Final Draft: Essay with embedded images

1. Morgan W Sullivan
Final Copy
The Significance of Lighting: Big Eyes
Far too often the praise and accolades of any given movie are awarded to the actors of
the film. To most people the actors bear the brunt of the work, shaping and molding
themselves to not only portray a different person, but to take on an identity and present it and
the associated life as their own. They speak the lines and emote so that we are drawn in to the
story, so that we believe. But what of the negative space? What must happen between those
spoken lines in order to further the story and add depth that simply cannot be spoken into
existence? This is where cinematography, lighting, and film score come in to play. These are
actors in and of themselves, playing their own parts. In this paper I will discuss the role of one
of those too often underappreciated players: lighting.
The movie Big Eyes, starring Amy Adams and Christophe Waltz, tells the story of
Margaret Keane; a painter looking for a fresh start in the late 1950’s who found success but was
unable to call it her own. Her husband, Walter, used a cocktail of charm and bullishness to take
the credit for her work in the name of greed and self-satisfaction. I could not help but notice
the several occurrences in the film that their natures were not only emphasized but captured
by keen lighting.
The movie begins in 1958 with Margaret’s first divorce. Defying convention of the time,
she leaves her home in the middle of the day with her daughter in tow. The sunlight almost
creates a haze that brings the background out of focus, softening the image. Despite the

2. difficult circumstances, Margaret’s outlook is one of hope as highlighted by bright blue and
open skies.
Not long after Margaret relocates to California she meets a charming man, Walter. He is
a well-traveled artist, is supportive of her ambitions and cares for her daughter. The scenes
featuring their developing relationship are
light and airy signifying that these are
happy times. The light illuminates the
beautiful landscape and makes this image
appear to be a painting itself.
Once settled into married life, Margaret initially appears to be happy. But we find the
happiness to be short-lived when Margaret discovers that her husband has taken credit for her
art in order to make a sale, with the claimthat “no one wants to buy lady art.” It is during this
Figure 2: Margaret & Walter paint. Amy Adams, Delaney Raye, and
Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014
Figure 1: Margaret leaves herfirst husband. Amy Adams and Delaney Raye, Big Eyes 2014

3. time that we see the transition from bright, hazy splashes of color to dim and darker scenes,
punctuated with shadows.
In this scene we catch the
first glimpse of lighting
beginning to define the
characteristic differences
between Margaret and
Walter. While in the
nightclub that features their
artwork, Walter and Margaret are asked who the artist is. We see Margaret frozen by her own
doubt and hesitant to respond, while Walter stands in the darkness, almost a shadow. The light
seems to illuminate Margaret as the true artist, but in her hesitation Walter steps forward and
takes claimof the art.
This is not the last time that we see battle lines drawn with the help of lighting. Over the
next several years, Margaret spends her time painting art while Walter markets it, and of
course takes the credit. The formula is
successful, although we can see toll it
has taken on Margaret. One day while
in the studio, she discovers some of
Walter’s first paintings and concludes
that he is not the artist he claims to
have been. When confronted with the allegations that he has taken credit for another’s art
Figure 3: Margaret &Walter stand in hungry i nightclub. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz.
Big Eyes 2014
Figure 4: Walter denies allegations. Christoph Waltz. Big Eyes 2014

4. before, Walter’s temper flares and he becomes defensive. We can see in the image above that
Walter has back to the light, as if in denial of the truth itself. His lies have come to the surface,
represented by the shadow cast on the opposite wall.
One of the most striking lighting differences can be witnessed toward the end of the
movie. At this time, Margaret has seen Walter for who he truly is, a manipulative bully using her
own fear against her in order to procure even more paintings for monetary gain. She finds the
courage to leave Walter, relocate to Hawaii and file for divorce. Walter’s greed gets the best of
both characters when he demands more paintings and a portion of her proceeds in all her
future works. Having finally reached her limit, Margaret decides to publicly announce that she
is the true artist and is taken to court, where both parties are required to paint to prove
themselves.
In the image shown here, we
notice more than the “good
versus evil” them that has
dominated the movie. The
audience is reminded that life for
women was starkly different
than of today. Women of that
period were expected to be
subservient and meek, as hinted by the light flooding over Walter. His side of the court room is
bright, while hers is very dim. Although she is the one with right and truth on her side, she is
forced to prove it in order to step out of the darkness.
Figure 5: Walter and Margaret paint in court. Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz.
Big Eyes 2014

5. During an interview, Tim Burton was asked several questions about his reasons for
creating this film. Aside from the fact that it was a departure from his regular big budget films,
Burton said this of Margaret Keane:
“She’sone of the mostquiet,under-the-radarfeministsyou’ve evermet.She doesn’thave abig
voice.She’snotoutthere on the streets,saying,youknow,“Vote forwomen’srights!”She diditinher
ownprivate,personal way,whichIfoundamazinggiventhe type of personshe is.”
I feel that Burton spent the duration of the film allowing the behaviors of the characters to
define their distinct personalities, but used lighting to bring to the stage the larger picture: one
woman’s fight to stand in the light rather than her husband’s shadow in an era where such a
thing did not exist.

6. Bibliography
Big Eyes. Dir. TimBurton. Perf. Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, and Delaney Raye. The Weinstein
Company, 2014. DVD.
Duca, Lauren. "Why Tim Burton Made A Film About The 'Most Quiet, Under-The-Radar Feminist
You've Ever Met'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 19 Dec. 2014. Web.
All images used were taken directly from the movie through the process of screen-grabbing
while viewing.