t be more unique. If Burton’s film is not just a homage to B-grade sci-fi flicks but one that, for better or worse, is a B-grade sci-fi flick, made with all the love of a fan of those flicks, then the same can be said of Elfman’s score for the film; it has “cheese” written all over it. But that’s part of its charm. The soundtrack, much like the film, never takes itself too seriously and lets the audience in on the gag while all the characters ham it up on screen. Even Mr. Tom Jones himself makes an appearance in the film, how’s that for self-referential humor?

Sleepy Hollow, Burton’s 1999 feature, was a chillingly dark and atmospheric take on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It was Burton’s most dramatic and serious work to date, and Danny Elfman’s brilliant score reflected this tone in every way. Elfman’s music in the film was like something straight out of a Hammer horror film, terrifying and straight to the point. The score was darker than any other score for a Burton film yet. Elfman used a choir once again, but with this film, the choir was used for a chilling effect rather than the usual whimsy, and the dynamic range in volume was used for some great scares in the film. When listening to the soundtrack alone, there is certain abrasiveness to several cues, particularly those used during the film’s climax, that no other Elfman score for a Burton film had. It suggests an even darker subtext only hinted at in the film that another composer might have missed.

2001’s Planet of the Apes remake is, arguably, one of Burton’s weakest works as a filmmaker; however, Danny Elfman’s music for the film wound up being one of his most diverse yet. It’s interesting to note that POTA’s tone setting titles sequence almost never happened. Burton reportedly wanted to jump right into the film and have the credits appear over the opening scenes on the space station. “I almost had to beg Tim to do a title sequence,” remarks Danny on the DVD commentary track; Elfman knew the importance of setting up not only the tone but the storytelling universe of the piece. Punctuated by a strong and prominent percussion line, POTA’s music cuts right to the primal heart of the ape culture in the film. Elfman was very excited to record such a percussion heavy score as he plays and even creates various types of drums. This enthusiasm shines through during some of the more intense and visceral cues in the film.

Big Fish, Tim Burton’s latest masterpiece, features a score by Danny Elfman that includes references to many other scores produced by the man for previous Burton’s films. It is, in many ways, a culmination and a new beginning, both for Burton and Elfman, in their respective careers. The score itself may not be Elfman’s most adventuresome, however Burton’s use of pop music helped to breath life into his world. He uses instantly recognizable tunes from each era visited in the film, not just to give the viewer a certain degree of temporal orientation, but also to give insight into what kind of person Edward Bloom is. Several scenes in the film take place in the American South during a time of heated racism, however, because we are viewing this world through young Edward Bloom’s eyes, none of this can be seen because he himself is not a racist person; Big Fish could have easily been subtitled The World According to Edward Bloom. This flavor of Burton’s take on the character can also be felt in the music used, musicians such as Buddy Holly and The King, Elvis Presley, pepper Bloom’s younger years; we can very easily imagine that in Bloom’s perfect world, everyone listens to this type of music.

The musical landscapes in Tim Burton’s films are as widely varied as his films themselves, but they all share a common thread. The music inspires a sense of wonder and whimsy in the visions Burton creates, whether the artist behind the compositions is called Danny Elfman or Eddie Vedder, and that is an absolute testament to the power of Burton’s visions and the complimentary sounds.

 

- Joe Cortez, 2004