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

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers (WGA):

John Logan (screenplay)
Stephen Sondheim (musical) ...

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Musical

Tagline:

Never Forget. Never Forgive.

Plot:

The infamous story of Benjamin Barker, a.k.a Sweeney Todd, who sets up a barber shop down in London which is the basis for a sinister partnership with his fellow tenant, Mrs. Lovett. Based on the hit Broadway musical.

Plot Keywords:

Whipping | Lust | Trapdoor | Psychopath | Madhouse

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 18 wins & 23 nominations

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Mrs. Lovett
Alan Rickman	...	Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall	...	Beadle
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Pirelli
Jamie Campbell Bower	...	Anthony
Laura Michelle Kelly	...	Beggar Woman
Jayne Wisener	...	Johanna
Ed Sanders	...	Toby (as Edward Sanders)
Gracie May	...	Baby Johanna
Ava May	...	Baby Johanna
Gabriella Freeman	...	Baby Johanna
Jody Halse	...	Policeman
Aron Paramor	...	Policeman
Lee Whitlock	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

Sweeney Todd (USA) (short title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Ireland:16 | UK:18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-18 | South Korea:18 | Singapore:M18 | Germany:16 | Japan:R-15 | Malaysia:18PL | Czech Republic:15 | Taiwan:R-18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Hong Kong:III | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | Italy:VM14 | Israel:18 | South Africa:16LV | Greece:K-17 | USA:R (certificate #43914) (cut) | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | France:-12 | Austria:14 | Denmark:15 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

DreamWorks Pictures

Trivia:

Several songs from the Broadway musical were excised from the film. They are: "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (and its many reprises); "Ah, Miss"; "Johanna" (Judge Turpin's version); "Kiss Me"; "Parlour Songs"; "City on Fire"; and "Epilogue". All ensemble / choral singing was also eliminated, most notably from "God, That's Good", in which the title of the song is now never even sung. Many other songs remaining in the film have been shortened. The only songs to remain intact are "Epiphany"; "Pretty Women"; "Johanna" (both Anthony's and Sweeney's); "The Worst Pies in London"; "Wait" and "My Friends". The song "My Friends" is not sung in its entirety. One line is added and the last line was edited, from "At last, my right arm is complete again" to "At last, my arm is complete again."

Goofs:

Continuity: The bottle of gin taken from Toby had very little gin left in it. However, when Mrs. Lovett pours Sweeny a drink it appears to be only half empty.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Anthony Hope: I have sailed the world, beheld its wonders, from the Dardanelles to the mountains of Peru. But there's no place like London.
Sweeney Todd: No, there's no place like London.
Anthony Hope: [spoken] Mr. Todd?
Sweeney Todd: You are young. Life has been kind to you. You will learn.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (#15.1)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Worst Pies In London

A Conventicle of Geniuses Came Together Here

And this conventicle has brought us a glistening and irresistible nightmare. There are delicious Dickensian overtones throughout, and the look of the film itself is poetically potent. The entire mix is shockingly seductive with an unforgettable ending. Burton's humor is part and parcel of his sheer brilliance, as always, and, as always, the great Johnny Depp is intense and positively unforgettable. All performances are electric, the pace and length are perfect, and the film draws us deeper and deeper with every moment into its stunning blend of the grotesque and the undeniably beautiful. Analysing the power of a film like this is no simple matter. The whole is dazzlingly disturbing. You don't want to miss a second of it, even though the film is merciless to us and to its protagonists. It sings, it glows, it enchants, it horrifies. I want to see it again. And again. It's a brutal and shattering masterpiece.