Lines of hundreds of meters long in front of Lyon’s historic Celestine Theatre, as fans lined up to watch Lumiere Prize winner Tim Burton’s master class at the Lumiere Film Festival, many of them Man wears clothing reminiscent of his famous Gothic character.
The filmmaker didn’t disappoint, as Burton posed additional questions to an enthusiastic public over time.
When asked about the films that inspired his unique imagery, Burton explained: “A lot of the films I saw as a kid had a European feel. It goes back to that fantasy fable, fairy tale, strong graphic imagery,” he explained road.
Especially German Impressionism left its mark: “It always reminds me of your heart, it’s very personal, very internal. Something about the essence and strong imagery of German Impressionism entered my mind, my dreams and My take on things. There’s something about black and white – it’s exciting and calming, and it has a weird effect on me,” he said, adding: “Even in those Universal Horror movies Some also used German Expressionism, so it came in many forms.”
Burton, who is known to say he’s seen monster movies before he can even walk or talk, explains how he identifies with them: “I never thought monsters were bad, they were always beautiful, different visual things. I Feeling different myself – like a lot of people – I responded to the monster.
“The word itself means something terrible, but I’ve never seen anything like it… Frankenstein or creatures from the Black Lake: they’re not bad, just different, and that’s why I have a strong relationship with them Connect – both psychologically and visually.”
Burton’s unique cinematic world found a perfect fit in actor Johnny Depp, when the two first collaborated on “Edward Scissorhands” in 1990. The two are known for making eight films together.
“I connected with him when I met him in Edward Scissorhands: he was similar to me, kind of like suburban white trash. It’s not even a verbal understanding,” he continued, “it’s something I can feel. He loves the characters, he’s interested in the performing arts, not in the business of it. It’s exciting to see someone play something different, and the idea of this transition from film to film always excites me,” Burton said.
While he steadfastly denied any rumors of a sequel to his 1988 hit “Beetle Juice”, Burton said he would still be making the film for a while, much to the delight of his fans. “There is no doubt that as an artist you should always try to see things in a different way, trying to keep growing and creating. It’s a big part of life. Nothing I do is perfect, but creating keeps you going Vitality, no matter how old you are, it’s something you want to keep doing,” he said.
Tim Burton was awarded the Lumière Award for Lifetime Achievement, following Jane Campion, the Darden Brothers, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, In the footsteps of Jane Fonda, Wong Kar Wai, Catherine Deneuve and others, Pedro Almodóvar, Ken Loach, Gérard Depardieu and Milos Forman.
The Lumière Film Festival runs until October 23rd.