Leiden University Student Repository

Meulen, Demelza van der (2025)

Playing with Time - Defining the Pop-Historical Gothic in Tim Burton's Dumbo, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice

Master thesis | Educatie in de Taal en cultuurwetenschappen: Engels (120 EC) (MA)

This thesis is a case study of three of Tim Burton’s movies – Dumbo (2019), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Beetlejuice (1988). Much research has been done on Burton’s engagement with the Victorian era and the historical accuracy of his account of it, but the other time periods in which his movies take place are underrepresented. This thesis analyses the historicity of the three movies mentioned, which all take place in different time periods. This thesis is a literature study and mostly engages with aesthetics-based research, utilizing accounts of Burton’s work, general works about the Gothic and literature on representing history. Burton’s work is his own unique style, dubbed ‘Burtonesque’, which is Gothic in nature and often influenced by his own childhood and the media he consumed as a child. While he and his team do research on the relevant time period, he will choose aesthetics over historical accuracy in order to best achieve his vision and therefore his style can be described...Show moreThis thesis is a case study of three of Tim Burton’s movies – Dumbo (2019), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Beetlejuice (1988). Much research has been done on Burton’s engagement with the Victorian era and the historical accuracy of his account of it, but the other time periods in which his movies take place are underrepresented. This thesis analyses the historicity of the three movies mentioned, which all take place in different time periods. This thesis is a literature study and mostly engages with aesthetics-based research, utilizing accounts of Burton’s work, general works about the Gothic and literature on representing history. Burton’s work is his own unique style, dubbed ‘Burtonesque’, which is Gothic in nature and often influenced by his own childhood and the media he consumed as a child. While he and his team do research on the relevant time period, he will choose aesthetics over historical accuracy in order to best achieve his vision and therefore his style can be described as pop-historical Gothic.Show less

Film studies, Tim Burton, Gothic, Pop-historical.

Author

Meulen, Demelza van der

Faculty

ICLON

Supervisors

van Dam, H.D.J.

ECTS Credits

15

Language

en