The biggest fear in seeing Tim Burton's adaptation of Sweeney Todd was the translation; film is an entirely different beast than theatre. There were newsflashes of songs and scenes being slashed from the show. ("They're cutting the 'Ballad of Sweeney Todd' from Sweeney Todd?!") Okay, Sondheim approved all the cast. Okay, he also approved the cuts of the chorus. And all his music is still present as the underscore. As long as 'Epiphany' is still there in full. It is? Oh good. One must be dubious when it comes to screen versions of theatre, especially with Burton at the helm; he has a habit, to say it mildly, of making interesting choices.
Preface being said, with eyes wide open, what was witnessed was a masterpiece of a film. Burton has truly visualized a "hole in the world like a great black pit" that is Sondheim and Sweeney's London. From the moment one enters this dog eat dog (or man eat man) world, we see clouds constantly blotting out the sun, dark waters churning below the waves, and rats in the streets; we know that this art has been taken care of with loving hands. Albeit those clutching straight razors.
For those with knowledge with the musical, the immediate familiarity of the score comes straight to the front. The chorus of voices is missed, to be sure, but the whole of the music is there, not only underscoring but becomes its own entity, the sprialing, haunting orchestrations drive the audience down the same madness of the rest of the characters in the film.
Purists argue that these movie stars' voices are not up to chops for Sondheim's tough melodies. After all, he is well known for making songs that no one can sing. However, while the songs are the force behind the story, the characters are at the heart; when terrific actors are found, everything else follows behind. This is exactly the case with Sweeney. Translating a huge melodrama into a film seems to reverse the polarity of the characters; instead of music hall broad strokes and comedy, everything is drawn inward - the singing reflects that. Johnny Depp's Sweeney has a harsh edge to his voice, and Helena Bonham Carter is fragile in tone; it doesn't seem like they could fill up a theatre. But that isn't what the film is, we see who these people are, and the music reflects that. Who needs broad strokes and big voices when the audience is there, in the shop, with blood splattered on their nice white shirts?
Sondheim, when originally making this musical, came from the standpoint of "Less is More," which is the style of the revival cast currently on tour. In a way, the film truly succeeds. Of course, London is fully realized from costumes to bakehouses, but the way the audience becomes intimately knowledgable with these people is brilliant in its simplicity. Not to gush, but Depp's portrayal of Sweeney is magnificent and heartbreaking. We see him go from a simple barber (brief, but poinant) to the driven man of rage as dark as the city he returns to. All of his performances are captivating, but none so much as this brooding, epic antihero. His voice is harsh, but it is always touched with such utter sadness and despiration. He is matched by the practicality of Carter's Lovett. It seems that her despiration warrants even more sympathy, but then one realizes that she is purly evil for greed; no reparations for past crimes, simply for want of more money. But she isn't the usual comic relief that usually comes with characterizations, Carter is a surprise treat and is simply amazing in creating a deep and brooding baker, with the same drive as Sweeney. It must be said, however, that she does bring the house down (with the help of amazing filming) during "By The Sea", the one truly comic number.
The cast is further fleshed out with the extremely wise casting of Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, the other antagonist of the film. He, like the rest of the cast, sings as someone who hasn't held a tune in 20 years, but does it with such conviction and power that it never matters; the notes are all there, but what is more important is the clarity of his character. His performance is matched in intensity but opposite in theme by Sasha Baron Cohen, playing the braggart, Adolfo Pirelli. Largely comic relief, Mr. Cohen brings a quiet practicality to his actions when he is behind closed doors that is surprisingly powerful. Perhaps the true standout of the supporting roles is Ed Sanders as Tobias Ragg. Playing the assistant to Pirelli, and then to Lovett and Todd after his master is called away, he is a ferocious and powerful presence wrapped in a very small young person. His performance of "Not While I'm Around" with Carter is one of the best scenes in musical history.
While Jamie Campbell Bower and Jane Wisener play Anthony Hope and Johanna Turpin/Todd well, their lovers' relationship is severely neutered with the cutting of the script and songs. What is once a brightness and comedic light in this world is now simply awkward; the audience simply does not care for these people who have had so little screen presence. The parts are played incredibly adeptly and with fierce conviction, but it seems like Tim Burton has missed this opportunity. Along the same vein, Timothy Spall is highly miscast as Beadle Bamford. He, like everyone else, is a wonderful actor, but it seems as if he took a cue from Wormtail from Harry Potter and Nathaniel from Enchanted: ugly and coarse rather than slick and corrupted, as the Beadle is traditionally played.
The missed opportunites give a tiny sour note to what is otherwise a magnificent production. Sweeney Todd has always been a force of nature, and it is an extreme pleasure to see something this amazing translated so well.
The cast is further fleshed out with the extremely wise casting of Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin, the other antagonist of the film. He, like the rest of the cast, sings as someone who hasn't held a tune in 20 years, but does it with such conviction and power that it never matters; the notes are all there, but what is more important is the clarity of his character. His performance is matched in intensity but opposite in theme by Sasha Baron Cohen, playing the braggart, Adolfo Pirelli. Largely comic relief, Mr. Cohen brings a quiet practicality to his actions when he is behind closed doors that is surprisingly powerful. Perhaps the true standout of the supporting roles is Ed Sanders as Tobias Ragg. Playing the assistant to Pirelli, and then to Lovett and Todd after his master is called away, he is a ferocious and powerful presence wrapped in a very small young person. His performance of "Not While I'm Around" with Carter is one of the best scenes in musical history.
While Jamie Campbell Bower and Jane Wisener play Anthony Hope and Johanna Turpin/Todd well, their lovers' relationship is severely neutered with the cutting of the script and songs. What is once a brightness and comedic light in this world is now simply awkward; the audience simply does not care for these people who have had so little screen presence. The parts are played incredibly adeptly and with fierce conviction, but it seems like Tim Burton has missed this opportunity. Along the same vein, Timothy Spall is highly miscast as Beadle Bamford. He, like everyone else, is a wonderful actor, but it seems as if he took a cue from Wormtail from Harry Potter and Nathaniel from Enchanted: ugly and coarse rather than slick and corrupted, as the Beadle is traditionally played.
The missed opportunites give a tiny sour note to what is otherwise a magnificent production. Sweeney Todd has always been a force of nature, and it is an extreme pleasure to see something this amazing translated so well.
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