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

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Stephen Sondheim (musical) and
Hugh Wheeler (musical) ...

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Musical | Thriller

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:

Unrequited Love | Person On Fire | Severed Finger | Mass Murder | Loss Of Loved One

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 13 wins & 24 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:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL | Argentina:16 | Israel:18 | Japan:R-15 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | USA:R (certificate #43914) (cut) | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB) | Czech Republic:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Greece:K-17 | Ireland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | Italy:VM14 | Finland:K-18 | South Africa:16LV | Taiwan:R-18 | Hong Kong:III | Germany:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Netherlands:16 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

DreamWorks Pictures

Trivia:

The address on Mrs. Lovett's shop -- Number 186 -- is a reference to the London legend of Sweeney Todd, which placed his barber shop at this very address.

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:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best of 2007" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Searching (Part 2)

Dark Humor Done Right

Despite the grim expectations from the story synopsis, the film delivers gore in a surprisingly tasteful way. There are no screaming teenagers running from a lunatic; instead we get a somewhat British blend of satire, slapstick and just "wrong" humor. Although I'm not much of a Johnny Depp fan, I enjoyed his performance as well as Helena Bonham Carter's. Even the portrayal of the common clients was stunning.

Despite being generally familiar with the story, I fell into some traps expecting specific twists, yet something different (and better) being delivered. This is a model of how to do dark humor that filmmakers should and probably will follow. It is most refreshing. Don't read the story and don't read any spoilers until you've seen it.