Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street is a Lavish Musical Romp
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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street takes us through the darkness of revenge, murder and the talents of Johnny Depp. A good time if you’re looking for something off the horror path.
Written by The Horror Czar (BHM Editor Don Sumner)
December 21, 2007
Release: December 21, 2007
Directed by: Tim Burton
Written by: John Logan
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett
Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford
Sacha Baron Cohen as Signor Adolfo Pirelli
Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Hope
Somewhere between the Jack the Ripper story From Hell and British Musical Mary Poppins lies the newest Tim Burton movie creation Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street. This popular Broadway musical now major motion picture starring Johnny Depp is extravagant, bloody and oozes Tim Burton.
The story A String of Pearls, written in 1846 by Thomas Prest, was adapted to a stage production titled Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street by George Dibdin Pitt in 1847. Thus began the series of stage and screen adaptations and urban legends of truth culminating in a Broadway stage production including lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim in 1979. Although there have been other adaptations of the story, it is the Sondheim Broadway version that provides the basis for the Tim Burton theatrical production released in December 2007.
Todd (Johnny Depp) was once Benjamin Barker, a young barber in London with a lovely wife and a new baby girl. One day the evil Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) discovered the beauty of Barker’s wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) and had Barker sent off to an off-shore prison so that he could have the woman as his own.
Fifteen years later a bitter and vengeful Benjamin Barker returns to London, assuming the name Sweeney Todd. Todd meets Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) and together they concoct a plan to both satisfy Todd’s newfound blood lust and save Mrs. Lovett’s failing meat pie business.
Lucy apparently poisoned herself in a fit of despair and the judge took her daughter as his ward,
and later decided that he should marry the daughter instead. Bloody mayhem follows as Sweeney exacts
revenge on every human being he can get his blade onto…meanwhile the new source of fresh
ingredients has the meat pie business booming.
Johnny Depp continues to show his willingness to play off-beat characters. His performance is classic Johnny Depp, so there are no surprises there. Another element that is of no surprise is the fact that Depp is starring in a Tim Burton movie. Since Edward Scissorhands there seems to be a bit of a “ love affair” between Depp and Burton as Depp has starred in features including Edward Scissorhands, Ed Woods, Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – all directed by Burton. Tim Burton is famous for a dark and ironic Gothic style, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street is no exception. The Tim Burton rendition of London reminded me a lot of Gotham City. The production is lavish and slick with no stone left unturned in the detail and depth. Clearly Burton’s artistic experience in animation, Burton did the animation in Tron from 1982, has spilled over into a highly artitistic and rich directing style.
So, what is in this one for the horror movie fan? There is lots of blood and gore to be sure. The graphic gore is an interesting contrast to the stylized musical elements of this mega-budget film. Has anyone seen the popular YouTube feature of “Scary Mary”? If you liked that then you will like Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street. Oh, what the heck…I’ll include “Scary Mary” below so that you will have an idea what you are in for when you watch the latest Depp/Burton creation. It’s good for a change of pace. Questions or comments about Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber from Fleet Street? Contact us!
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