Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

Directed by: Tim Burton | 116 minutes | drama, thriller, crime, musical | Actors: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sasha Baron Cohen, Jayne Wisener, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Ed Sanders, Anthony Head, Peter Bowles

Musicals are gaining more and more ground – also on the silver screen. Tim Burton also ventures into filming a Broadway hit. Another one that has appeared on film more than once, but Burton’s remake of ‘Sweeney Todd’ is arguably the best yet. This hit musical with dark story and dark humor is completely in the vein of Burton. His trademark – the use of many dark tones – shows ‘Sweeney Todd’ to its fullest. But no matter how dark you make the pictures of old London, its inhabitants are even more grim.

Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) had everything his heart desired: he looked good, had a beautiful wife, an equally beautiful and sweet daughter and a successful barbershop. But as soon as Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) set his eye on the young woman, everything was disrupted: he unjustly banished Benjamin Barker to prison, only to assault his wife. After fifteen long years, Barker escapes and returns to London for one thing only: revenge. As Sweeney Todd, he returns to his old barbershop, above Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who soon becomes his obsessive and deeply devoted accomplice. Together they make a plan to give Turpin what he deserves. But soon Turpin is no longer the only one to suffer the wrath of Todd and Lovett…

‘Sweeney Todd’ is the sixth collaboration between Depp and Burton. After successes like ‘Edward Scissorhands’, ‘Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Corpse Bride’ with a dark atmosphere, ‘Sweeney Todd’ is not a strange choice, although it is a musical. Depp is cut out for the role as vengeful hairdresser Todd, and despite the fact that his singing voice is not always good, he knows how to convince. With Burton’s wife and muse, Helena Bonham Carter, he forms the ultimate couple to roam the streets of London. It’s not just her husband who owes Bonham Carter the role; Sondheim – the man behind the Broadway hit – was so impressed with her voice that he immediately offered her the part. There is indeed something special about her voice, but whether that is talent… Thanks to her many singing lessons, it is fortunately not entirely unpleasant to listen to, and her acting makes up for a lot – especially given the fact that she was pregnant during the filming. Something that the observant viewer will probably also notice.

Alan Rickman, in the character of the slick Judge Turpin, has chosen a role that fits him perfectly: that of the bad guy. He also cannot escape a duet with Depp, and he manages it unscathed. His nefarious henchman Beadle Bamford is played by Timothy Spall. Rickman and Spall know each other, just like Carter, from ‘Harry Potter’, where both gentlemen are also slick and creepy. Spall is possibly even slicker and more repulsive than in his role as Wormtail. Also worth mentioning is Sacha Baron Cohen, known for ‘Ali G’ and ‘Borat’, as flamboyant Italian hairdresser rival Pirelli. Surprisingly, he has a very pleasant singing voice and it is a pleasure to listen to and watch him. Between all that darkness, he is a small comic point of light that gives the film a nice twist.

‘Sweeney Todd’ is a beautifully morbid musical thriller that appeals not only to musical fans. An artistic masterpiece that everyone should see! Another Burton gem to keep in the closet.