Tell me, why did I always think this was a cute musical love story? I blame that musical number “By the Sea”. Grump/sunshine romance??… I’m all for that. So yes, Sweeney Todd is a beautiful love story; it depends, of course, on whether we are talking about perverted love, pure love, lost love, or a manipulative love.
Tim Burton is known for his signature gothic visual style, and the grimy London is just the perfect opening scene, which immediately captures your attention. discovering the music is by well-respected music composer Stephen Sondheim, who was new to me, a little research told me you can never go wrong with Stephen, so my expectations were a little high. I usually base it on a director, not a composer, but here the score demanded my attention, and I was not disappointed.
Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is about Benjamin Baker, who returns to London for revenge. He meets Mrs. Lovett, “the pie-maker,” who happens to have loved him for a long time. Along the way, we meet dreamers Anthony and Johanna, who bring warmth to the movie, and the tragically loyal person I cared for, Tobias, who finally gets a make-shift family. We also meet the city’s judge, who was not only obsessed with Lucy, Mr. Todd’s wife, but also has a sick fascination with Johanna, her daughter.
We get to know about Benjamin Baker’s once-perfect family, his tragic love for his wife Lucy, the poetic justice, Anthony and Johana Rapunzel’s story, who only want to run away, see the world, and the twisted, perverted obsession the judge has for the Baker women. This guy was just a sick old man, and somewhere in the center of the story is Tobias, who finally gets a mom, and although he holds her with high regard, unfortunately, Mrs. Lovett’s only care is for Mr. Todd, for whom she can do nothing.
The resentment in Sweeney’s eyes in the opening scene/ musical No Place Like London should have given it away. Yes, I applauded Johnny Depp for being a fantastic actor, but the musical proved to be more than that, it’s a thriller, crime drama, tragedy, and the romantic in me saw the love which had absolutely no warmth. But you just keep watch as it gets bloodier, keeping you invested in Mr. Todd’s journey. We get some of the best performance by Johnny Depp. he trades the swagger for a much heavier, tragic weight. The hollow look in his eyes shows that he never loses track of his thirst for revenge, and of course, Helena Bonham as Mrs. Lovett, a person I thought was an innocent follower of Mr. Todd’s escapades, only to be given an “I did not see that coming” moment. I mean, we all know how talented Helena Bonham is. Mrs. Lovett first comes off as a business lady trying to make ends meet in the dying London, only for you to discover she has layers to her. These two actors shone brightly under the wonderful direction of Tim Burton, with music composed by Stephen Sondheim. For musical lovers, the movie has a stage musical version with more songs, so you should consider checking it out
In the end, the film is not only a love story but a brutal study of how trauma and vengeance can hollow out the human and how a vulnerable heart can actually be used for selfish reasons. Leaving you with a lot of questions, what if and maybes, what happened to Tobias, did Anthony and Johanna finally make it, what if Sweeney Todd never met Mrs. Lovett, did Johanna ever know about her parents? And that’s what makes it a good movie, keeping you emotionally involved, so that even after watching it, you cannot help but think about it. Would I recommend this movie? Absolutely enjoy the tale of the demon barber from Fleet Street.
