Hollywood is addicted to love at first sight. It’s rather symbolic of how audiences understand film. We rely on first impressions in movies, they are what captive and communicate with us. If we don’t ‘fall in love’ with the film in the first few moments, then what is to stop us from leaving or thinking about something else? I am drawing special attention to the ‘sight’ aspect here, as there needs to be something about the frame that holds you, just like the classic trope ‘love at first sight’ would suggest. It connects to the common ‘show don’t tell’ rule, where you emphasize visuals versus expositional. Rather than just telling the audience they should be interested, or telling them that two characters are in love, films use a visual language. Therefore, the love at first sight is a visual cue that doesn’t require a verbal conversation. Saying that your characters have just immediately fallen in love is a cheap way to avoid developing a relationship in your film. All you need is a few shot reverse shots, and suddenly you can justify pretty much anything your characters do. It’s true love, so why would you need an explanation, it is beyond words.
I think that we have become over saturated with the concept of love at first sight. It is a trope which has been used, reused, and stretched to the point where it is no longer a heartfelt sentiment. But it is a lot harder to justify why your characters fall in love, or to even explain what love at first sight feels like. There are a few modern exceptions, and my favourite comes from Tim Burton’s Big Fish. It is the kind of scene which embraces the ridiculous and fantastic nature of love at first sight. It does not try to be real, but instead, tries to mimic what it must feel like, however outlandish that might seem. The film’s ‘love at ‘first sight’ moment also extends beyond this scene, and goes on to inform some of the film’s broader themes.
Time literally stands still when Edward first sees Sandra at the carnival. Their love is so powerful that time itself is at the mercy of the lovers. This scene brings true nostalgia, longing, and humour to the convention of love at first sight, as it both involves and rejects our expectations of this trope. It takes love so seriously, but at no point does it treat it as something melodramatic. The scene fully commits to love as an extreme spectacle. The music, the costumes, lighting, everything comes together to create a magical environment, specifically one which never leaves reality. That is the crucial part of the scene. The figures are not transported to a fantasy or fairy tale world, rather, these conventions collapse onto the character’s reality. They are still at the carnival, but that space suddenly changes. The popcorn freezes in the air, forming this delicate wall. The crowd pauses in impossible poses, drawing our attention to the way they were rushing about. The magic of this scene comes from reality, implying that fantasy is always present in reality, just waiting for the right moment. The scene thus relates to the film’s ongoing discussion about reality versus fantasy, if those terms can be distanced, and the dynamic between emotions versus perception.
This scene is so much more than just an introduction to Sandra. It is the beginning of Edward’s journey and the very reason that the film will continue to move forward. Edward has had a few magical experiences prior to this moment, like meeting a giant and becoming a sports star. Yet he never stays with these stories, he always moves on. This changes after he sees Sandra, as it is the first time Edward decides to stay with one story and with one character.
When Edward sees Sandra, he notes “They say that when you meet the love of your life, time stands still”. The film takes this literally, as the entire carnival freezes so Edward can walk through literal hoops to get to Sandra. She is at the center of the shot and the spectacle he wanders through, just as she is at the center of Edward’s life. Then suddenly, time speeds up and Edward loses Sandra. Not only is this a funny twist on the traditional convention, but it also forces the plot to move forward.
Edward will have to keep moving towards Sandra, not just in this moment but for the rest of the film. This is what makes love at first sight unique in Big Fish, as it is not just a justification, it is an illustration. We don’t just hear about love; we see what it feels like. Although Edward is constantly telling unbelievable stories, Sandra is always at the center of them. He is always making his way towards her, either by getting back to her or making a life for the two of them. Out of all of his amazing stories, characters, creatures, and environments, she is the only spectacle that he is interested in.
Edward is actually the second person to experience true love at first sight in the scene. Originally, Edward came to the carnival for Karl, his giant friend. The scene begins when Karl reveals himself to the carnival ringmaster, Amos. Like Edward with Sandra, Amos is immediately taken with Karl, but not in a romantic way. Karl and Amos share a destiny, making their relationship as monumental as Edward and Sandra. We see Amos do the exact same thing as Edward, as he gazes at Karl before pushing people out of his way. Although time does not stop for Amos and Karl, once we see how Edward and Amos mirror one another, we realize that time did freeze for Amos, we just didn’t see it. This means that the scene shows us two versions of the same thing but from two perspectives: what it feels like and what it looks like.
These first love moments relate to how the film demonstrates that our perception is based on emotions. The film is about Edward and his son Billy, who hates Edward’s outlandish stories. While Edward wants to entertain people as a traditional storyteller, Billy thinks this is irresponsible and untruthful. The conflict comes from Edward’s inability to distance what it felt like versus what actually happened. Eventually, Billy discovers that these are not so different, as many of Edward’s stories end up being true, albeit slightly less fantastic.
I find this portrayal so compelling because it suggests that truth is something which goes beyond fact, it is how we remember things and how memories live on. While not every detail may be true, our emotions shape our experiences into stories that we can share. This means that stories are how we make sense of our memories and pass them on.
It does not matter if time stood still or not. What matters is that it felt that way, and this makes Edward’s experience open and inclusive. Perhaps time did not literally stand still, but the film wants us to consider if that really matters. If it felt like a fairy tale, then why shouldn’t be remembered that way?