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

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

21 December 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | 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:

Judge | Widow | Razor | Lust | Picnic

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 20 wins & 31 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)
Sweeney Todd, le diabolique barbier de Fleet Street (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Svini Tod: Pakleni berberin iz ulice flit (Serbia) [sr]
Sweeney Todd (Germany) [de]
Sweeney Todd (Norway) (short title) [no]
Sweeney Todd - Ðavolji brijac Fleet Streeta (Croatia) [hr]
Sweeney Todd - A Fleet Street démoni borbélya (Hungary) [hu]
Sweeney Todd - Demonbarbereren fra Fleet Street (Norway) (poster title) [no]
Sweeney Todd - Demoniczny golibroda z Fleet Street (Poland) [pl]
Sweeney Todd - Der teuflische Barbier aus der Fleet Street (Germany) [de]
Sweeney Todd - El barbero demoníaco de la calle Fleet (Venezuela) [es]
Sweeney Todd - El barbero diabólico de la calle Fleet (Spain) [es]
Sweeney Todd - O Barbeiro Demoníaco da Rua Fleet (Brazil) [pt]
Sweeney Todd - O Terrível Barbeiro de Fleet Street (Portugal) [pt]
Sweeney Todd - O fonikos koureas tis odou Fleet (Greece) [el]
Sweeney Todd: Den Djævelske Barber fra Fleet Street (Denmark) [da]
Sweeney Todd: El barbero demoníaco de la calle Fleet (Argentina) [es]
Sweeney Todd: Fleet Sokaginin Seytan Berberi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Sweeney Todd: Fleet Streeti deemonlik habemeajaja (Estonia) [et]
Sweeney Todd: Fleet Streetin paholaisparturi (Finland) [fi]
Sweeney Todd: Il diabolico barbiere di Fleet Street (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic bloody violence.

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

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 Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | 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:13 | New Zealand:R16 | Chile:18

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

DreamWorks Pictures

Trivia:

Among those who influenced Johnny Depp's performance as Sweeney Todd were Peter Lorre (especially in Mad Love (1935)), Boris Karloff, Anthony Newley and Iggy Pop.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The razors are said by Todd to be silver, but if they were genuine silver they would have been badly tarnished after 15 years.

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:

References Psycho (1960)

Soundtrack:

God, That's Good!

Awesome, dark and funny. Classic Tim Burton stuff.

Good dark fun.

I knew nothing of this movie except Tim Burton and Johnny Depp had something to do with it, and that, as the executive director put it, there was "lots of blood". I don't think of myself as liking musicals, although I should probably reconsider now.

I had a moment of dread when the movie started and there was a mention of Sacha Baron Cohen being in it. However his performance was in fact quite good. While his acting has a few things in common with his over-the-top Borat character, it somehow fits rather well within the movie.

Some elements of the plot are rather predictable, in a Greek tragedy sort of way, but it doesn't really detract from the movie. We get to enjoy the downward spiral even though we know its shape.

All in all, the movie was awesome, filled with damned and hopeless characters that still made you laugh at every turn.