For someone who pales at the thought of cinematic blood and gore, my viewing Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street sounds like a torture I would avoid at all costs. I easily eschew the much esteemed Coen brothers, hide from all Halloween and Jason type slashers as well as miss many well done films because of their violent and bloody content.
I have a hunch there may be some other's like myself who will choose to be bold and attend the tale of Sweeney Todd. It is not for the popular Johnny Depp that I brave this genre rather Stephen Sondheim. I am thrilled that more and more musicals are making their way to the screen and wanted to see first hand how it was presented.
I was dubious as to how it would come across. Although Burton was a natural choice as director his transparent nepotism in casting Helena Bonham Carter and crony Johnny Depp made me want to pocket a razor just in case their acting drove me to slicing my own thrown in the middle of the film. The roles of Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd are meaty (pun intended) and require depth as well as amazing singing voices. Depp and Carter have never struck me as good actors and imagining them singing was the more frightening than the fate of Judge Turpin himself. Casting for all other roles promised to be much better. Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin (mea maaaaxima culpa!), Timothy Spall as the Beadle (perfect!), and Sacha Baron Cohen and Adolfo Pirelli (how cool is that!?) had me hoping that I wouldn't be wasting my time.
Many reviews warned of two things; it was a real blood splattering arterial spray film and that lovers of musical theater were cautioned to go into the film with an open mind. Depp and Carter are no Lansbury and Cariou and no CG on the big screen was going to magically make them sound like broadway stars. To prepare myself, I viewed as many trailers and video clips of the new movie as possible. As to avoiding the gore, I relied on my memorization of the original libretto.
Although all of the characters were markedly less passionate in Burton's bleak London most of them did a fine job with the singing. All of them could carry a tune and Sweeney even turned out to have some Deppth of character. The caution that some songs were cut or edited was really unnecessary, each editing or omission was thoughtfully done. The ballad which typically opens the opera was used as the main score during the initial credits. During the time when the giant butcher block of a set would have been rotated to change the venue from sea port to Mrs. Lovett's pie shop, Burton gives us a scuttling rat's view of the streets of London. It was a perfect screen adaptation for this transition.
Highlights of the film (or what I saw of it) were the younger actors. Child actor Ed Sanders was chosen to play Toby and sings a flawless Not While I'm Around. Perfect casting for Turpin's ward Johanna (Jayne Wisener) and sailor boy Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower). Well done new comers! Just a month ago I was forced to watch Borat so was not surprised that Cohen could pull off a foreign accent (or two) as Pirelli. What did surprise me was how well rounded he was able to flesh out (pun yet again) this character in the brief time he interacts while with Depp during the blackmail scene. Bravo Mr. Cohen!
The biggest disappointment of the show is Carter's two dimensional Mrs. Lovett. Weilding her cleavage as opposed to a cleaver she failed as the entrepreneurial shop keeper. The only thing flatter than her sorry meat pies was Carter's two dimensional performance. Goth and a bit too evil to be lovable at all, she should saved the Bellatrix Lestrange gaze for the next Harry Potter film.
My knowledge of the the stage version was a help and a hinderance. It was enough to allow me to close my eyes (and ears, good God!) at the critical moments without missing the rest of the film but made me long for some real vocal quality to back up that amazing score or humor to season those pies. Over all a job well done in representing and amazing Sondheim musical.
1996 - Ravenboy as Sweeney Todd
