Sweeney Todd

To conveniently maintain the theme of grisly carnage, we will now turn our attention to Tim Burton's latest descent into the macabre - Sweeney Todd.

The film opens (after a fantastic opening credits sequence) with Sweeney Todd porting into the dreary docks of London. He explains, in song, how he was once happily married and full of life...until a corrupt and wicked judge had him carted away in order to get his lustful hands on Todd's pretty little wife. Todd has been absent for 15 years, and has now returned with a new name, crazier hair, and an unnerving desire to see his razor blades again.

Back at his old abode, he finds Mrs. Lovett's meat pies still filling the restaurant below with a disgusting aroma. She realizes who he is, and explains to him - in song - that his pretty little wife was ensnared by the wicked judge through deception, and ended up poisoning herself. Todd declares that he is no longer the carefree man he once was, and that he will have his revenge.

Once settled back into the apartment above Mrs. Lovett's, Todd locates his barber's knives and sings a ballad to them. He and Mrs. Lovett cook up a scheme that will lead the judge right into the barber's chair...for the closest shave Todd ever gave.

Meanwhile, we discover that Todd's daughter - only an infant when he was taken away - is the judge's ward. He keeps her locked away, but not far enough away from the eyes of young Antony - with whom Todd sailed to London. Upon seeing the lovely girl he falls instantly in love, despite the stern and cruel threats delivered by the judge.

Todd begins his new vocation: shaving unsuspecting customers right into Mrs. Lovett's pies - a comedic, if quite gruesome, affair. Gallons of blood are spilt as Antony pines for the girl Joanna, Mrs. Lovett pines for Todd, and Todd pines for the judge's jugular.

The stories all congeal into one messy bloodbath, and hardly anyone makes it out of Sweeney Todd alive.

Warnings
Todd's repulsion by humanity elicits an excremental expletive once or twice.

But, like Rambo, the main warning here is gore. I was unprepared for how gory this musical was going to be. In fact, the contradictory feelings evoked by dark humor, beautiful songs, and pure slasher gore left my brain quite befuddled. The gore is admittedly very stylized; in one interview, Tim Burton joked about how unlike real blood is the artsy red stuff in the movie. Nevertheless, you still need to be prepared for a lot of spurting blood and lifeless bodies hitting the floor. You keep thinking Burton will cut away quicker after the first few murders...but he never does. It may very well be difficult or even impossible for some to reconcile the gore here.

Redeeming Value?
There's no messianic symbolism or triumph of the human spirit to be found in Sweeney Todd. In some ways, it's just an excuse for Johnny Depp to speak in a tormented British accent and slit dozens of throats.

But the music is truly wonderful. The performances are excellent. The style and look of the picture are, though distinctly Burton, transporting and extremely artistic.

Revenge is the pie being served in Sweeney Todd, but it does not go down very easily. The gore is highlighted but not glorified. And more than we admire and pity Todd, we fear and disapprove of him. His sins are not excused, and he is ultimately forced to pay for them.

This movie is - just as Todd deems Mrs. Lovett - a bloody wonder.