Revenge. It's an emotion that all humans feel, but it can eventually destroy you. The musical, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," directed by Tim Burton, follows a man who can't forgive and certainly can't forget.
Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), formally Benjamin Barker, returns to London after being in prison for 15 years for a crime he didn't commit. The man who sent Todd to prison on the false charge is Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who abused Todd's wife and took his daughter. Wanting revenge on Turpin, Todd comes back to his home on Fleet Street, above Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter)'s meat pie shop. Todd and Lovett, who has more than just friendly feelings for Todd, devise a devilish plot to destroy Todd's enemies while also helping Lovett's meat pie business.
"Sweeney Todd" is a musical that has the traditional Tim Burton style of being dark, gothic and gory, while also being comedic. This is what makes Burton a brilliant director and storyteller. Although the plot is very gruesome and there is graphic, bloody violence, there are moments in the film when the audience can actually laugh. Depp and Carter bring humor to the screen as an offbeat, bizarre couple who give each other plenty of awkward pauses and comedic expressions. Another humorous character is Senior Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), who has enough personality to stun an audience with laughter. Between Pirelli's over-the-top costumes and unique accent, he's a character purely for comedy.
When an audience first sees the film, they may not be able to get past the gruesome plot for awhile and probably won't see the comedy in the story at first. As for myself, when I first saw the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed the music and loved the artwork of the sets, but I couldn't fully appreciate the film yet because I was too grossed out by the bloody violence and cannibalism that takes place. Once I saw the film a couple times, the shock factor decreased some and I was able to notice the brilliant comedy that Burton incorporates into the movie and I could appreciate the quirky love story between Depp and Carter's characters. Although I highly recommend the film, it's not the kind of movie for the lighthearted, weak-stomached person.
Rebecca Hiatt
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Revenge. It's an emotion that all humans feel, but it can eventually destroy you. The musical, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," directed by Tim Burton, follows a man who can't forgive and certainly can't forget.
Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), formally Benjamin Barker, returns to London after being in prison for 15 years for a crime he didn't commit. The man who sent Todd to prison on the false charge is Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who abused Todd's wife and took his daughter. Wanting revenge on Turpin, Todd comes back to his home on Fleet Street, above Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter)'s meat pie shop. Todd and Lovett, who has more than just friendly feelings for Todd, devise a devilish plot to destroy Todd's enemies while also helping Lovett's meat pie business.
"Sweeney Todd" is a musical that has the traditional Tim Burton style of being dark, gothic and gory, while also being comedic. This is what makes Burton a brilliant director and storyteller. Although the plot is very gruesome and there is graphic, bloody violence, there are moments in the film when the audience can actually laugh. Depp and Carter bring humor to the screen as an offbeat, bizarre couple who give each other plenty of awkward pauses and comedic expressions. Another humorous character is Senior Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), who has enough personality to stun an audience with laughter. Between Pirelli's over-the-top costumes and unique accent, he's a character purely for comedy.
When an audience first sees the film, they may not be able to get past the gruesome plot for awhile and probably won't see the comedy in the story at first. As for myself, when I first saw the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed the music and loved the artwork of the sets, but I couldn't fully appreciate the film yet because I was too grossed out by the bloody violence and cannibalism that takes place. Once I saw the film a couple times, the shock factor decreased some and I was able to notice the brilliant comedy that Burton incorporates into the movie and I could appreciate the quirky love story between Depp and Carter's characters. Although I highly recommend the film, it's not the kind of movie for the lighthearted, weak-stomached person.
