Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

When we went to New York last year, we wanted to go to a Broadway show just for the experience. We didn't know if we'd like it or not, but we knew it would still be more fun than looking at the Statue of Liberty. We narrowed down our choices to two options: Spamalot and Sweeney Todd. I didn't know much about Sweeney Todd at the time, except that it was dark and bloody. We eventually decided on Spamalot, and we certainly don't regret it.

After seeing Sweeney Todd the movie, I'm glad we didn't see it in New York. Musicals like this have to be pretty light on story in order to fit in all of those songs. I don't know exactly how much of the movie is different from the Broadway show, but I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if I had already known how it ended.

But the whole Broadway musical part of it is second to what really matters about this film–it was directed by Tim Burton. If you don' t agree that Burton is one of the greatest and most innovative directors ever, then you might as well stop reading this. If you're afraid of spoilers, then you might want to come back later.

In an interview, Burton said that the original show was centered more around the character of Mrs. Lovett, but for his movie he wanted Sweeney Todd to be center stage. This is what I like about Burton's movies. He picks the character he likes most and centers everything around him or her. A perfect example is when Mrs. Lovett is fantasizing about what her life will be like with Sweeney Todd after they leave London. She is singing with enthusiasm and optimism, in a park, on the beach, on a pier, and on a front porch, while Todd just sits through the entire montage brooding over his miserable existence. This is supposed to be Mrs. Lovett's moment, but Burton doesn't care. While Mrs. Lovett constantly thinks of the future, Todd can't leave the present. Todd is someone who cannot let anything go. And by the end of the film, once the main characters fates are determined, Burton, much like Todd himself, doesn't bother telling anyone what the future holds for those who survived. Once his favorite character is gone, as far as he's concerned, the movie is finished.

This approach could be why Charlie and the Chocolate Factory didn't work as well as it could. The story is supposed to center around Charlie, but it's obvious that Burton would rather tell a story about an emotionally scarred adult boy rather than a poor, kind-hearted boy.

Another thing I like about Burton is how the central characters of his movies stand out significantly from the rest of the world. Again, in Mrs. Lovett's fantasy scene, Burton has three of the darkest, most pathetic characters in London, dressed entirely in black, white, and gray, picnicking while surrounded by the greenest grass and the bluest sky you'll ever see. Burton isn't afraid to remind you that the characters whose lives you currently care about are most likely hated by everyone else in London. In that same interview, Burton said he intentionally didn't want any other Londoners to sing. Restricting the musical numbers only to the main characters even separates them from the "normal" people, thus making them even more unaware of what is happening right under their noses.

Then there's the blood. There wasn't as much as I was hoping there would be, but it was so over-the-top that it still made me smile every time someone got slashed. I don't know how much of it was CGI. But just when you thought the blood was as sick as it could get, you actually see what happens to the bodies. I'm not talking about the pies, I'm talking about the drop. It was hilarious in a very sick way. This is from the same man who found many creative ways for a head to fall off after being cauterized in Sleepy Hollow.

Something else that stood out for me was the makeup. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter were so pale that when they walked into a dark room, they looked like heads floating in.

Johnny Depp really pulled this off well. I think Helena Bonham Carter does a great job of making Burton's characters believable instead of looking like Helena Bonham Carter trying to pull off a character. She would have been capable of carrying the movie herself if they had found a weaker actor for Todd. And Alan Rickman still has one of the greatest voices after James Earl Jones.

Highly recommended. But don't be a pansy like some of the people in the theater I went to by covering your eyes throughout half of it. Embrace the grotesqueness.

Jason