The Sondheim classic ramps up the gore and the goth through Tim Burton’s vision.
In 2007, the decades-long effort to bring the legendary barber of Fleet Street to the silver screen. Sweeney Todd had been tied to numerous actors and directors before landing in the hands of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp. The result was full of goth visuals, tons of blood splatter, and some bone crunching violence.
Sweeney Todd – The Cast
Depp highlights a loaded cast. At the time of production, Depp was fresh off of blockbuster films like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Willy Wonka. He was an absolute A-List must-have. He also had experience with Burton in films like Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Ed Wood. Depp dove right into the role of Todd, even practicing while shooting the ongoing Pirate sequel.
Opposite Depp is Helena Bonham Carter (aka Mrs. Tim Burton) who brilliantly delivers the dark comedy role of Mrs. Lovett. Lovett not only sings more than anyone else, but her dialogue is essential to driving the plot forward while Todd broods in silence. She comes up with the idea to use Todd’s murder victims as ingredients in her meat pies, making the victims untraceable.
The rest of the cast is just as talented and experienced. Jonathan Rickman is merciless as the villainous Judge Turpin. Sasha Baron Cohen is blissfully unleashed as the showman, Pirelli. Jayne Wisener is a model soprano as Johanna. Ed Sanders is an energetic and charismatic Toby (as a child instead of a mentally compromised adult, a different take from several versions of the musical.)
Sweeney Todd – The Music
The musical production of Sweeney Todd, which launched on Broadway in 1979, runs close to three hours long. The film runs only 116 minutes, which means Burton and writer John Logan had to choose which songs to include and which to omit or alter. The result drives a lot of the dark imagery of the musical while sacrificing some of the humor.
The easy omissions were the overture and the repeated “Bally of Sweeney Todd,” because the movie can simply tell the story without some of the introductions. With Timothy Spall portraying a very violent Beadle, the film removed his humorous number, “Parlor Songs.” Other songs are shortened, like “By the Sea” or have ensemble parts removed in “God, It’s Good.”
Sweeney Todd – The Look
Depp’s participation was questioned by producers who think he would sound too rock and roll. This actually plays to his strengths in songs like “My Friends” and “Pretty Women.” He’s not a great Broadway Todd, but he’s the right Todd for Burton’s vision. As good as Depp is as Todd, he’s completely outplayed by Carter’s Mrs. Lovett.
Burton’s film is an emo/goth visual with lots of black and white mixed with splashes of bright red. There is plenty of blood spatter and gore. Burton even channels some of the original 19th century source material wherein Todd kills his victims by dropping them down a 20 foot fall onto their heads. Burton mixes the razor and skull crushing for a hyper-violent take on the titular character’s murderous methods.
Conclusion
On the grade scale, the film gets an I for Incomplete. Due to time crunch, there are a handful of omitted songs and characters. The ending fails to deliver a key plot twist that is essential to the story (and any potential continuation.) Overall, this movie is visually brilliant and stays on brand with the Depp/Burton partnership. Carter shines in a cast that is already loaded. Fans of the musical might just feel a little unsatisfied at the version presented here.