Movies - Corpse Bride

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	Movies - Corpse Bride

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is a 2005 stop-motion-animation film based loosely on a 19th century Russian-Jewish folktale version of an older Jewish story and set in a fictional Victorian era England. It was directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, and filmed at 3 Mills Studios in London. It stars Johnny Depp as the voice of Victor and Helena Bonham Carter as the voice of the Corpse Bride. This is the first animated film in which Johnny Depp has been a voice actor. The film was nominated in the 78th Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature.

The movie bears a striking resemblance to The Nightmare Before Christmas
, a stop-motion movie directed by Henry Selick and based on a Tim Burton poem, which Corpse Bride director Mike Johnson worked on as an animator. It is also reminiscent of another Burton effort, Beetlejuice
, especially in the scenes depicting the underworld and its deceased denizens. Some commercials for Corpse Bride are even accompanied by songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas (specifically, "What's This").

Summary

The story is set in a cold, gloomy Victorian era town, a parody of aristocratic England. A nervous young man by the name of Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp), son of rich fishmongers Nell and William Van Dort (Tracey Ullman and Paul Whitehouse), is due to be wed to beautiful young Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), daughter of bankrupt (as well as ugly and unpleasant) aristocrats Maudeline and Finis Everglot (Joanna Lumley and Albert Finney). Victor isn't too keen on the idea of an arranged marriage until he meets the charming Victoria face-to-face. But after botching the wedding rehearsal (and setting Victoria's mother on fire in the process), Victor is banished to the forest by Pastor Galswells (Christopher Lee) to learn his wedding vows.

There he practices his vows, consistently blundering them. Finally he gains confidence and successfully recites them, and upon spying a tree root that resembles a human hand, places his bride's wedding ring on it. No sooner has he done so than the hand (for it really is a human hand) grabs him by the arm and Emily, the Corpse Bride, (Helena Bonham Carter), emerges from beneath the earth dressed in a moldy, flowing wedding dress and declares Victor her husband. She was mysteriously killed on her wedding day and has been waiting for her groom to come and claim her ever since. She whisks Victor away to the surprisingly colourful, vibrant, and musical Land of the Dead.

At first, Victor deceives Emily, convincing her and an elderly skeleton (Michael Gough) to return them both temporarily to the Land of the Living under the pretense of introducing her to his parents. Once back, however, Victor goes to see Victoria instead to confess his love for her, but a betrayed Emily discovers them and spirits him away while Victoria watches helplessly. While Victoria tries unsuccessfully to convince the pastor and her parents that Victor needs help, Maudeline and Finis lock her in her room and plan to match up their daughter with the handsome (and presumed rich) drifter "Lord Barkis Bittern" (Richard E. Grant) instead. Unbeknownst to the others, Barkis intends to kill Victoria and make off with her fortune, which he mistakenly believes is still viable.

A newly-deceased friend of Victor, Mayhew, delivers the news of Victoria's engagement to Victor himself. Victor, thinking that Victoria is marrying Barkis willingly, decides to make the best of his situation below and agrees to drink poison as part of an above-ground ceremony that will make his marriage to Emily official. As Victoria and Barkis are married, the residents of the Land of the Dead busy themselves preparing for a wedding of their own, storming the town and marriage "celebration" on their way to the church. In the ensuing chaos, the newly-wed Lord Barkis learns (to his horror) that Victoria is penniless.

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Movies - Corpse Bride

Summary

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