Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

A big screen adaptation of Steven Sondheim’s popular musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, couldn’t be put in more capable hands than those of Tim Burton, the Hollywood master of dark, gory, and funny. Burton and his regular Johnny Depp brought together a well-written piece with enticing characters, catchy songs, innocence retained, innocence lost, love, lust, and a whole lot of blood.
Sweeny Todd, once Benjamin Barker, abused by fate and the covetous nature of Judge Turpin, the power hungry aristocrat who deems it necessary to throw Barker behind bars on a false charge so that he may win over Barker’s wife. Fifteen years later, Barker’s dead, and Sweeny’s in town, and he’s coming for the Judge, and his sidekick… and the majority of London. Todd returns to a gray, dreary eighteenth century London, in which his wife has killed herself after Turpin forced himself upon her, his daughter is now in the Judge’s custody, and his only valued possessions are in his old barber shop which is now above Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, maker of the “Worst pies in London.” These two are bonded by one’s need for revenge, the other’s need for business boost, and their shared general dislike of humanity. The two then proceed to hack through the throats of Londonites to their bittersweet ends. The story is set well with the colorless London backdrop, not dissimilar to that of any other story set in 18th century London, and unfolds at a good pace, incorporates a pleasing, if obvious, twist, and it ends how it should. Fans of the stage production should be pleased, however the superiority of either is a subject of contention.
Characters are brought to life competently at worst, and magnificently at best. The cast is mostly made up of familiar names, and a few newcomers including Ed Sanders who proves exceptional in his role as Toby, the mistreated, but innocent London boy who works for Sweeney Todd. Alan Rickman is staunchly dislikeable as the child-hanging antagonist, and Timothy Spall is delightfully slimy as Rickman’s cohort. Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as usual, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s song in a fake Italian accent might be worth the eight bucks alone. Speaking of which, all of the actors are vocally adept, even though one might not expect it (Rickman’s voice is interesting, but not unpleasant), and a couple of professionals were wheeled in, who are indeed… professional. It is worth noting that there is no choreography to speak of besides Carter and Depp dancing in malicious glee, listing the types of human that will be on the menu in Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, and wielding a rolling pin and a cleaver respectively, emphasizing their entrepreneurial intentions. Everything is generally over the top and satisfying.
Sweeney Todd is a film to behold.