Halloween may be over but we can still enjoy some of Tim Burton’s classics. This fall my TikTok feed was flooded with clips for the movie “Corpse Bride” which I had never seen before. I was unaware going into this movie that it was a musical (not exactly my favorite type of movie) and that I had spoiled much of the movie for myself already. But, luckily I don’t mind watching movies where I know how things end.
***Spoilers Ahead***
The story starts with the characters Victor and Victoria whose families have arranged for them to get married. The two of them, upon first meeting, take a liking to each other, but Victor is still nervous about the upcoming occasion. He goes to the forest to practice his wedding vows and places his ring for Victoria on a branch sticking out from the ground. Turns out it’s not a branch. It’s the hand of Emily, a bride who was murdered years before by her fiancée. And now Emily is under the assumption that the two will be wed, but Victor is still engaged to marry Victoria.
Emily’s tragic backstory makes it surprising that this can be considered a kids movie, but it is the main reason I wanted to watch it in the first place. Emily is an easy character to sympathize with, as she is still the young girl who always dreamed of getting married, but tragically had her dreams stolen from her. Her dynamic with Victor is an interesting one because while you may want to root for them to be together it’s clear that she only loves him because he can fulfill her unfulfilled wish. And Victor, while he grows to like Emily and sympathizes with her story, still would rather be with Victoria. I think there is a great message there that we shouldn’t accept things just because we are desperate, and we shouldn’t do things out of guilt either because neither will lead us to genuine happiness.
Emily’s journey throughout the movie is not about her getting her redemption, but instead letting go of an old dream or idea of herself that no longer serves her. Her fiancée surely gets his karma, but it’s more so about Emily and her finally finding peace within herself. It took someone giving her a glimpse of what she thought she wanted for her to finally be able to move on. Emily’s ability to let go of Victor and allow him to be with Victoria shows real maturity and an understanding that she should not force something that is not meant for her. Not only that, but it’s important to stop yourself when you see yourself doing something hurtful that has been previously done to you.
I was a bride. My dreams were taken from me. But now, I’ve stolen them from someone else. I love you, Victor, but your not mine
Emily from the “Corpse Bride”
I could have done without the musical breaks and there were times when the movie was a bit slow, but overall I think this movie has heart to it. Some of the final scenes of the movie really leave an impact which makes it understandable why this movie is so beloved, and why it will continue to be clipped on social media.