Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Blu-ray delivers stunningly beautiful video and superb audio in this exceptional Blu-ray release
Unjustly sent to prison, a man vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the
devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to
reopen his barber shop, he becomes Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, who
"shaved the faces of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard of again." Sweeney's
amorous accomplice, Mrs. Lovett, creates diabolical meat pies.
After Planet of the Apes I was worried that I might never like Tim Burton again. Then came
Big Fish, his tall-tale ode to storytelling, and I was hooked once more, happy with his
bright, mythic, but still undeniably Burton-esque new direction. His last two films, Corpse
Bride and now Sweeney Todd are a return his pre-Planet of the Apes form,
and
while detractors may view the two as more of the same, Sweeney Todd in particular shows
the director working some new motifs and methods into his familiar dark and comic themes. Based
on the 1979 musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, Sweeney Todd is a dark
revenge story in the tradition of France's Le Grande Guignol, a theater of the horrifically
absurd that reveled in the blood and guts of human longing and dispair.
Revenge—as Frenchmen and Klingons have both claimed—is a dish best served cold, and
Sweeney Todd's plot revolves around chilly, calculated retribution. The titular character,
played by Burton-standby Johnny Depp, has just returned to Victorian London after a long,
unjust banishment in Australia's penal colony. Before his forced exile, Sweeney Todd, then known
as Benjamin Barker, was a successful barber with a beautiful wife and newborn baby. In a story
as old as King David's, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) lusts after Benjamin's wife, has him thrown
out of the country, and then takes the woman—and the little girl—as his own. Benjamin's wife
drinks poison to escape the situation, leaving baby Johanna (Jayne Wisener) to grow up under
the watchful eye of the leering and lecherous Judge. When Benjamin returns to London, newly
christened as Sweeney Todd, he sets up shop in his old flat above Mrs. Lovett's (Helana Bonham
Carter) humble pie emporium, and awaits the day that he can exact razor-edged revenge on
Judge Turpin. After killing a rival barber (Sasha Baron Cohen) who knows his secret past,
Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett come up with an ingenious way of disposing the body—as the new
secret
ingredient of her soggy meat pies. This leads to a strait-blade killing spree that serves as practice
for Sweeny and better business for Mrs. Lovett, who also harbors feelings for the demonic barber.
In the end, as always, revenge is bittersweet.
Retribution plots rely on the audience's empathy for the wronged, and, failing that, must make
up for the lack of compassion with spectacle—the least important dramatic principle, according to
Aristotle's Poetics anyway. Since the revenge tale is a Hollywood staple, this reliance on
style over substance is apparent in a number of films. Where would Kill Bill be, for
example, without its wire-fu acrobatics or arterial bloodletting? Sweeney Todd follows a
similar compromise, in that its relatively thin plot and the unlikable nature of its morally dubious
protagonist are supported by ever-present musical numbers and a healthy dose of gore. And, for
the most part, it works. The movie is entertaining and self-assured, but after the spectacle is
over, there's really not much left to digest.
I was impressed, however, by the confidence in Tim Burton's directing. Shots are framed with
architectural precision, and he reigns in the rampant melodrama with a significant amount of his
characteristically black and visual humor. The performances too—vocally and otherwise—are bold
and memorable. Depp's Sweeney is like a razor-wielding Mozart on meth—and his untrained
Bowie-esque voice brings an individuality to the songs that would get lost in the American
Idol blandness of a more professional singer's take. Helena Bonham Carter is somehow
witchy and tender, like a gothic Eliza Doolittle, and Sasha Baron Cohen's brief role as Señor Pirelli
—who, my wife pointed out, looks like a bizarro version of Strawberry Shortcake's Purple
Pie Man—is hilariously over-the-top.
I'd also be remiss not to mention the fantastic costume work, make-up, and Academy Award-
winning Best Art Direction that fills out Sweeney Todd's well-realized universe. I was
living in Japan when Sweeney Todd came out, and it was interesting for me to see how
Mrs. Lovett's wardrobe and make-up seemed inspired by Japan's EGL (elegant gothic Lolita)
subculture, which itself has been largely influenced by the creepy/cute dichotomy seen in
Burton's earlier works.
Overall, if you like musicals, you'll probably find a lot to love in Sweeney Todd, and even
the less theatrically-inclined among you may become at least momentarily entranced by the
demon barber of Fleet Street.
Tim Burton's Fleet Street is a gloomy, horror-show take on Victorian London, and this 1080p VC-
1 1.85:1 transfer is blacker than the plague itself, and I mean that in the most complimentary
way possible. While Sweeney Todd is, by no means, a reference disc for accurate color
representation, it is reference-level quality for everything that Tim Burton sets out to do here.
This is a deep, dark, inky film, and what would be called a lack of shadow delineation in other
movies is used in Sweeney Todd for delicious dramatic effect. Just check out the sleepy
hollows (har har) that are Johnny Depp's cheeks, and marvel at the way the light curves and
disappears into their sunken recesses. The film is cast with a suitably blue and corpse-like pallor,
which gives the colorful flashback scenes—not to mention Mrs. Lovett's beautifully toned seaside
fantasy—a vivid and contrasting appearance. Texture and clarity are razor-sharp throughout, and
I found that I could easily make out individual fibers on many of the characters' costumes. The
only quibbles I have with Sweeney Todd's visual presentation are minor and in no way
transfer-related. In some scenes it's apparent that Johnny Depp's pores have been digitally
smoothed over, a choice that, to me anyway, doesn't seem to fit with the character's otherwise
stylish yet haphazard look. Additionally, some of the CGI and compositing takes on the slightly
fake quality of HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, a love it or hate it approach that often
looks stunning but undeniably unreal. These are petty complaints, really. The big no-noes—over-
sharpening, digital artifacts, poor DNR—are wholly absent from the film, and the picture quality of
Sweeney Todd is sure to impress.
A booming church organ opens Sweeney Todd's 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track, and from then on
the music rarely relents. Thankfully, this mix of Stephen Sondheim's memorable tunes is full,
dynamic and sonically palatable. The orchestra swells and pierces with multi-channel prowess.
Listen to the deep, untroubled lows, the strong, crystalline highs, and a clear middle that keeps the
track grounded in clarity. The sense of immersion is strong, especially as London's crowds swarm
and gather around Señor Pirelli's elixir cart. A tad boost in vocal volume would be appreciated, as
some of the voices—women's in particular—get occasionally overshadowed in the mix, but
otherwise, Sweeney Todd's audio package is strong, consistent, and fully engaging.
Burton + Depp + Carter = Sweeney Todd (1080i, 26:08)
Much of this feature is spent talking about how the various actors are not professional singers
and had to spend a lot of time working on their voices. Depp seems particularly anxious about his
singing ability, but I don't know if I buy it. He is fun to listen to, though, and bedecked in a floppy
hat, tortoiseshell glasses, and a battered leather coat, it's hard not to love his shabby
bohemianism. Lovebirds Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton also discuss the musicality of the
film, and are joined by producers Walter F. Parkes and Richard Zanuck, music producer Mike
Higham, and Depp's singing instructor, Bruce Witkin. Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007 (SD, 19:42)
Tim Burton scrambles hilariously to turn off his ringing cell phone in the first few seconds of this
press conference, and that sets the tone for the whole thing. The participants—including Tim
Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and Richard Zanuck
—are all in high spirits, and plenty of humor gets tossed about. It's pretty entertaining for a press
conference, and definitely worth a watch. Musical Mayhem: Sondheim's Sweeney Todd (1080i, 12:05)
Stephen Sondheim, the composer/lyricist for Sweeney Todd, discusses the story's origins,
from a mid-19th century penny dreadful, to C.G. Bond's theatrical adaptation and beyond. He
notes the cuts and trimmings that have been made to this current incarnation, but encourages
fans of the stage version to leave their memories at the door and experience something
new. The Making of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (SD,
24:03)
This run-of-the-mill EPK featurette will spoil the film for those who haven't seen it, and bore
those who already have. Out of all the supplementary materials, this is the only one I'd advise
skipping. Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition (1080i, 19:16)
This mini-documentary discusses Sweeney Todd's adherence to the traditions of Grand
Guignol, a branch of extreme naturalism that broke taboos in its graphic depictions of gory
horror. Designs for a Demon Barber (1080i, 10:56)
Costume designer Colleen Atwood, and production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo
Shiavo talk about Burton's intent to keep Sweeney Todd in a fabled, Victorian, horror
movie version of London. A Bloody Business (1080i, 8:53)
Neal Scanlan, who was in charge of prosthetics/special effects for Sweeney Todd,
discusses
the gory throat slashes, elucidates on the experimentation the special effects team went through
before arriving at a look that they liked, and then gives an entertaining first-hand demonstration
of their blood-letting techniques. Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp (SD, 11:36)
This promo piece features Burton and Depp fielding a series of audience questions, mostly
regarding their history and working relationship. The questions and answers are, by and large,
unrevealing, but the two cinematic partners have a casual affection for one another that is warm
and genuine, and that's always good to see. The Razor's Refrain (1080i, 8:40)
A series of production stills set to music from the film. Photo Gallery (1080p)
Yes, a bit redundant. Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:33)
Musicals aren't for everyone, and when DreamWorks neglected to mention in promoting
Sweeney Todd that most of the dialogue was sung, not spoken, there were more than a
few
disgruntled theatergoers on opening night. For those that can suspend their disbelief and let the
songs tell the story, however, Sweeney Todd is a fun, well-made, if somewhat forgettable
watch. Blu-ray aficionados will also find much to love with this disc, as it boasts some incredible
visuals, a boisterous and involving score, and plenty of supplements to boot. Recommended.
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