Sweeney Todd

Dark, dirty, gothic London streets; tragic, bitter loss and revenge; a sliver of hope with the chance for redemption; strong male and female leads; high theatrical drama and spontaneous bursts of singing?! That’s right, welcome to the musical of the year! But don’t be put off; this is probably one of a select few musicals that could be stomached by even those who have an active dislike of the genre. Smart, deranged and compelling, Tim Burton’s adaptation of Broadway hit Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sweeney) is a masterwork.

Does the above description bring to mind anything else? Say, most of Tim Burton’s film catalogue? Little wonder the master of gothic cinema leapt at the chance to direct this macabre musical when director Sam Mendes left it to pursue his recent film Jarhead. It turns out that Burton had expressed interest to Stephen Sondheim (writer of the music and lyrics from the original stage show) in adapting the 1979 Tony Award winning theatre piece as early as the 1980s.

A morose morality play Sweeny focuses on revenge and the bitter cycle it perpetuates. London Barber Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is falsely charged by the crooked and powerful Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and finds himself sentenced to transportation for life to Australia. The judge has his way with Barker’s wife then discards her, taking the couple’s baby daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener) as his own ward and raises her as his own beautiful caged animal. Escaping into the sea 15 years later the now embittered Barker is rescued by some sea going vessel and befriended by a young sailor, Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), whose fate intertwines with Barker’s alter ego – the soulless entity that is Sweeney Todd. Upon arriving back in London Todd goes back to his old house and begins a grisly partnership with impoverished neighbour and pie-maker Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham-Carter). Lovett dreams of their blossoming relationship but in her heart can see that Todd is a man possessed. Though offered an opportunity to redirect and transform his anger Todd cannot take it; his inability to let go of this all consuming rage sees him metaphorically apply the blade to his own throat and cause the very last drops of his humanity to drip lifelessly to the floor. [continue reading]