Let's talk about Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd

[Nikki_Tikki_Tavi]

Saw it, loved it, will see it again.

I’ve never seen the play and didn’t know much about the story other than barber comes back after a long imprisonment to seek revenge on the judge that put him away and stole his wife and daughter.

I thought Depp was great, but then I always do. His voice was perfectly adequate for the role. I don’t think he’s going to launch a singing career any time soon, but he was fine.

I completely disagree with this:

@Cervaise

There are a couple of missteps: the musical number I mentioned above, Epiphany, is totally flat. Sweeney is supposed to be losing his shit in that song; he had Turpin under his knife, but then fate intervenes and the Judge escapes, so Sweeney flips. But the energy of this song as presented is totally inadequate. Depp’s Sweeney goes into a fantasy reverie, wandering the streets while muttering about vengeance, instead of howling and screaming, and it simply doesn’t work as a turning point for the character. He doesn’t seem at all like he’s had his whole world pulled out from under him; his anger is approximately at the level of somebody who didn’t get an expected promotion in the office.

To me, Todd seemed deranged from the moment we saw him, there was no decent into madness, he is already there. I assumed that the false imprisonment, the years away from home with no news of his family, and whatever horrible things happened to him while he was locked away had turned the happy young man that we saw in the flashbacks into a violent, angry person. He wasn’t a man returning home to renew his life with his wife, he was disturbed. So having Turpin slip away from him was inspired a frenzy of killing, but to me he wasn’t that far away from it to begin with.

That may be Depp’s acting, or it may be Burton’s directing, but that’s MHO.

[cbawlmer]

@Nikki Tikki Tavi

To me, Todd seemed deranged from the moment we saw him, there was no decent into madness, he is already there.

Yeah, I agree. He was cuckoo for cocoa puffs from minute one, and only got crazier.

[lissener]

@Nikki Tikki Tavi

To me, Todd seemed deranged from the moment we saw him, there was no decent into madness, he is already there. I assumed that the false imprisonment, the years away from home with no news of his family, and whatever horrible things happened to him while he was locked away had turned the happy young man that we saw in the flashbacks into a violent, angry person. He wasn’t a man returning home to renew his life with his wife, he was disturbed. So having Turpin slip away from him was inspired a frenzy of killing, but to me he wasn’t that far away from it to begin with.

That may be Depp’s acting, or it may be Burton’s directing, but that’s MHO.

But that song–“Epiphany”–is the point at which Todd decides to kill the whole world. The title alone suggests that there’s a permanent change in the character. And your reading of the movie, which I agree with, demonstrates to what degree they failed to communicate that.

[lissener]

Interesting article. Haven’t read it all yet.

Sondheim Dismembers ‘Sweeney’ (Published 2007)

[NDP]

Bumped since its full release is today.

[DesertDog]

Finally got around to seeing it. I liked it despite the rivers of blood. Who knew Edward Scissorhands could sing?

We were late in arriving, though and of course I left my damn glasses in the car so we walked into the theater about halfway through the beginning credits. I’m assuming there was a bit of something that happened before the credits rolled, as Todd said to Hope about the time the ship was docking, “If you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t be here.” What’d I miss?

[Marley23]

@DesertDog

I’m assuming there was a bit of something that happened before the credits rolled, as Todd said to Hope about the time the ship was docking, “If you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t be here.” What’d I miss?

You didn’t miss anything story-wise. Just blood oozing around and making the credits and things.

[vivalostwages]

I finally saw it as well, with a friend who had seen it on Christmas day. She was busting up laughing just as much as she had the first time around. We were the only ones in the theatre who were really getting into it and reacting.

I wasn’t bothered by the blood as much as I was by the meat grinder. I thought the cast did quite a decent job with the singing, and it was visually impressive. Having never seen any previous incarnations, I can’t render a comparison.