On DVD: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

 

 

Directed by Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman

 

“There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and it's filled with people who are filled of sh*t, and the vermin of the world inhabit it, and it goes by the name of 'London.”

Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp)

 

Okay, you had to have been in a coma to have not heard about the Tim Burton remake of Sweeney Todd. If you missed it in the theater, now is your chance. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is released on April 1st, 2008 by Dreamworks Home Video.

 

The Movie

 

Benjamin Barker, a poor barber (Johnny Depp) was in love with his wife Lucy and his beautiful baby daughter Joanna. Until Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) sees the beautiful Lucy and the baby and decides they should belong to him. He falsely imprisons Barker and kidnaps Lucy and the baby.

 

Barker finally gets out of jail 15 years later and he is ready to do something with his blades and scissors, and it isn’t giving haircuts and beard trims. He tries to find his wife and daughter but instead comes across Ms. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter) and her roach infested meat pie restaurant. Her restaurant is downstairs from where Barker had his shop. Barker adopts the name Sweeney Todd, sharpens his blades for revenge and reopens his shop above the meat pie establishment.

 

The two work together in getting revenge for Sweeney Todd. But, little does Todd know that his daughter is still alive and in the clutches of Judge Turpin and his disquieting and greasy companion Judge Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall). Will Sweeney be able to slice and dice his way to the ultimate revenge and free his daughter and find out what ever happened to Lucy?

 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is macabre and eloquently gory. It is a musical, so know that going in. And when I say musical, there are not very many lines in the movie that are not sung by the main actors. So, it is wall to wall singing.

 

I am not the biggest musical fan and I absolutely was over the moon for this film. The Tim Burton I adore is apparent in every frame of this film. If you are still holding a grudge against him because of Planet of the Apes, this is going to be the film that puts your name back on the list of his fan club. It is a cinematic gem, from top to bottom.

 

The performances, particularly those of Depp and Carter, are absolutely first rate. Both are not only fine actors, as we all know, but prove themselves to be quite good singers. And, what is their not to love about Timothy Spall and Alan Rickman? Any fan of British cinema already knows these men to be fantastic actors.

 

The cinematography is eye popping and gorgeous, as well as the set design and costumes. The music is dreamy and moody. And for you gore hounds out there, Burton lets the blood and guts cover every frame of this exquisite nightmare.

 

So, I think you can tell I liked this film. If you feel that Burton hasn’t made a great film since Edward Scissorhands or The Nightmare Before Christmas (with director Henry Selick), do yourself a favor: don’t miss this film.

 

 

The glowing reviews this film is receiving is deserved, as were the Oscar nominations. Just add this film to your collection as soon as you can. If you call yourself a Tim Burton fan, it is mandatory.

 

10/10

 

The Video

 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is presented in anamorphic widescreen. The black crush of this film is captured well and the presentation is first rate. The blood is nice and vibrant.

 

8/10

 

The Audio

 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in three languages with optional subtitles: English, French and Spanish. The dialogue is crystal clear, the music is vibrant and sweeping and every ambient sound of the streets of 1800’s London is captured beautifully.

 

8.5/10

 

The Packaging and Bonus Features

 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is presented in a two disc amaray case with a nicely gothic cover that captures the spirit of the film nicely.

 

A plethora of bonus features await your discovery on this release. But, one cannot believe that among all the treasures, a commentary with Burton and/or Depp is not offered, but it is true Burton fans, it is true. There is NOT a commentary track.

 

But, what else is offered is plentiful. Burton+Depp+Carter=Todd is a nicely assembled “making of” featurette. Sweeney Todd Press Conference, November 2007, Sweeney is Alive: The Real History of the Demon Barber are both delightfully informative featurettes.

 

The bonus material continue to flow with Musical Mayhem: Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, Sweeney’s London and The Making of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, all of which are fantastic and will make any fan of Sondheim or Tim Burton’s heart skip a beat.

 

An interesting bonus feature is Grand Guignol: A Theatrical Tradition that teaches us the history of Horror Theater in French culture.

 

Also offered are Designs for a Demon Barber about the visuals and costumes, Bloody Business that details the blood used in the film. Movietone Unscripted with Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is also a fun little featurette.

 

Next up is The Razor’s Refrain which is a slideshow of images set to music. Rounding things out are a photo gallery and Theatrical Trailer.

 

I can’t believe there isn’t a director’s commentary so it is going to lose a point in this category because of that. But, Burton fans can’t complain about the abundance of wonderful bonus features that are offered on this release.

 

9/10 

  

Overall (Not an Average) 9/10

The Review

The Movie 10/10

The Video 8/10

The Audio 8.5/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 9/10

Overall (Not an Average) 9/10

 

Suzie Lackey