Big Fish: A Fish As A Metaphor For Life

Big Fish (2003), directed by Tim Burton, is a film full of symbolism and metaphors about life. It does not feature Burton’s signature gothic, dark and sinister sceneries, on the contrary  Big Fish is color, light and harmony.

The film tells the life of Edward Bloom and his relationship with his son Will, who lives in Paris with his pregnant wife. For several years now, the relationship between the two has deteriorated to the point that their communication takes place through Will’s mother, Sandra. One day Sandra calls her son to tell him that his father is seriously ill, which prompts Will to travel with his wife to visit him.

Big fish : the father-son relationship

Edward and Will had been on good terms throughout Will’s childhood, but by the time they entered adulthood the two had drifted apart. Edward was known for his tales of extraordinary deeds full of even more incredible characters (giants, witches, werewolves…). Will liked those stories as a child. But as he grew older he realized how unreal they were and a desire to know his father’s true story emerged in him. Will did not accept, in fact, that his father, in recounting his adventures, did not stick to what really happened.

Will insisted that his father tell him the truth, but Edward, very proud of his stories, was never persuaded. The paradox is represented by the role of Will, who, as a professional writer, is used to writing about events that never happened. In the film we can observe how Edward and Will, after all, are not so different: the first tells stories, the second writes them.

Will can’t accept his father, doesn’t trust him, and has even made up some assumptions in an attempt to justify his absences during his childhood. When he realizes that his father’s life is running out, he is relieved: Edward’s life is dying out; another is about to begin and Will will be able to be the father figure his son will need.

At first, Will judges his father, criticizes him and considers him a bad example: yet the task of being a parent is by no means simple, and soon he too will have to deal with the same situation. Will wants to be a completely different father than Edward was to him, always telling his son the truth. However, little by little, he will end up accepting his father, understanding his ultimate truth; his father will bequeath his stories to him.

Metaphors in Big Fish

Big Fish is a short story that presents and mixes a great diversity of narratives and episodes ; is the story of Edward Bloom’s life. The name is given to us at birth, Bloom in English means to flourish and this is exactly what Edward does. Like flowers, it is born, reaches its maximum splendor and, little by little, rots. There are many metaphors present in the film, and we have tried to enclose the most important or interesting ones in this article:

The fish

When Edward recounts his childhood adventures, the fish appears as an important figure in the tale. It is in fact the leitmotif of the film, present from the beginning as a metaphor for Edward himself. As a child he had read about a fish that adapted its size to where it was and, in the wild, even managed to triple its volume.

Edward then realizes that he is like the fish, and that the aquarium represents his limitations. He realizes how, in order to succeed in what he wants, he must begin to recognize those limitations. The metaphor then says that by leaving the aquarium we obtain freedom, decide our actions and achieve greatness. At the same time, getting out of the aquarium can be terrifying because we are not aware of what we will encounter outside.

The eye

What should we fear if we already know our end? In the stories accompanying Edward’s childhood, a witch with a crystal eye appears who, looking at him, reveals the way he will die. Edward looks at him, knows how he will die and accepts it. When he finds himself in a dangerous situation, he confronts it by saying to himself “this is not how I will die”, thus managing to overcome obstacles and continue on his path. Edward accepts his own destiny, which is the same as all human beings: death. He faces and defeats destiny, without letting fear take hold of him.

Ashton

Ashton is Edward’s aquarium, the place where he is born. A small and limiting country for a man with big dreams and aspirations. Yet, he could very well take advantage of the great reputation he enjoys among his fellow villagers to achieve great things without leaving the aquarium, and therefore without having to face particular obstacles.

The aquarium is our comfort zone. Conformism, the place where we feel safe and from which it is difficult to get out. But it is also a place where learning is limited. For this Edward prefers to face the unknown and get out of his comfort zone.

Specter

After leaving Ashton and starting his journey, Edward must face several obstacles until he arrives in Specter, a utopian country where all the inhabitants walk around barefoot and where nothing ever happens.

It is there that he meets an old Ashton resident, Norther Winslow, a well-known poet of the country who, like Edward, was destined for great things and for this he had undertaken the same journey years ago. Yet, Norther fell into a net and never managed to continue his career as a poet and, indeed, ended up in another aquarium: Specter, which although it is a lovely place, is nothing more than another comfort zone. .

Edward is tempted to stay there, but he manages to react and continue on his way – the road is still long. The name of the town is not accidental, on the contrary it is a clear reference to ghosts and apparitions. For this reason, in addition to being an aquarium, it is also a deceptive place. An example is a river fish that Edward confuses for a woman because, depending on the person looking at it, the animal takes the form of the observer’s wishes. This is where we sense Edward’s desire to meet a woman.

The ring

In order for a fish to be able to reach its maximum size, it must not let itself be caught. Likewise Edward must avoid all the networks that appear in his life.

He must avoid returning to an aquarium, at least until he has achieved all his milestones and finished his learning phase. It is known, however, that if you come across the right net it is easy to risk falling into it. On his journey Edward encounters several nets, which he will discard until he finds the right one.

Just as the fish Edward talks about let himself be captured by a wedding ring, he will do the same with Sandra. Before getting to her, however, she had to overcome countless obstacles, step out of her comfort zone, reach the right level of learning, and ultimately take off her shoes in a new comfort zone.

The shoes

Shoes are used to protect our feet when we walk. When we are at home, we no longer need it. In Specter, all the inhabitants are barefoot. They don’t need to get anywhere anymore and, as a result, they don’t need to wear shoes. Edward leaves Specter country without his shoes. Unprotected, because from that moment on he will face his panic zone. Likewise, at the end of our life, we no longer need shoes, which we can put aside.

Big Fish is a fantastic contemporary tale that shows us a particular perspective on life and its acceptance. Each of us is able to achieve extraordinary things and overcome their fears, as well as to step out of their comfort zone and trace their own path.