Corpse Bride



Corpse Bride is a romantic comedy musical by Tim Burton and Danny Elfman, and a Spiritual Sequel to Henry Selick'sThe Nightmare Before Christmas (which Burton was the producer of). The film mixes German Expressionist elements, stop-motion animation, gothic melodrama and macabre sense of humour, and is based on an old Yiddish folk tale.

Victor, the son of some wealthy fishmongers, is being forced into an Arranged Marriage with Victoria, a beautiful young woman from a penniless aristocratic family. The couple seem to like each other, and everything is going swimmingly... except for the tiny problem of Victor being unable to learn his lines. He goes into the forest to practice his marriage vows. But, unintentionally, Victor gives the speech (and engagement ring) to the vivacious and fun-loving Emily, who thinks they are now married.

Oh, did we mention Emily is dead?

Victor is dragged to the underworld, which ironically, heavily contrasts with the drab surroundings of the living by being colourful and vibrant. At first he is desperate to get back home to Victoria, but is soon torn between the life he knew and his life in the unlife. Victor also finds himself drawn towards Emily, whose tragic death may be more entwined with the lives of Victoria and himself than Victor first thought.

The film has many little shout-outs and references to previous works by Tim Burton. Danny Elfman's character, Bonejangles, is a call-back to his time with Oingo Boingo.

"Mr Everglot: We shall continue as planned, with or without Vincent. Mrs Everglot: Victor. Mr Everglot: Whatever."
 * Accidental Marriage: The entire plot, of course.
 * Arc Words: "According to plan." First spoken by both sets of parents when they are trying to make the wedding go perfectly. Later mentioned by Victor to highlight that things are spiraling out of control. The last time is on Crowning Moment of Awesome page.
 * Aristocrats Are Evil: Subverted with Victoria, who's actually quite sweet. Played straight with her despicable parents, however. And don't even get us started on Lord Barkis.
 * Arranged Marriage: Victor and Victoria, but they seem OK with it. At the very least it seems that they care for each other.
 * Better Than It Sounds/Western Animation: Guy getting married to a dead person accidentally? Sounds squicky but really isn't.
 * Betty and Veronica: Okay people, I have the script! Victoria, you will play the part of the sweet and gentle Betty. The part of the lively and happy-go-lucky (but secretly troubled) Veronica goes to Emily!
 * Beware the Nice Ones: The dead are a surprisingly friendly, fun-loving bunch, certainly more pleasant than most of the living...but you certainly don't want to get on their bad side.
 * Big Little Man: Finis Everglot is first shown talking face to face with his wife. Then the camera pans out and it turns out he is standing on a stool and really half her height.
 * Bittersweet Ending:
 * The Bluebeard:
 * Book Ends: The film opens and closes on butterflies.
 * Boy Meets Ghoul: Victor meets a dead girl, and ends up accidentally married to her.
 * Butterfly of Death and Rebirth
 * Circling Monologue: When Emily finally confronts her murderer.
 * Cute Monster Girl: Emily can almost convince a guy to leave his fianceé even when she is rotting away. Not every corpse is that sexy.
 * Danny Elfman: For the lighting. Of course.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: In this film the living are far scarier than the dead.
 * The Dead Can Dance
 * Dead to Begin With: Emily and co.
 * Death by Origin Story: Emily, of course.
 * Death Glare: Emily after finding Victor with Victoria. And she is dead.
 * Defanged Horrors: Cute skeleton children abound, and even the skeleton dog.
 * Deliberately Monochrome: The world of the living is almost entirely black and white, whereas the underworld is brightly-lit and colourful.
 * Dem Bones: A whole bunch o dem.
 * Devil in Plain Sight: Barkis.
 * Did Not Get the Girl:
 * Does He Have a Dead Brother?
 * Doing It for the Art: The various figures used in the film were animated using a very intricate clockwork system built inside of them, replacing the stop-motion industry standards of using multiple expressive heads.
 * Duet Bonding: Victor and the Bride, after he accidentally upsets her.
 * Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Victor Van Dort is the king of this, thanks to the color palette of the Land of the Living (and even then, he's paler than most of the other breathers)..
 * Expy: Victor looks like the grown-up version of Vincent, the child protagonist of one of Burton's earliest stop-motion works.
 * This is even Lampshaded in the movie.

"Victoria: It's true, Mother! Victor is married to a dead woman! I saw her - a corpse! - standing right there with Victor! Lady Everglot: Victor was in your room!?"
 * Also, the maggot was a Peter Lorre impersonation.
 * Exact Words: "Until death do us part..."
 * Fairy Tale: Based of a Jewish-Russian folktale originally, about a woman murdered on the way to her wedding. Some tropers classify this as Nightmare Fuel. Emily's backstory also bears tragic resemblances to the English folktale Mr. Fox (not to be confused with a later stop-motion animated film).
 * Fake Brit: Johnny Depp as Victor.
 * Fate Worse Than Death:
 * Feuding Families: While Victoria's family arranged the marriage, they did it only because the family is penniless and needed a quick way of getting cash. Likewise, Victor's family agreed in order to get some status by being linked to an old family. They don't get on very well... But their kids do, since they're Not So Different.
 * Getting Crap Past the Radar: Victor's mom gets caught in the door of the carriage, and Mayhew and Victor's dad tries to push her in. Cut to the Everglots watching the carriage rocking wildly back and forward. "Fish merchants!" Also see Parental Bonus, and doubles as a William Shakespeare reference: 'Fishmonger' used to mean 'pimp'.
 * Gold Digger: Lord Barkis Bittern. Hey, a male one! Good for him.
 * The Grotesque: In some ways. Emily is nothing but skin and bones. She also has an eye that pops out and a worm living in her skull. Eww. But she remains ever gentle and kind.
 * He's Not My Boyfriend: "He's my husband."
 * Head Desk: Victor bangs his head on the bar counter.
 * Hey, It's That Voice!: Everywhere, but a special mention goes to Elder Gutknecht, who's played by Alfred Pennyworth.
 * Hurricane of Puns: They're everywhere.
 * Impairment Shot: Used after Victor runs into a tree.
 * Impoverished Patrician: Victoria's family.
 * In Case You Forgot Who Wrote It: Honestly? Do we have to say his name?
 * Incurable Cough of Death: Mayhew.
 * Ink Suit Actor: Who does Victor look like? Honestly.
 * Ironically, Victoria was based a bit on Helena Bonham Carter (Emily's voice actress) physically, as the character designer wanted to make sure she looked interesting and pretty enough enough opposite the exotic Emily, so he gave her Bonham Carter's face shape (particularly her chin and forehead). Burton originally wanted Bonham Carter to voice Victoria anyway, which might make this fact a relic of the straightforward use of the trope. Bonham Carter asked to play Emily instead, as she'd played Victoria-type characters in live action before when she was the character's age.
 * According to the "making of" book, Emily too was redesigned to look a bit more like Helena (specifically, they gave her more of Helena's forehead).
 * Watch Danny Elfman sing "Remains of the Day" live and you'll understand where everything about Bonejangles comes from.
 * Ironic Echo: "New arrival..."
 * I Want My Beloved to Be Happy
 * I Would Say If I Could Say
 * Jaw Drop
 * Karmic Death:
 * Losing Your Head Paul the "Head Waiter."
 * Love Triangle: Victor must choose between Emily, his dead wife, and Victoria, his live. Which is harder than it probably sounds.
 * Minor Insult Meltdown: Victor does this to Emily after she finds out about Victoria. "Why can't you understand that this is a mistake? I would never marry you!" Geez, Victor, couldn't you phrase that any more painfully?
 * The Musical
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Lord Barkis Bittern.
 * No Celebrities Were Harmed: Most people think Maggot sounds like Peter Lorre.
 * No Indoor Voice: The town crier. Well, he does, but only uses it to forecast the weather.
 * Noodle People
 * Obviously Evil: Lord Barkis. And his chin. His evil, evil chin.
 * Of Corset Hurts/Of Corsets Sexy: As Victoria is getting her corset drawn her mother cries to tighten it. "I can hear you speak without gasping."
 * Offscreen Teleportation: You cannot run Victor! Emily will find you! Not in a way that's physically possible but still.
 * Offstage Villainy: Emily's murder.
 * Pass the Popcorn: General Bones-apart just knows that the tale of Emily's murder "is gonna be good."
 * Parental Bonus: When Victor is in the woods, practicing his vows, he says a line to the effect of "With this hand, I will cup your...", with his hands placed near his chest area. Once he realizes what he's doing, he pulls his hands away and says, "Oh goodness, no."
 * Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Victor and Victoria.
 * Perpetual Frowner: Nearly everyone in the land of the living. Most notable with the parents of the bride, especially when her mom orders her dad to smile, which takes great effort.
 * Prank Date: Emily perfectly fits Definition 6 of this trope.
 * Proper Lady: Victoria through and through.
 * Ravens and Crows
 * Real Is Brown: The staid Victorian world of the living. Notably not applied to the afterlife, which resembles San Francisco in the hippie era.
 * Romantic False Lead: And we have a twofer. Emily is the likable variation, with Barkis being the nasty version.
 * Rummage Fail: She doesn't exactly rummage, but it's close enough when Mrs. Plum tries to grab a knife from the male cook's head for Victor to fight with but accidentally takes hold of a fork and tosses that to Victor.
 * Also when Victor attempts to arm himself, but the sword doesn't come free of the guy it's stuck through.
 * Shadow Discretion Shot: Emily's murder to make it more family friendly, but also to hide the identity of her killer.
 * Shallow Love Interest: Some say Victoria is not all she's cracked up to be.
 * Shotgun Wedding: In a way, Victor and Emily.
 * Shout-Out: The piano Victor sits at when meeting Victoria is brand-labeled a "Harryhausen", in homage to stop-motion master Ray Harryhausen.
 * There's even a Gone with the Wind shout out when the dead folk head upstairs for their wedding party.
 * Victoria's mother's character design is very reminiscent of Lady Tremaine from Cinderella.
 * Victor and Victoria.
 * Skewed Priorities: Victoria's mother.


 * Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace:
 * Spirited Young Lady: Emily plays this trope against Victoria's Proper Lady counterpoint.
 * Spiritual Successor: Corpse Bride may as well call The Nightmare Before Christmas "Daddy."
 * Stealth Pun: The head waiter is a head who happens to be a waiter.
 * Not to mention that the joint where he works is called "The Ball and Socket."
 * At one point, Emily literally cries her eye out. (Just one, though.)
 * While looking for Victor, Emily passes a second-hand store that sells hands for people that lost the first one.
 * Star-Crossed Lovers: Victor and Victoria.
 * Talking to Himself: Completely averted. Despite a good number of minor characters having the same voice actor, none of them speak to each other. For example, Mayhew and William Van Dort are both voiced by Paul Whitehouse and have some interaction together but never say a word to each other.
 * The Reveal:
 * Title Drop: Repeatedly in the underworld. Victoria also tells the minister that Victor "has a corpse bride!"
 * Together in Death: That's how Emily wants it.
 * Troubled Backstory Flashback: Delivered through song!
 * Undeath Always Ends
 * Undeathly Pallor: Everyone who's dead. The living are all mostly pale-skinned brunettes.
 * Upper Class Twit: Both Victor's and Victoria's parents, to varying degrees.
 * Victor's parents are clearly Working Class Twits.
 * What Happened to the Mouse?: Weren't Victor's parents last seen on an out-of-control carriage? What happened to them?
 * Why Waste a Wedding?: "I guess they didn't want to waste the cake."
 * Woman Scorned: Emily beautifully subverts this trope with her gracious act of kindness.
 * Worldwide Punomenon: Just try and count them.
 * You Shall Not Pass: Spoofed with extra points for having it said by Christopher Lee's character.
 * "Keep it down, we're in a church!"
 * Zombie Apocalypse: Gloriously subverted. Almost deconstructed, even, as the living gradually recognize their lost loved ones among the shambling ranks of the dead.
 * They don't shamble, they softshoe.