Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd on DVD

Tim Burton Mixes Horror, Musical, Comedy, and Romance

Aug 3, 2008

This horrifying musical about the Demon Barber of Fleet Street continues Burton's darkly comic directing style.

Once a Broadway sensation with music by Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd emerges to full cinematic life through the dark lens of director Tim Burton. It’s difficult to watch the opening credits of the film without thinking of Edward Scissorhands, one of several earlier collaborations between Burton and his favorite muse Johnny Depp.

In both films, opening credits (and a flashback) feature the same type of dark, grinding machinery that represents the creation of two different kinds of monsters – both innocent until society turns them into demons. In Sweeney Todd and Edward Scissorhands, these two monsters evolve in proportion to the injustices done to them. A grisly, gory, blood-soaked horror story, Sweeney Todd twists the sweetness of Edward Scissorhands into a nightmarish fairy tale for adults.

Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd

Depp stars as Sweeney Todd, formerly known as Benjamin Barker, a happily married barber who takes great pride in his work, as well as in his wife and baby. After the local judge (Alan Rickman) and his associate (Timothy Spall) falsely accuse and convict him, Benjamin gets sent away to prison for many years, destroying his family and his dreams for the future. Upon returning to London accompanied by the young sailor Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), Benjamin transforms into the monster Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street who partners with the demon baker, Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter).

Together, the demented pair work to solve their problems: He sharpens his barber’s knives for revenge against those who destroyed his life, and she needs more meat for her pies, known as being the worst meat pies in London. A pompous rival barber (Sacha Baron Cohen) and his young servant become unwittingly entangled in the evil-doings on Fleet Street after Todd challenges him to a publicly humiliating barber’s duel.

Although the film’s story follows the stage play, the music has been condensed to accommodate the cinematic version. All of the actors sing well, with their performances woven throughout each song’s delivery in a comfortable way that doesn’t seem too staged. After the first scene when Depp unexpectedly breaks out in song onboard a ship, the music become second nature to the film and viewers will be so engrossed in the story, they may even forget they’re watching a musical.

Other than scene selections and other standard bonus features, this DVD includes only one special bonus: a documentary called Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd in which the director, stars (including Depp, Carter, Rickman), producer (Richard D. Zanuck), composer Stephen Sondheim, and others discuss elements of making a musical motion picture. Depp reveals that he has never sung professionally before the film, although he was a musician in a band when he first moved to Los Angeles. Carter also explains that she trained for three months with a vocal coach in order to get her voice ready for the recording studio. In addition to the on-camera interviews, the interesting documentary presents footage from rehearsals and recording sessions.

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