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The macabre tale of Sweeney Todd and director Tim Burton seem to suit each other like bread and butter, so in a way it's surprising that it has taken this long for the director to tackle the material. Burton again teams with frequent collaborator Johnny Depp and his own wife Helena Bonham Carter, in what is the first musical for all of them. For those not familiar with the stage musical, though, it's not your typical all singing, all dancing variety. The musical numbers are kept small and personal with no choreographed dance routines, while the songs themselves are more like talking in tune than full-on diaphragm exercise (and they contain much of the plot exposition, so actually listening to the words is advised). Although fans of the show would no doubt disagree, the music itself is not hugely memorable, which contributes to the feeling of a slightly plodding pace, despite the fact that Burton has pared down the stage show. These flaws are counterbalanced by the disturbingly fascinating plot and some truly gripping scenes, particularly in the latter stages.
Don't let the 'musical' tag mislead you, either: this is an incredibly dark film, and one that is not remotely "feel-good" like so many of its genre. Its 18 rating - which is not given out lightly these days based on level of violence alone (there normally has to be drugs or sex involved) - is well and truly earned, as it challenges Peter Jackson's Braindead in the quantity of blood spilled on-screen stakes. But Burton and, to their credit, the studio seem to have realised that there's no way a story about a barber who slashes customers' throats and turns their remains into meat pies could be done justice to without going the whole nine yards. The tale is ultimately about one man's descent into depravity and almost insanity after being separated from his wife and young daughter for fifteen years, accused of a false crime. On his return to London town he finds that his daughter has been adopted by the judge who incarcerated him and his wife poisoned herself. So, at first, Sweeney is a sympathetic character, but the lengths to which he goes test the audience's allegiance to the full. The role needed someone who could remain semi-likeable even amidst such brutality - Depp, therefore, is ideal.
Depp embodies the mental disintegration of the man with such skill that it seems almost effortless. Helena Bonham Carter, as his collaborator, is excellent too. The whole cast - Sacha Baron Cohen deserves a special mention, again speaking in a ludicrous accent (Italian this time) - perfectly inhabit the world that Tim Burton creates. 19th Century London, with all its dark, narrow streets and gothic architecture, is uniquely tailored towards Burton's characteristic ghoulish aesthetic. Not that Burton is interested in recreating the true historical environment; this London is as artificial as Batman's Gotham, looking in the wide shots like an expressionistic painting. The cartoonish amounts of claret sprayed from the arteries of Todd's unfortunate customers seem right at home within this exaggerated reality. The film seems to end abruptly but the final scene is a fitting way for the whole morbidly engrossing saga to conclude.
The summary
Burton and Depp can add another success to their combined résumé. The grimly alluring Sweeney Todd is a devilish delight.
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