~BIG FISH~

Big Fish is a movie that came out in 2003 and is based on the novel Big Fish by Daniel Wallace. Directed by the quirky and brilliant Tim Burton, the film’s protagonist (played by Albert Finney and Ewan McGregor) is Edward Bloom, who has the ability to tell amazing stories. Bloom is on his deathbed and the meat of the film consists of his tales growing up as a traveling salesman. His tall tales (involving conjoined Siamese twins and encounters with mermaids) are perceived by his son, Will, as lies. As a result, Will becomes estranged from Edward.

This whole film follows the same format as Straparola’s Facetious Nights, Basile’s Pentamerone, and Burton’s One Thousand and One Nights in that the film begins with a complicated frame tale. During Will’s wedding party, Edward is telling a story about using his wedding ring to catch a huge (HUGE) fish on the day Will was born. An angry Will does not talk to his father for three years until Edward comes down with cancer. When the father and son reunite, Edward begins telling his tales.

Edward’s tales are nothing but extraordinary and fantastic. Like fairytales, his stories deal with the themes of love, ambition, coming of age, dealing with the world, facing your fears…the list goes on. In a dark Burton-esque gothic style, many of Edward’s stories remind me of Angela Carter’s writing style. I won’t give away too many of his stories – you should really borrow the DVD from me and watch it sometime – but I will briefly describe one of them so you can get a feel for them. As a young man, Edward leaves his hometown with a giant by the name of Karl and discovers a secret idyllic town called Spectre, where everyone walks around barefoot (the ground is basically all grass) and everyone is happy. Upon their arrival, a small girl named Jenny runs off with Edward’s shoes and throws them up onto a string of shoes that hangs above an entrance to the town. Edward leaves this seeming utopia because he wants to see more of the world.

These stories reflect on the variety of experiences one has throughout a lifetime. Although Edward’s stories are obvious exaggerations of events in his life, they are a conduit to a world of fantasy and imagination. Big Fish emphasizes the art of oral storytelling as do the fairytales that we’ve read and analyzed in class. At the end of the movie, Will learns and realizes that his father will live on through his sensational stories even after death. This ties into the Brothers Grimm collection of folktales in that the Grimm fairytales capture the social values and culture of Germany’s history.

Basically, you should watch this movie. Not only is the cinematography breathtaking and eye-catching, but it also highlights the idea of fantasy (and fairytales) as a way to escape and survive the harsh realities of life and the real world.