69 out of 70 people found the following review helpful:
*** May contain spoilers ***
Burton and Sondheim - a perfect match!
Meako from ,
21st January, 2008
Adapted from the Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler musical of the same name, Sweeney Todd is a powerful tale of love, betrayal, revenge, and bloody murder in the heart of London in the late 19th Century. What better director to bring the Tony Award winning stage show to the screen than Tim Burton. His style and vision on film sets the perfect gothic framework for the story to unveil. Wrongly accused of a crime, and sent away for life, a young barber named Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) awaits the day he can return and get revenge on those who wrongly convicted him. The film begins with him arriving in London in the company of a young sailor named Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), where he quickly seeks out his old home. There he finds Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), the purveyor of the worst pies in London, who tells him that his wife was raped by the very judge who sent Barker down, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), and his daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) has become the Judge's ward. Meanwhile Anthony has too found Johanna, and has fallen in love with her, only to be beaten off by the Judge and his henchman, Beadle (Timothy Spall). From here a tale of terrible revenge begins, which leads to murder and pies. This is not Burton's first step into the territory of a musical, having been the brains behind two celebrated animated musicals, Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride, so it is safe to say the material is in good hands. Indeed, his very visual style is sutied to late 19th Century settings perfectly, and complements the film with sumptuous framing and gothic architecture surroundings. For his leads Burton has smartly stuck with those he knows well, and they don't disappoint. Depp's portrayal of Todd is menacing, chilling, but with a sparkly of heartfelt emotion behind the sinister eyes. Bonham Carter also manages to show varying facets of Lovett's persona throughout, managing to make you despise her whilst also sympathising with her throughout. The music in the film is marvellous, and was deserving of the many awards heaped on it over the years. Sondheim's musical arcs and movements switch from dark to light effortlessly, and rather than seeming like the characters are forced to sing the words, it is easy to accept that the words are naturally flowing from the characters. Todd conveys trickles of menace in every line of his verses, none more than when he sings to his knives, whilst Lovett sings a twisted tale of devotion and obsession. The blood flows in the film, and towards the latter half there are some bloody moments. However the squeamish amongst us shouldn't worry too much as the whole circus is given a 'Hammer Horror' styling with the blood being bright red and copious in nature - giving a darkly comical touch to each death. It is not only here where the comedy lies, as the lyrics of the songs are scattered with puns and quips, some so sly that you don't quite acknowledge them until later. This is certainly a film I will be watching again, and again, and again, and is one of Burton's finest moments.
Read all highest rated reviews
