I’m not really one for photographs, hence the serious lack of any images to accompany this year’s Cannes film festival coverage, but sometimes even I feel compelled to go all pap and snap-happy…
Walking into the Salle Debussy- the second largest screen at the Palais de Festivals- we were met with images from Burton’s brilliant new artwork tomb and exhibition. I am a huge fan of Burton’s artistic manifesto, and it was great to see his original concept drawings in all their glory at the cinema, and even more impressive to see how close the characters end up looking to the sketches.
How I wish Tim Burton had been able to make Batman Forever! Watching the first two modern Batmans back now, they look incredible, and the characters are both playfully imagined and wonderfully brought to screen, without ever being as horribly pantomime as the villains of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Chris Nolan may have made unquestionnably brilliant additions to the Batman screen canon, but part of me will always yearn for Burton’s take on The Riddler, or how he would have brought Robin into the story. Sadly, that boat sailed a long time ago, and we are just left with the hint of promise in Burton’s wonderful sketches.
And it wasnt just the Batman sketches on show.
And my favourite of the lot?
As well as the pillar artwork (which was reproduced every day for the cover of the Daily Screenings Guide), Burton’s image, along with a distinctly familiar silhouette emblazoned the screen before Un Certain Regard screenings.
If the Burton artwork tickles your fancy and you werent lucky enough to get to the New York exhibition which ended in April, you can pick up The Art of Tim Burton from the director’s official website for a very reasonable price. It’s already firmly on my wanted list.
