I recently saw the trailer for Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, an upcoming gothic dark fantasy starring Johnny Depp and Ian McKellen and it immediately caught my attention. Looking it up online, I saw it was directed by Ti West and not Tim Burton. Still, the gothic setting and visuals reminds me of Burton's work. Johnny Depp’s collaboration with Tim Burton on gothic horror films have a unique appeal to me. I have watched some of their movies together and thought to review this gothic musical that has stayed with me ever since I watched it.
Written by John Logan and directed by Tim Burton based on the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Sondheim and High Wheeler, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007) is a gothic musical slasher starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall and other supporting actors.
This gothic dark fantasy is a retelling of the Victorian tale of a barber who returns to London after his life has been destroyed by the cruel Judge Turpin. The barber's name is formerly Benjamin Barker but he returns with a new identity, Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), and revenge is the only thing that matters to him.
He soon reconnects with Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) who owns a struggling pie shop below his old barber shop. Their partnership takes the film in a very dark direction once Sweeney starts putting his razor skills to horrifying use (you will be shocked and wary of barbers). I will keep the spoilers light and not give away the twists but Mrs Lovett comes up with a creative solution to one of their problems.
Sweeney wants revenge for the years taken away from him and his family while Mrs Lovett wants love and a prospering pie business. Will they both get what they want without the residents of London knowing what they are up to? This movie is darkly disgusting, funny and strangely clever all at once.
My Review And Rating
I enjoy gothic horror or dark fantasy and those Johnny Depp have appeared in really portray the setting. The plot of this movie is solid, a retelling of a 1970 play about revenge served in the worst and most disgusting way possible. When I watched this film for the first time, I went in blind and it took me by surprise. It is gloomy, bloody, theatrical and occasionally funny due to Depp's performance.
Directed by Tim Burton, the movie has an atmosphere that perfectly suits the gothic genre. The version of London shown in the film feels like it has been covered in soot, sadness and bad memories. Everything is dark, gloomy and cold, even the characters seem trapped inside this miserable world that looks like Sweeney Todd's creation. I personally loved that. Tim Burton does not try to making the setting realistic or add bright colours. Instead it feels like walking into a nightmare where everyone suddenly starts singing and somehow, life must go on.
The ensemble cast also makes this movie fascinating. Johnny Depp works well as the focus of the film. He plays Sweeney in a quiet, controlled way which makes him more interesting to me. I understood his pain and why he wanted revenge but there were moments when I wanted to feel more connected to his cause. I wished Burton had shown more clearly who Benjamin Barker was before he became Sweeney Todd. I wanted a little more of the man underneath the anger.
Helen Bonham Carter on the other hand might the person I enjoyed watching the most. Mrs Lovett is weird, funny, manipulative and surprisingly cheerful considering everything happening around her. While Sweeney is trapped in his pain and revenge obsession, she still dreams about a happier life. I find their relationship fascinating and their chemistry is convincing enough.
Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin is exactly the kind of villain this movie needs. His calmness makes him uncomfortable to watch and reminds me of his role in the Harry Potter films. He was always good at making a character feel threatening without doing too much and that quality works perfectly in this movie.
The music was another part of the experience that I liked. I'm not someone who automatically loves every musical but Sweeney Todd's songs felt right for this strange world. The characters are so dramatic and emotionally damaged that ordinary conversation almost would not be enough. Singing makes their feelings bigger, darker and more theatrical.
One part of the film I didn't like as much is the romance between Johanna and Anthony. Their relationship is important to the story but I wasn't as invested in them as I was in Sweeney and Mrs Lovett. Their scenes felt more like plot necessities than moments I genuinely care about.
Also, the gore and violence became a little repititive after a while. The first time Sweeney's barber chair reveals it's horrible purpose, I found the scene shocking and darkly entertaining. It is one of those moments where the movie's twisted sense of humour works well. Once the pattern repeated several times, I started to feel less shocked by it. But that says something about Sweeney himself. Revenge does not seem to heal him; it just gives him another reason to keep going.
Beneath all the gothic visuals, dramatic songs and suspicious meat pies, this is a story about someone who cannot let go of what was taken from him. That is what makes the film more than just a stylish slasher musical.
Rating the movie, I’d give it 8 out of 10 stars. This is not a film I would describe as comforting but it is hard to forget. It's grim, bloody and fascinating.
All images above are screenshots from the movie
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Rating: 80/100
