Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride (2005) was a deliciously spooky, macabre, quirky, and heartwarming film. But it doesn’t end the way many people wanted it to, rather it ended how it needed to, with Victor free to marry Victoria, and Emily set free from her purgatory.
The debate lies in the fact that many viewers fell in love with Emily and wanted her to marry Victor. The film does not suggest that one love would be better than the other and there was no clear route for who Victor should have chosen to be with. No one was made to be unlikeable and the characters genuinely cared about each other.
Emily: He Was Comfortable With The Dead
Victor was just as content and at home in the land of the dead as he was in the land of the living. The corpses that surrounded him were welcoming and interesting.
Of course, when he first arrived, he was surprised and shocked, as any living human would be if they woke up surrounded by the dead. But he was welcomed by everyone and when he decided to marry Emily to solidify their union, he rallied the dead together and embraced what would be his future as a corpse groom.
Victoria: She Was His Fiancé
Victor and Victoria had been set up in an arranged marriage in the hopes that the fortune of each would help the other. Little did they know – one family wasn’t very well off, and the other was poor.
Despite the fact that the two were never supposed to be alone together before the wedding, Victoria, having heard his beautiful music from her room, surprised Victor as he played the piano in the foyer. Their short interaction, as well as the wedding rehearsal, showed the two had promise as a couple.
Emily: She Was Thoughtful
When Victor accidentally married Emily, she got him a wedding present she knew would make him happy. It wasn’t a boring material possession with no meaning, instead, it was Victor’s childhood pet, Scraps. But Emily is more than a caring person in small ways – she is wholly loving.
After trying to get Victor to stay with her for most of the plot, she stops Victor from sacrificing his life to be with her. She wants him to be free, to love who he wants to love. She doesn’t want to do to him what was done to her. She couldn’t take away his opportunity for happiness for her own fulfillment.
Victoria: It Was The Right Thing To Do
Victor is introduced as the quiet, nervous, bumbling, flustered type, but it becomes apparent that he has strong will and morals, that he’s emotional and thoughtful, and will stand against what is wrong.
He was betrothed to Victoria, and he was going to get back to her. He had simply appeared to those living that he had left her and disappeared, which wasn’t the case. He made his way to the land of the living and told her the truth of his predicament.
Emily: She Was Lively
Victoria may have been alive, but it was Emily who was the lively one. As soon as she made her appearance, it was obvious that this corpse bride was a personality.
She was sassy, humorous, sweet, poetic, and a little bit awkward. She danced in the moonlight she had almost forgotten was so beautiful. She was unrestrained and talented. She took a sword to the ribcage for Victor and saw in Victoria what she had seen in herself.
Victoria: She Related To Victor
Victoria and Victor both live in the bland world above. They are both controlled by their parents, both living and breathing, and have their whole lives ahead of them.
Victoria enjoys Victor’s musical prowess, as she was not allowed to play the piano. Her mother considered it too passionate for a proper young lady. In many ways, Victoria is much like Emily – she takes risks, and she’s intelligent and strong.
Emily: She Let Him Go
“I was a bride. My dreams were taken from me. But now – now I’ve stolen them from someone else. I love you, Victor, but you are not mine.”
The ending of Corpse Bride was bittersweet for many viewers who wanted Emily and Victor to be together. Fans pined for what could have been but did not happen because love doesn’t mean possession. Emily set Victor free and she too was free after her murderer got his just desserts and she knew she was loved.
Victoria: She Tried To Save His Life
Victor returned to the land of the living under the pretense that he wanted Emily to meet his parents, but he actually went to find help. Emily found him in the company of Victoria and took them back to the land of the dead.
When Victoria saw that Emily was dead and Victor was married to her, she tried to help, despite the fact she sounded out of her mind. She had initiative and she put herself at risk to help him.
Emily: Their Musical Chemistry
Emily and Victor both play the piano. At the very beginning of the film, Victor is shown playing the piano at Victoria’s family home and Emily is also shown to play when Victor tells her he could never be with someone like her.
She takes to her piano to express her emotions and Victor joins her. His words are lost to her sad notes as she continues playing and the two create a beautifully tender, somber, and hopeful instrumental duet. It’s in this musical moment that they connect.
Victoria: He Wanted To Marry Her
“Victoria … I confess. This morning I was … terrified of marriage. But then, on meeting you, I felt … I should be with you always and that our wedding … could not come soon enough.”
When it comes down to it, Victor wanted to marry Victoria. He chose her. Although their marriage was a duty to their families, it also led to natural chemistry. Victor was nervous about his vows, so he went into the woods and practiced. He was thinking of Victoria as he said the words that accidentally bonded him with Emily. While in the land of the dead, he learned Victoria was already with someone else and he couldn’t understand how she could do that to him. This influenced his decision to marry Emily by sacrificing his life.
