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A 75-minute charmer of a motion picture that transcends age, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas should be part of every household's annual Christmas traditions. Everything that movie-goers expect from Burton's fantastical imagination is presented here in stop-motion form: it's bursting with visual majesty, populated with lovably morbid characters, and filled with charming Danny Elfman compositions. It's an enduring holiday classic that bears the esteemed title of the first feature-length stop-motion animation picture, bringing the age-old technique into the mainstream and paving the way for other stop-motion gems like Chicken Run and James and the Giant Peach. An iconic cult classic that continues to captivate audiences year after year, 1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas captures the distinct Christmas flavour and perfectly blends it with the maudlin imagination of childhood.
The story is based on a simple premise: each main holiday season has a town (Easter Town, Christmas Time, Halloween Town, etc.), and none of these towns knows of each other or their respective festivities. Jack Skellington (voiced by Danny Elfman and Chris Sarandon), known as the "Pumpkin King," resides in Halloween Town, but upon completion of the same old annual Halloween routine for the umpteenth time, he grows bored and disillusioned about his own holiday, finding it unfulfilling. After Halloween night, Jack strolls into the woods and stumbles upon a door leading to Christmas Town, with its cheerful atmosphere and bright colours. Jack is so taken by the concept of Christmas that he takes it upon himself to take over Santa's duties for the year, bringing the idea to Halloween Town to share with his fellow townsfolk.
Following a brisk prologue by Patrick Stewart, the film's imaginative world is established in the first big song, This is Halloween, which efficiently introduces Halloween Town in an energetic, sumptuous musical feast for the senses. The Nightmare Before Christmas contains some of the most ornately detailed and expertly captured shots in the history of stop-motion and of the animation medium as a whole. There's so much eloquence to the film's visual "voice," and each frame is so rich with an almost immeasurable amount of creativity that there's always something eye-catching to keep your interest. Burton's shooting schedule for 1992's Batman Returns conflicted with the long, arduous three-year production for The Nightmare Before Christmas, so he hired stop-motion veteran Henry Selick to oversee directorial duties. Burton may have receded to producer status, but every frame resonates with that distinctive Burton sensibility. As one watches the film and marvels at the visual splendour, one can't help but admire the extraordinary, painstaking way Selick and his team bring Burton's eccentric vision to life.
As it turns out, holiday commercialism is to thank for this film's existence. The Nightmare Before Christmas started as a poem by Burton in 1982, inspired by the sight of a store replacing their Halloween display with Christmas merchandise. The jarring contrast between Halloween and Christmas was all it took to motivate Burton to write the tale of Halloween Town and Christmas Town; two phantasmagorical towns characterised by different colour schemes, attitudes and iconography. (Funnily enough, this movie's iconography is now synonymous with Halloween and is exploited annually during the spooky season.) The Nightmare Before Christmas also showcases one of Burton's primary visual influences: German expressionism. The dark, foreboding sets, high-contrast lighting, and stark angles harken back to German films of the silent era, such as Nosferatu, Metropolis and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Scripted by regular Burton collaborator Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands), The Nightmare Before Christmas is vehemently a musical, telling most of its story through songs. As this is a Tim Burton movie, frequent collaborator Danny Elfman provides the songs and background music, and he performs as Jack Skellington's singing voice. The music and visuals of The Nightmare Before Christmas are inseparable, with both contributing tremendous flavour to the production. Elfman's first-rate compositions support the visuals in grand style, whether it's a tender moment, a celebratory scene, or a frightening sequence. Fortunately, the songs are both memorable and catchy, and you will likely find yourself singing along to the likes of This is Halloween or Making Christmas. Elfman's singing voice is immaculate for Jack, and you would never guess that Chris Sarandon voices the Pumpkin King during the non-musical dialogue scenes. Another well-achieved role is Catherine O'Hara's honest and sweet Sally, a Frankenstein's monster-like doll who was stitched together by her domineering creator and who yearns to escape from captivity. She serves as Jack's love interest and has a bad feeling about taking over Christmas, and she shows the most human of emotion in Halloween Town.
Parents wondering if The Nightmare Before Christmas is suitable for their children should know that the frightening aspects of the picture are nicely blunted by the tender humour and Elfman's lovely music. Jack Skellington is not the frightful bag of bones that one would assume him to be - he's just a misunderstood hero who's as innately human as any live-action character. There are so many enchanting sights and sounds to behold within this wonderful film that there's not enough room for anxiety and fright. In short, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a delightful holiday romp with something to offer everyone. For the children, it's a fantasy that celebrates two exciting holidays. For adolescents and adults, it's an opportunity to experience good, hearty entertainment while marvelling at the achievements of this team of animators at the top of their game.
9.3/10
