Narrative in Tim Burton's 'Big Fish'

Tim Burton’s critically acclaimed ‘Big Fish’ is a collection of stories told by the protagonist’s father in the final few days of his life. They are a recollection of events that occurred in his life. Burton’s protagonist, William Bloom, is skeptical of his father’s tales as he is a man known for his storytelling and exaggeration. Although his stories became popular with others, Will has never really been certain of his father’s past, which lead him to believe that even in his father’s final days of life, he did not really know him at all. Throughout the film, Edward Bloom’s stories are colourful and exotic; they connect our reality with his father’s fantasy world that he depicts through his stories. The narrative structure of the film is an indicator of this by alternating scenes of Will’s journey to find the truth and Edward’s lavish storytelling, which reflect the shift from reality to fantasy. When Will remembers a story that his father has told him, it is retold through Edward’s first person narration. This is important as it allows the audience to relive the tale including inner thoughts and feelings which would not be present had the story been told by anyone else. His storytelling also engages the audience and allows them to tap into the narrator’s thought process. The stories told by Edward all contain unimaginable settings and characters i.e. the giant as well as meaningful morals that are common in fairytales that would be told to young children, mirroring the relationship Will feels he has with his Father. Later in the film, the events Edward speaks about unfold even further as Will finds that there is more truth in his father’s stories when characters mentioned in the stories appear to pay their respects at his funeral. Fantasy and reality are connected throughout the film and in some ways a comparison is made between the two concepts. The fantasy element of the film makes the film entertaining to the audience, as if they were once again children being lost in fairytales told by an excellent storyteller.  As young children, the concept of reality is simple: it is either real or not real. Whether at that age we believe that the events that occur in fantasy stories are real or not, we do take away one important aspect of the story, which is its moral. The theme presented through narrative in this film is the use of fantasy to brighten up one’s reality. Will relives his childhood and is enlightened by what he eventually discovers, the audience reflects this feeling and at the end of the film, while upset, are overjoyed by the events that unfold.