Vincent (1982)

User Review

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Vincent can only be described as "pure Tim Burton". If anyone has seen, heard or even thought about the gothic mastermind that is Burton, then you know exactly what you are letting yourself in for. His first short film, and Disney's second horror film, cemented his eccentricities and acted as a seed of darkness for other horror stop-motion animations to come. 'The Corpse Bride', 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and newer family horrors such as 'Frankenweenie'. It all came down to this. Vincent. A poetry story about a boy who pretends to be horror icon Vincent Price, as he becomes detached from reality and succumbs to delusions of madness. It's a dark tale, one that imitates the stories of Edgar Allan Poe very closely, particularly 'The Raven'. However Burton's ability to focus on the madness whilst keeping the character of Vincent grounded is what makes this short rather special. Is he possessed? Mentally unstable? Or just a child with a wild imagination? The harsh ambiguity and gentle poetry, narrated by Price himself, complement yet juxtapose each other. And that's exactly what Burton is about. Sweet stories illustrated through dark imagery. The stop-motion animation was stunning and imaginative, giving life to this tortured soul. It's just a shame that it doesn't take the story that step further and make Vincent an investable character. It's a short that simply conveys Burton's vivid imagination, and with that the narrative seems somewhat haphazard as scenes of experiments and torture methods are randomly inserted in. Still, Burton's first foray as a director is an accomplished achievement, and would cement him as a rising talent in visual storytelling.

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