1. 1r IES Ramon Llull.
ESO Departament d’Educació Plàstica i Visual
5 The Corpse Bride (2005)
La núvia cadàver. Tim Burton’s film
Plot
In an unnamed Victorian Era European village, Victor Van Dort , the son of nouveau riche fish
merchants, and Victoria Everglot , the neglected daughter of hateful aristocrats, are getting
prepared for their arranged marriage, which will raise the social class of Victor's parents and
restore the wealth of Victoria's penniless family. Both have concerns about marrying someone
they do not know, but they fall instantly in love when they first meet. After the shy, clumsy Victor
ruins the wedding rehearsal and is scolded by Pastor Galswells , he flees and practices his
wedding vows in the nearby forest, placing the wedding ring on a nearby upturned tree root.
The root turns out to be the finger of a dead girl clad in a tattered bridal gown, who rises from
the grave claiming that she is now Victor's wife. Spirited away to the surprisingly festive Land of
the Dead, the bewildered Victor learns the story of Emily , his new "bride," murdered years ago
on the night of her secret elopement. Emily, as a wedding gift, reunites Victor with his long-dead
dog, Scraps. Meanwhile, Victoria's parents hear that Victor has been seen in another woman's

2. arms, and become suspicious.
Wanting to reunite with Victoria, Victor tricks Emily into taking him back to the Land of the Living
by pretending he wants her to meet his parents. She agrees to this and takes him to see Elder
Gutknecht , the kindly ruler of the underworld, to send him and Emily temporarily to the Land of
the Living. Once back home, Victor asks Emily to wait in the forest while he rushes off to see
Victoria and confess his wish to marry her as soon as possible, to which she gladly returns his
feelings. Emily soon arrives and sees the two of them together and, feeling betrayed and hurt,
drags Victor back to the Land of the Dead. Victoria tells her parents that Victor has been forcibly
wed to a dead woman, but they believe she has lost her mind and lock her up in her bedroom.
She escapes her room by window and rushes to Galswells to find a way helping Victor, but fails.
With Victor gone, Victoria's parents decide to marry her off to a presumably wealthy newcomer
in town named Lord Barkis Bittern , who appeared at the wedding rehearsal, against her will.
Emily is heartbroken by Victor's deception. Victor, however, apologizes for lying to her, and the
two reconcile while playing the piano together. Shortly after, Victor's family coachman appears
in the afterlife (having recently died) and informs Victor of Victoria's impending marriage to Lord
Barkis. At the same time, Emily learns from Elder Gutknecht that because marriage vows are
only binding until "death do you part" and death already parts them, her supposed marriage
to Victor was never valid. In order for their marriage to become valid, Victor must repeat his
vows in the Land of the Living and willingly drink poison - thus joining her in death. Overhearing
this, and fretting about having lost his chance with Victoria, Victor agrees to die for Emily. All
of the dead go "upstairs" to the Land of the Living to perform the wedding ceremony for Victor
and Emily. Upon their arrival, the town erupts into a temporary panic until every living person
recognizes each other's loved ones from the dead and they have a joyous reunion under the
bizarre circumstances.
After a quarrel with Lord Barkis - and realizing he was only after her supposed money - Victoria
follows the procession of dead to the church. As Victor prepares to drink the cup of poison to kill
himself, Emily notices Victoria and has second thoughts, realizing that she is denying Victoria
her chance at happiness the same way it was stolen from her. Lord Barkis interrupts them, and
Emily recognizes him as her former fiance - who is revealed to be the one who murdered her for
her dowry. Lord Barkis tries to kidnap Victoria at sword point, but Victor stops him and the two
men duel. Emily intercedes to save Victor, and Lord Barkis mockingly proposes a toast to Emily
claiming she's "always the bridesmaid, never the bride!", accidentally drinking the cup of poison.
The dead (now able to intercede as he's dead) drag the "new arrival" away for punishment.
Emily sets Victor free of his vow to marry her, giving the wedding ring back to Victor and her
wedding bouquet to Victoria before exiting the church. As she steps into the moonlight, she
transforms into hundreds of butterflies, presumably finding her eternal rest in Heaven, as Victor
and Victoria look on.
Art activity
Imagine that the end of the story is different; Victor decides that his really true love is Emily and they
decided to get married! Now you have to create a new character. It will be a little boy or a little girl,
Victor ‘s Everglot and Emily’s son or daughter. You have to draw a 3 or 4 year old kid, with all
sort of details. He/She must have some characteristics from his/her father and some from his/
her mother.

3. The activity must be finished by November the 6th, in a DIN-A4 sheet of paper with colour (you
may paint it with colour pencils or felt tip pen).