DVD Review: Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition)

Writer: John Logan, Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
Rating: R
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Release Date: April 1, 2008

I love movie musicals when they are well written, entertaining, and engaging. I should like movie musicals considering how many musicals I’ve been in and how many classes I took, in college, concerning musicals both on stage and in the movies. With that in mind, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard Johnny Depp and Tim Burton had teamed up, together, to bring Sondheim’s best musical (at least my favorite of all his work), Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, to the big screen. I wasn’t sure how Sweeney Todd would transfer from stage to screen because some musicals transfer exceptionally well and others just don’t work at all.

The story of Sweeney Todd in its various incarnations, dates back to the 1800s, when the legend of the London butcher was first published. Since then, the story has changed with each creative individual’s vision for the characters and the story. Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was first staged in 1979 by Sondheim. The composer spent over 25 years turning down ideas from Hollywood before consenting to allow Burton to adapt the musical into a screenplay. The only stipulation was that Sondheim had to approve casting. Burton, had his own stipulation, and that was that Johnny Depp had to be the lead character, Sweeney Todd.

At first, Sondheim wasn’t sure whether Depp could handle the score, vocally. There is no doubt Depp is a talented actor, but Sondheim had the same concerns I did. Could a cast of “Hollywood-ish” actors carry a music-intensive score? I wasn’t sure if Johnny Depp could sing at all. Evidently, Depp impressed Sondheim enough for him to agree to allow Burton to cast him in the lead. From there, the adaptation ofSweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was in development, and I must say, I’m all the better for seeing this.

Release Information:
Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opened in 1,250 theaters on December 21, 2007. The film had a successful opening weekend, grossing close to $10 million and since then, the popularity of the film, in correlation with the many positive reviews the critics have given it, have lead the film to a worldwide gross total of over $142 million as of the beginning of March. Not wanting fans of the movie to have to wait too long before releasing the film on DVD, Paramount has been promoting the DVD heavily before its April 1, 2008 DVD release.

I received a copy of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in a Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition. As a promotion, my DVD came in a cute pie tin, with a picture of Sweeney Todd (aka Johnny Depp) in the middle of the tin. It was very clever advertising on Paramount’s part. The movie is released in a standard edition as well as the two-disc set. The standard is available for $16.99 USD at Amazon, where you can get it in a pre-order. The two-disc special edition is available for $22.99 USD. Ultimately, which movie you purchase will depend on the extras included.

The Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Plot
The story for Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street may be dark and somewhat depressing, but those are the most enjoyable stories to act out on stage. Burton’s vision was a darker, harsher take on Sondheim’s story. There are some minor changes to the plot and some of the songs had to be cut due to time constraints. Still, Burton doesn’t butcher the work. He accurately pays homage to an excellent musical by the greatest living composer of our time.

I should remark on the colorization process Burton uses. If you’ve seen his work before, you know that Burton enjoys mixing bright, vibrant colors, when necessary, with black and white. This works incredibly well for Sweeney Todd, with colors only present with necessary and often, they stand out significantly, in order to put a greater emphasis on the action occurring on screen. While this style of filmmaking isn’t recommended for every film, it suits this movie just fine. The shades of black and grays used transfered perfectly, lending a lot more to the mood of the film that a colorized version would have lacked.

The transformation of Depp, who is known for turning himself into whatever character he is playing with such passion and conviction any method actor would be jealous, is astounding. Sure, we’ve seen him as Willy Wonka, as Jack Sparrow, and even as your average teen, Glen, in A Nightmare on Elm Street (all of which had Depp transforming amazingly…well…except for Glen). As Sweeney Todd, Depp is terrifying, heartbreaking, deviant, devious, and broken. There isn’t another person who could personify Todd on screen with such aplomb.

Now that I’ve complimented the director and at least one of the actors, I can move on to the plot. Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, in its movie form, tells the story of Sweeney Todd. Originally named Benjamin Barker, Todd had spent 15 years in exile in Australia, for a crime he never committed. As Depp explains to a young sailor, Anthony Hope (Jamie Campbell Bower), who saved Todd’s life and brought him back to London, there was a man who was naive. He was in love with his young wife, Lucy, and they had a new baby. This is insinuated from the get go that this is the story of Benjamin Barker.

A corrupt judge, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), sees Lucy, decides he must have her, and so he has his crony, Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall) take Benjamin away. He is arrested and exiled by the judge. Despite being a well-liked barber, the judge has all the power and Barker must leave the country. When Barker returns as Sweeney Todd, 15 very long years have passed. He is much older and the years imprisoned have given him a worn, older look, which is highlighted by the white stripe of hair down the middle of his somewhat long-ish locks.

Sweeney Todd returns to the site of his barber shop where he finds Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) baking disgusting tasting (and looking) pies. She says they’re the worst pies in London and she’s not lying. She does happen to have his beloved, silver razor set. She could have sold them, but she kept them hoping he’d return. She tells him of his wife’s fate. Lucy was forced to be with Judge Turpin. Miserable, she poisoned herself. Now, Turpin has adopted their young daughter, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), who is now 15. She has been imprisoned in his home for as long as anyone can remember.

Sweeney is dead set on getting revenge. Since he is the ‘Demon Barber’ of Fleet Street, you’ve probably already figured out he becomes a murderer. I’ve heard him labeled a monster, but I don’t see him as that. He had said he planned to stop and even spoke to his friend (the blade) about going to sleep once he’s had his revenge. I see Sweeney more as a product of a hateful society and terrible circumstance. He was bitter and he was in pain. The loss of Lucy was enough to send him over the edge.

Sweeney commits his first murder to protect his identity and prevent someone from blackmailing him. From there, he concocts a plan with Mrs. Lovett, who is in love with Sweeney, to get rid of the bodies by having her cook them in the oven and put them in her pies. He will have customers come in to his upstairs barber shop and kill them. It is the perfect way for him to get revenge, her to make money, and the bodies to be disposed of in an easy way.

There is an interwoven story about Johanna and the sailor, Anthony. Johanna wants to escape. Anthony is infatuated with her. He decides to seek Sweeney Todd’s help in getting Johanna away from Judge Turpin. Of course, he does not know the girl is Sweeney Todd’s daughter. He just knows that he is in love with her, as is shown when he sings the best song in the show/movie, “Johanna”. There are also some very interesting characters who add a little something to the roles including a rival barber, Signor Adolfo Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), a beggar woman (Laura Michelle Kelly) who says evil is consuming the barber shop as she complains about the smell of “evil” coming from the chimney and a little boy, Toby (Ed Sanders), who helps out at the barber shop/pie shop.

The best singers in the show were definitely Ed Sanders and Jamie Campbell Bower. Young Sanders, especially, blew me away with his talent. That’s not to say anyone did a poor job. My least favorite singer was newcomer, Jayne Wisener, though she didn’t have much of a part. The rest of the cast was cast perfectly. Johnny Depp can sing! Who knew? Alan Rickman was perfectly evil and he can definitely carry a tune, too! Sasha Baron Cohen put in a believable performance and Helena Bonham Carter is creepy enough to make the perfect Mrs. Lovett. Sure, Bonham Carter is married to Burton, but she had to jump through all the same hoops to get Sondheim to approve her for the role. Having taken extensive voice lessons and having submitted at least twelve audition samples to Sondheim, the composer approved her for the role wholeheartedly. I don’t think any other actress in Hollywood could have pulled the part off better than she did.

The adaptations to the story in terms of plot and cuts to the music were done in a way that the story was not lost. John Logan skillfully weaves an interesting story that leaves you wanting to know more as it unfolds. Pacing is done in a way to keep things interesting and allow those watching to know just enough to want to know more. All of the elements that make a movie excellent come together to make one terrific movie musical worthy of the work of Sondheim.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
The clean picture that Burton presents for the main feature of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition) is transfered at an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It is an anamorphic widescreen transfer that does not have any visual errors. The colors are vibrant, the blacks and grays are deep and rich. The contrast is perfect. I didn’t really notice any visible flaws or at least nothing that would be too distracting. Overall, the quality is superb.

With such a music intensive score, the utmost care had to be taken to ensure that the sound for the film was perfect. The score was played by a 96-piece orchestra and every word, sung or spoken, is easy to hear and pleasing on the ears. No volume adjustment is needed. Everything is consistent. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track in English is perfect for the movie. There are two other tracks that are 5.1 Dolby Digital in French and Spanish. Subtitles and Closed Captioning are available in all three languages.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Since this is a two-disc special collector’s edition of Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, there is a large amount of bonus features. What is included enhances what is already available with the main feature. The extras include:

Disc One

“Burton + Depp + Carter = Todd” – This is a behind the scenes featurette that shows Burton, Depp and Bonham Carter making Sweeney Todd. The feature is filled with plenty of rehearsals, behind the scenes footage, and recording sessions. This feature lasts close to a half hour.

Disc Two

“Sweeney Todd Press Conference” – A feature that shows a press conference for the movie. The conference features Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and Richard Zanuck.

“Musical Mayhem – Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd” – An interview with Stephen Sondheim. This discusses his musical, how he feels about the movie (he’s very happy with it), working with Burton on the movie project, and how the score changed between musical and movie.

The Making of Sweeney Todd – This is your typical making of feature. I enjoyed this supplement, a lot.

The Razor’s Refrain – Music from the movie accompanies a montage of movie stills.

Designs For A Demon Barber – This, as you might have guessed, deals with the design and look of Sweeney Todd. There are plenty of concept drawings showing ideas for the movie as well as interviews with Tim Burton, Colleen Atwood and Dante Ferretti.

“Sweeney Todd is Alive – The Real History of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” – This featurette was my favorite of all the extras. This discusses the orgins of the story behind Sweeney Todd. There is reference to the original legend, evidence that could support Sweeney Todd being real and evidence to support him not being real. There is also a look at real serial killers that may have influenced the legend.

Moviefone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp – Moviefone customers had the chance to ask Johnny and Tim questions via the Internet. Here is their responses.

Sweeney’s London – This feature explores London during the time in which Sweeney Todd was set. Plenty of drawings from the period are included. The Industrial Revolution was an interesting time in London history.

A Bloody Business – If you’re like me, then you’ll love this feature. Tim Burton discusses the special effects used when it came to Sweeney Todd’s victims and other elements of death. Ashtyn thought the blood was Campbell’s Tomato Soup. This sheds some light into how the effects of death were created. Creepily enough, Johnny Depp looks on as Burton talks, as he wears his Sweeney Todd costume and makeup. This one is rivaled for my favorite feature with the legend featurette.

Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition – This looks into one of the biggest theatrical influences for Burton and Sondheim. The Grand Guignol was a real theater found in France. In honor of the theater, the term “Grand Guignol” is now used to describe entertainment forms of a horror genre. The Grand Guignol was active in France from 1897 to 1962.

There is also a photo gallery and the trailer for Sweeney Todd.

Overall, there are plenty of offerings to satisfy fans of the movie and those who want to know about Sweeney Todd.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Sweeney Todd – The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the best film I’ve reviewed in 2008, thus far. I highly recommend the film whether you’re a fan of movie musicals or not. While the two younger, male performers shine the most, Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter put in solid performances and carry the movie. This one is a must see film. If you decide to purchase it, you should pick up the two-disc special collector’s edition. With so many bonuses and extras its worth the purchase.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Two-Disc Special Collector’s Edition, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, DVD Review, Stephen Sondheim, Musical, Tim Burton

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.