While giving a masterclass at the Lumière Film Festival, American filmmaker and artist Tim Burton discussed his cinematic inspiration as well as his unique style when it comes to filmmaking with an audience of fans –some of whom were dressed in costumes reminiscent of his famous gothic characters. This year’s Lumière Award recipient answered questions about his past collaborations with actor Johnny Depp.
The critically acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker shared how he found his perfect match in Depp when they first worked together on 1990’s Edward Scissorhands, in which the famous actor starred in the title role alongside Winona Ryder, another frequent collaborator with Burton. Since working on fantastical romance film about an artificial man with scissors for hands, the duo has gone on to make eight films together. Burton created several films with Depp at the center including the titular role in 1994’s Ed Wood, Ichabod Crane in 1999’s Sleepy Hollow alongside Christina Ricci and the title character in 2007’s movie musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
“I connected with him when I met him for Edward Scissorhands: He was similar to me, kind of suburban white trash. It was not even a verbal understanding,” Burton said. “It was something I could feel. He liked the characters, he was interested in acting for the art of it, not the business of it. It was exciting to see somebody play different things, the idea of this transformation from film to film always excited me.”
Burton also worked with Depp on 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, based on the popular children’s book from Roald Dahl. In the same year, Depp voiced Victor in Corpse Bride along with Burton’s longtime partner Helena Bonham Carter – who recently split after 13 years together – voicing the Corpse Bride herself. Depp also played the Mad Hatter in Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 2010 as well as Barnabas Collins in the 2012 Dark Shadows remake.
During the masterclass, Burton also revealed some of his inspiration lies in European fables, German expressionism as well as classic monster movies – which he said he was watching before he could even walk or talk. The popular filmmaker went on to say: “I never saw the monsters as bad, they were always beautiful, visual things that were different. Feeling different myself – like a lot of people do – I responded to monsters.”
The filmmaker with a dedicated cult following is being awarded the lifetime achievement Lumière Award, which has been awarded to the likes of Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Jane Fonda, Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu in the past. The Lumière Film Festival continues until Oct. 23.
Burton's upcoming series Wednesday streams on Netflix on November 23.