Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 12.24.2007

Who would have thought a Tim Burton musical could be so appetizing?

Johnny Depp: Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter: Mrs. Lovett
Alan Rickman: Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall: Beadle Bamford
Sacha Baron Cohen: Signor Adolfo Pirelli
Jamie Campbell Bower: Anthony Pope
Laura Michelle Kelly: Lucy
Jayne Wisener: Johanna
Ed Sanders: Toby
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: John Logan
Release Date: December 21, 2007
Running Time: 1 hour and 57 minutes







Rated R for graphic bloody violence.

For the sixth collaboration between Johnny Depp and Director Tim Burton, the daring duo have tackled Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, adapted from Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical, and Christopher Bond’s play. If there was ever a musical guaranteed to attain a progressively better cult classic type reputation with age, it is this. Sweeney Todd is a mischievous and gloomily grand experience as far as dark comedy musicals are concerned, however, I can’t help but think that it could have been a pure masterpiece.

Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) was once a happy man with a wife and newborn child. Unfortunately, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) had his sights set on Barker’s attractive wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly). The judge has Barker arrested and deported so he can steal the wife and daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener). Years later, Benjamin returns, but is no longer the aspiring young individual he once was. He goes by the name of Sweeney Todd, and has only vengeance on his mind. He meets with Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a meat pie maker, who now owns the building he previously lived in. He rents out the room above her shop, retrieves his beloved razors, and prepares to start slicing up customers. Apparently his wife poisoned herself, and his daughter is currently being held by her guardian Judge Turpin and his assistant Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall). Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett formulate a plan. After finagling with a barber’s chair, they create a contraption in which every victim of Sweeney’s is dumped into a grinder, and used as ingredients for Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies.

Oddly enough, I was ready and able to buy tickets for the popular Broadway musical, and see it well before the film was released. Unfortunately the writer’s strike changed that schedule, and now the movie is out, so it’s too late. I wanted to see it before the movie adaptation. No big deal, though I can imagine some are unhappy with the numerous cuts. Approximately six songs were cut from the final version, so indeed many aspects were not included for fans of the stage rendition. My primary problem is that Sweeney Todd could have and should have easily been over two hours, but it was not. Had it ran longer, and therefore incorporated more songs, this might have established a smoother flow, and been all-encompassing.

The music is brooding and infectious. The topics are not ones that audiences normally associate with Hollywood musicals. Cannibalism, murder, and revenge are among them for instance. Regardless, the tone is dementedly fun as only Tim Burton could pull off. To be truthful, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman do not have the most nuanced vocals when it comes to nailing these songs, but I feel that it was a suitable fit for this particular musical. So no, nothing will knock you out of your chair like Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, but the sole priority was not the music in Sweeney Todd. The singing was never exaggerated or out of place, and for that matter, it makes certain numbers increasingly memorable. “Epiphany”, “My Friends”, and “The Worst Pies in London” were a few of my favorite tunes.

I’m not sure what the character of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a. Sweeney Todd, is supposed to look like, but in any case, Johnny Depp almost seems ideal for the role with his skunk like streak of hair down the middle of his Edward Scissorhands style cut. It is weird to picture Sam Mendes directing with Russell Crowe as the star, but they were originally slated for the project. Depp is just a natural fit to Burton’s vision, and as Sweeney, Depp has shaped one of his most unforgettable depictions. He is vicious and relentless as the maniacal barber. His is an antihero, but soon the viewer will notice that unlike other victims of wrongdoings, Sweeney is a bad man indeed. One could argue that Depp has channeled several past performances for Sweeney, but I disagree. Where there might be similarities in appearance, the soul of Sweeney Todd is very unique and sinister. This is another outstanding job well done from a superb actor.

Helena Bonham Carter beat out the likes of Meryl Streep, Annette Benning, and Toni Collette for the part of Mrs. Lovett. I wouldn’t have a clue as to why (note sarcasm). While some may criticize the decision from Burton to hire his wife, I happen to think it was the proper choice in the long run. Bonham Carter possesses the kooky, corpse-like exterior that is best expressed when under the guidance of Burton. Those other actresses may have molded it into their own, but Bonham Carter really digs her nails in and locates the soul of this woman who sees a bright future with Sweeney. As a matter of fact, her effort rivals that of Depp in terms of sheer impact and entertainment.

Alan Rickman is of course perfectly cast as the villain, Judge Turpin, but this is not his most commendable portrayal. He is reliably solid as usual, but he struggles at avoiding the back seat to the brilliance of Depp and Bonham Carter. Still, we love Rickman. He is Professor Snape and Hans Gruber. Timothy Spall, no offense to him, is one of the most revolting human beings to ever grace the silver screen. He is a creepy delight as Beadle Bamford, the henchman of Judge Turpin who, despite his stature, is wicked with that extendable cane. Sacha Baron Cohen has a minor role as the competitive fellow barber Adolfo Pirelli, but he is a comically fantastic presence with his trimmed mustache and vibrant blue suit. The youngsters who round out the supporting cast like Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Pope, Ed Sanders as Toby, and Jayne Wisener as Johanna are wonderful with a promising touch of skill.

Sleepy Hollow was another well-known adaptation Burton helped translate to the cinematic world, but that time he let his bizarre gothic eccentricities get in the way of delivering a faithful and intriguing story. On some occasions, Burton has the tendency to focus more on visuals than he does on the narrative. This was a worry for Sweeney Todd, but thankfully it is a spectacularly menacing mesh of an intimidating Victorian London and chaotic but fresh tale of tragedy and brutal killings. When Tim Burton stays on a balanced frequency, he is unstoppable. People sometimes inflate his gothic methods of his cannon, but his approach is just as recognizable as filmmakers like Scorsese and Spielberg in many respects.

Sweeney Todd is a bloody and merciless musical that is definitely not family friendly. Some could be mislead by the trailer. The set design is fabulous, especially Sweeney’s empty room with his barber chair sitting, waiting for an inhabitant. The splattering blood is joyfully embellished for good measure. Because Sweeney Todd is not overly serious, but actually zany, it is easier to become comfortable with the dismal mood of the tale. The cast and crew were obviously driven with conviction because it shows. Admittedly the picture, not the atmosphere, is almost too dark at times to the point where some scenes are not easily distinguished.

This is one of Tim Burton’s most adept, thrilling, and strangely addicting efforts of his career. He seems to have an affinity for helming remakes, acclaimed adaptations, and other overdone stories. He is already set for Alice in Wonderland, but I wish he would apply his irreplaceable ghoulish peculiarities to more novel scripts instead. Combined with John Logan’s smart and elegantly constructed screenplay, exuberantly evil performances, and unsettlingly witty, yet plot driven songs, a near masterful film is made.