Even the opening credits are gory!
This was the first version of Sweeney Todd I ever saw. I was vaguely aware of what the stage play was about -- I thought it was about a murderer who bakes his victims into pies -- but I didn't know any of the songs or the full plot. After watching the film I decided I didn't like the musical. It was much too gory, and the final twist made no sense. Fast-forward several years, and I watched the 1982 production of the musical. I was shocked. It's an interesting story! It has some great songs! The final twist actually does make sense! So, armed with my new knowledge of the stage version, I rewatched the film. This time I enjoyed it much more.
Recognisable actors include:
Johnny Depp (Ichabod in Sleepy Hollow 1999) as Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter) as Mrs. Lovett
Jamie Campbell Bower (Grindelwald in Harry Potter) as Anthony
Alan Rickman (Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility 1995) as Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall (Charles Cheeryble in Nicholas Nickleby 2002) as the Beadle
Laura Michelle Kelly (Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings musical) as Lucy
Sacha Baron Cohen (Thénardier in Les Misérables 2012) as Pirelli
The story starts with Sweeney and Anthony arriving in London. We immediately discover one of the main problems with this film. The actors, shall we say, weren't chosen for their singing ability. No one is absolutely atrocious, and you can listen to their singing without cringing, but when compared to stage performances the singing in the film is pretty poor.
Anthony
Sweeney Todd
The lighting is also poor. I've seen black-and-white films that have clearer pictures. There's no need to be so gloomy that the viewer can barely see a thing. The stage version manages to be both grim and well-lit.
Not only is "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" missing, so are most of the beggar woman's lines. On the one hand, we can do without hearing a lot of what she says. On the other, this means she has very few appearances before her death, which is why I thought the final twist made no sense. Someone should have realised this before they cut so many of her scenes.
We get to see Mrs. Lovett's pie shop in all its *ahem* "glory". Complete with meat of unidentifiable origin and insects crawling over the place. It's really a wonder she didn't kill plenty of customers on her own, with the atrocious hygiene in her kitchen.
Mrs. Lovett
"Poor Thing" is even more depressing and horrifying in the film than in the stage versions. All those people staring, and poor Lucy's screams... *shudders*
"Johanna" is one of my favourite songs in the show. I vaguely remembered the film made it creepy (you could argue it's creepy on-stage too, but the film makes it creepier). Thankfully the film doesn't ruin it. Anthony singing while covered in blood is unsettling, but downright tame by the standards of this film.
The film takes full advantage of its special effects to make the deaths as gory as possible. There is no need for so many close-ups of Sweeney cutting people's throats!
"A Little Priest" is a real let-down. When done right it's priceless black comedy. When done wrong it's just dull. Even the puns in this version aren't particularly funny. I think the main problem is how seriously it's played. This song isn't meant to be serious. It's meant to make the audience laugh, and that's completely missing here.
Johanna is reduced to a non-entity in the film. Most of her songs are removed, and she only gets about a quarter of her scenes. "Johanna (Quartet)" becomes "Johanna (Trio)". Even the scene in the madhouse loses most of its emotional impact. Very, very disappointing.
At least "By the Sea" is still relatively funny 🙂 Notice the "relatively". Most Mrs. Lovetts are very over-the-top in this song. This Mrs. Lovett is far too calm and restrained.
The dream sequence is comically absurd 😄 And the only time in the film there are any bright colours!
Judge Turpin's death is nauseating. Yes, he deserved it, but... good grief. All that blood 😱 The beggar woman's death should be tragic. Instead it's just another grisly murder in a film full of grisly murders, and even learning who she really was isn't as shocking as it should be. I'm glad the film removed Toby singing "Pat-A-Cake", though. That always struck me as incredibly silly under the circumstances.
The film ends with Sweeney's death, with no epilogue to be seen. Anthony and Johanna are completely forgotten about. Really? Here if anywhere is an excellent place to put "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd". But no, not a line of it to be heard. Just the occasional instrumental excerpt from it 😒
As a musical film on its own, this is a fairly good (though gruesome) movie. As an adaptation of the stage play, it falls pretty far short of what I'd expect. It's best to watch at least one stage production before watching this film. You'll have a better idea of how the story should be performed, and you won't be left scratching your head at some plot twists.
Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.
Rating: 5/10.
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