"Beetlejuice" (1988)

[John Austin316]

What is Beetlejuice?

To the general populace and multitude of movie goers
everywhere, "Beetlejuice" is simply a Tim Burton film produced
in 1988 that features a charming but naive couple named Barbra
and Adam. Both of whom end up inadvertently thrown into the
perils of the afterlife after crashing their car into a lake.

20 years is a long time by any stretch of the imagination, but
that's how long it took me to realize what the film
"Beetlejuice" is actually about.

In a word, the film (or at least key parts of it) are an
account of "Genesis" The first book in the Holy Bible that
details the creation of the universe and the lives of Adam and
Eve and their fall into temptation by the fallen angel Lucifer.

The film opens with a beautiful expanse of forests signifying
creation and shows the beginnings of civilization through a
small town filled with cars, stop signs and shops. One may see
this as a gross simplification but the world below indeed is a
model that represents the actual town in which Barbra and Adam
live. Complete with a glowing sun and moon suspended near the
attic ceiling (to incorporate day and night cycles over the
town, according to the original script). Then the spider crawls
over the house on the hill and here we see the beginning of sin
attempting to subdue mankind.

Adam is quick to throw this spider out the window. This is an
important shot in the film as it gives the impression that the
spider is somehow being loosed upon the town outside, almost
like a virus.

After a few moments of base character set ups that establishes
the couples personalities, Barbra and Adam
decide to head out to the store and get a few things for their
vacation. Adam rushes into his shop,  ignoring the old barber
sitting on his stool recounting the olden days of the town (and
the son of its founder who had "hair down to his G***amn
shoulders")

From this scene we can see that while Adam is certainly
invested in the model of this town he cares nothing for its
history which was founded in 1835 according to the old barber.
An argument can be made here that, had Adam stayed to listen to
the old man, his wife and he might still be alive.

Much the same thing happened when Adam, and Eve in particular
decided to not listen to God's commandment to not eat of the
tree of knowledge. While this is not shown in the film directly,
indirectly it is alluded to through the fact that, rather
curiously, it is Barbra who is driving the car-- in control of
both their fates.

Soon after, their car crosses paths with a small puppy dog and
they crash off the side of a bridge covered by a red farm
house. Consider for a moment, for the sake of the comparison
that this was done on purpose. They were indirectly killed by a
dog stepping off a wooden plank, which when spelled backwards
is "GOD."Again, an oversimplification but comfort is found in
ignorance of the finer details, is it not?

Barbra and Adam's journey back home is instantaneous.
Here they assess their condition and realize they are indeed
dead. Outside their home is not Hades however, but "Titan" a
singular moon riding the crest of Saturn's orbit around earth.
In a much later scene Barbra steps out into this nightmarish
desert during the day time, immediately confronted by an
enormous Sandworm whom she punches square in the head.   

In contrast to this, we see that Beetlejuice's native form is
also that of a worm/serpent/snake as he terrorizes Lydia's father
Charles by dropping him from a flight of stairs by his heel.
These two scenes fit perfectly into the biblical account of
Luicifier who had taken a serpent form to deceive Adam and Eve.

The Book of Genesis chapter 3, verses 14-15 illustrates both
parts very well. "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed
above all cattle and above every beast of the field; upon thy
belly shalt thou go; and DUST shalt thou eat all the days of
thy life:
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shalt bruise his HEAD and thou shalt
bruise his HEEL."

The Handbook for the Recently Deceased is Adam and Barbra's
solitary guide book, a literal bible of the afterlife with
detailed instructions on their place in the cosmos, their
limitations according to divine will and even resurrection
passages that the living are forbidden to read, lest it be used
to unearth great evil. 

This brings us to Beetlejuice, whom we've already established
is indeed a representation of Lucifer.
Through his mannerisms and demeanor it is not difficult to draw
the comparison but the writers of this movie went one step
further in setting up a prominent role for him through the use
of his name.

"beetlejuice," actually written as "Betelgeuse" which,
according to wikipedia, is "the ninth-brightest star in the
night sky and second-brightest in the constellation
of Orion. Distinctly reddish, a semiregular variable star whose
apparent magnitude varies between 0.2 and 1.2,
the widest range of any first-magnitude star. Betelgeuse is one
of three stars that make up the Winter Triangle, and it marks
the center of the Winter Hexagon.
The star's name is derived from the Arabic Yad al-Jauza',
meaning "the hand of Orion". The Arabic character for Y was
misread as B by medieval translators, creating the initial B in
Betelgeuse."

Lucifer is a fallen angel or star, whose name translates to
"the Light Bearer" which is ironic seeing as how he is a being
of darkness and much like Beetlejuice utilizes the language of
deception to wreak havoc and chaos.

What remains of the film is relatively self-explanatory, with
several more comparisons to be drawn from the bible.
It is a classic battle between good and evil forces, clashing
over physical, mental and emotional volumes of space. Everyone
involved wants their own piece of Eden they believe can only be
found inside The Maitland's home.

The trick and the constant here is that the home is nothing
more than a gateway to a trinity of portals, all activated by
the law of three. Whether that be the Titan's sandworm
dwelling, Adam's town model or the twisted, lonely hallway that
gives rise to an assortment of doors, truly, there is no solid
foundation to build upon.

There is no rock to help withstand the coming storm in Burton's
crazy fun house, only sand.. because mankind has fallen
alongside the "stars" And thanks to his movie, we know one
personally by name.

[Ocean]

I enjoyed Beetlejuice. They should have, and did for years, stopped there. No sequel. But there's a part 2 coming up. So far as I know Winona Ryder is cast to reprise her role.

[Rella]

I enjoyed Beetlejuice. They should have, and did for years, stopped there. No sequel. But there's a part 2 coming up. So far as I know Winona Ryder is cast to reprise her role.

Oh Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

I hated Beetlejuice.