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Title: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
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Parents, despite being a musical this is one bloody-as-hell film. Recommended for ages 17 and up. |
The timing for Tim Burton’s new film, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” is all wrong. Totally and completely wrong. Based off the Broadway show of the same name, the original stage production made headlines for being the goriest show ever to grace Broadway. People walked away repulsed by the film, many feeling sick when the show was over. Some didn't even make it to the end of the first act before body fluids spilt on the (at one time) clean floor. To think the show would last was laughable, and to think someone would actually turn it into a movie was absurd at best. Lo and behold though, the show had over 500 performances, won Tony Awards, and now a big budget film has been made starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Alan Rickman, to name a few. The only person missing is Danny Elfman who, understandably, couldn’t participate since the music for the film had already been written.
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Those who feared the movie would tone down the plays shocking amount of gore and body fluids have nothing to fear, as this is easily the darkest film I’ve seen since “Silence of the Lambs,” and the most violent since “The Passion of the Christ.” What makes it watch able, I guess, is the fact that it is a musical. Plus Johnny Depp has always been weird, so this role doesn’t seem too out of character. Not to mention the film is directed by Tim Burton, who most likely took a liking to this story because it was about a lonely outcast who is tortured and lonely. Only this time, he takes revenge. But dear me, I’ve written two paragraphs about this film and still haven’t found the proper words to best describe it. Well, even though this film is unconventional in every way I can think of, I believe it’s best described as a dark, gothic, musical version of Alexandre Dumas’s “The Count of Monte Cristco.”
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Both stories are about a man and his loving wife, whose lives are destroyed by an outsider lusting for the woman (in this case an evil judge played by Rickman). Benjamin Barker (Depp) is sent away to an island, where after years of paying for a crime he didn’t commit, escapes to his hometown, only to discover his wife is dead, and his daughter is in the hands of the judge. Though there was a film version of Dumas classic tale that starred James Caviezel and Richard Harris, it was largely criticized for downplaying the revenge aspect of the story and romanticizing the ending, something Hollywood is very comfortable doing. This is where “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” actually ends up being more faithful to Dumas novel then it’s true adaptation. After changing his name to Sweeney Todd, Todd opens a barber shop and plots his revenge on the judge.
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Only problem is, the guy is a few nuts short of a bowl of Fruit Loops, so he starts taking revenge on people who, in Todd’s eyes, don’t deserve to live. Giving the closest shave of they’ve ever had, Todd slices open mens necks, dumping them into a cellar, where Todd’s partner-in-crime Mrs. Lovett (Carter) takes the bodies and makes them into meat pies. Waste not want not I guess. Anyway, while Todd has no problem killing rich politicians and lawyers, apparently family men get away with a simple shave and a hair cut, which means Todd isn’t completely heartless. Oh, and throughout all this, there’s singing. Not powerful singing mind you, but singing that manages to get the job done none-the-less. It’s hard to say I’ll be buying the soundtrack, but within the film the songs add just another layer of depth to the film.
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So this movie is violent, dark, wonderfully acting, and a well sung musical to boot. And here I thought “Ratatouille’s” sales pitch had to be the most difficult sell in the world. Now then, about the timing of this film, I truly do wonder what the studios were thinking when they decided to release this film during Christmas. Even if the movie had been sanitized to a PG-13 (which it thankfully isn’t) I have a hard time thinking this would be well received during Jesus Christ’s birthday. An October release would have made a lot more sense. Though the timing of the film is odd, I can not deny it: This is the best film I’ve seen all year.
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Is it gross? Yes, those with strong stomachs will want to puke. Is it violent? Yes. It’s a gothic musical, yet it isn’t the least bit satirical. It has a story to tell, and characters to involve us with, and it does so with an artistic vision that is so grand and complete, that even if the film fails at the box office I believe it will become a classic. It may have to become a cult classic first, but this is a film that you can’t ignore, no matter how much you try. Johnny Depp even manages to create a more bizzar character then Captain Jack Sparrow, and one that leaves a much bigger impression on you to boot. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but few will argue when grand art with such such focus and imagination is placed right in front of them. Though my review may have been articulated to the point where my stance of the film may have been unclear, make no mistake; films like this are why I love going to the movies. All in all, I'd say I had a bloody good time.
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