"Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street"

Left: Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd, aka Benjamin Barker.


A quote from imdb:

When filming began, there was to be an inclusion of the ghosts of Sweeney Todd's victims (including actors Anthony Head and Christopher Lee), who would sing "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd", its reprises, and the "Epilogue". These songs were recorded, but eventually cut before filming began, since director Tim Burton felt that the songs were too theatrical for the film.

Timothy Burton apparently wanted to rid Sweeney Todd of some of its more theatrical excesses, and make the movie more of a character study. In that light, the movie is a great success. But for some of us who thrive on theatrical excesses, the movie seems to collapse in on itself, becoming, in the end, a smaller enterprise than it had promised to be - less operatic, less apocalyptic, and more like Quentin Tarantino on a bad weekend in Las Vegas. In particular, the ensemble songs are missing or pared down (The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, City On Fire, More Hot Pies), which is to be lamented.

Timothy Burton's trademark, which he shares with filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, and explains a lot of his appeal, is the sense of the lonely child, lost in a heartless world. This lonely kid theme reappears time and again in Burton's movies, movies like "A Nightmare Before Christmas" and "The Corpse Bride." Thus, it was interesting that the character of Toby (Ed Sanders) was cast with an actual kid, rather than a simpleton adult, as in the play. The lost, lonely child as surviving witness appealed to Burton. Interesting too how young Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Johanna (Jayne Wisener) are cast as well - young enough to be lost, lonely children, surviving in a heartless world.

So, good movie, but could have been better. Too bad the character of Pirelli didn't survive to teach Burton a few Mediterranean tricks. Too bad Timothy Burton himself isn't italiano - now those folks know something about operatic excess!