Recipe for a mouth-watering meat pie
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Yesterday, we revisited the imaginative world of Tim Burton, who tried his hand at a major movie musical a la "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Here are the primary observations we came away with:
WHAT DID YOU FIND
SURPRISING, REFRESHING OR EVEN SHOCKING ABOUT SWEENEY TODD?
· Unlike the Broadway stage musical, this film version
has been described as more realistic, less madcap and humorously over the top,
and more of a revenge fantasy with gruesomely dark elements.
· The volume of blood shed is surprisingly high, even
for a contemporary R rated film; the film contains numerous throat slashings in
close up and visually gory depictions.
· Depp is not known for having a singing voice, but you
could argue that he acquits himself nicely in this role for a novice.
· After a string of box office and/or critical failures,
including Mars Attacks!, Planet of the Apes, and Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory, fans and critics considered this movie a return to form for Tim
Burton.
· This is actually the 9th film adaptation of
the urban legend story of Sweeney Todd, which began circulating in early 19th
Century Britain. It’s also the third attempt at filming an adaptation of
Stephen Sondheim’s 1979 stage musical source.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
FILM’S GREATEST STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES?
· Good casting featuring top actors who create strong
performances here, despite Depp’s lack of singing experience.
· Strong emotional underpinnings: we understand Todd’s
revenge motivation and loathe Judge Turpin.
· Memorable sets, musical numbers and period costumes.
· Masterful lighting scheme and sumptuously dark
cinematography that emphasizes rich grays and eye-popping reds.
· However, while Burton is gifted at depicting fantasy
elements and colorfully expressive visual stories, he’s not as experienced as a
director of musicals, and this may not be his forte.
WHAT ARE SOME FAMILIAR
TROPES, PATTERNS AND MOTIFS FOUND IN MANY TIM BURTON MOVIES THAT ARE REPEATED
IN SWEENEY TODD?
· “Fish out of
water” eccentric main protagonists who don’t quite fit into the world they live
in: think of Edward Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Ed Wood, Batman, and The
Nightmare Before Christmas. These are outsiders who will not be denied or
ignored, who wish to fit in with others but cannot deny their own nature to do
so
- Exaggerated, fantastical
powers or circumstances that propel the protagonist
· The creation of wondrously fabricated and surreal
worlds that don’t follow the conventions of the world we know: these are highly
stylized, exaggerated, expressionistic environments that bear little
resemblance to the real world: Think of the outlandish architecture and scale
of his Gotham City, the German Expressionism-influenced off-kilter angled
universe of The Nightmare Before Christmas, the cartoonish landscapes of Pee
Wee’s Big Adventure, etc.
· A witch: in this film, the role of Mrs. Lovett; in
Sleepy Hollow, it’s Lady Van Tassel; in Alice in Wonderland it’s the Red Queen
· The innocent blonde babe in the woods: Johanna in
Sweeney Todd; Vicki Vale in Batman; Katrina Von Tassel in Sleepy Hollow; the
White Queen in Alice in Wonderland
· Flashbacks: Todd’s reminiscence of his beloved family
before they were torn away from him; Ichabod Crane’s nightmare dream of his
mother’s death; the multiple flashbacks in Big Fish
· Repeat castings: Depp, Bonham-Carter, Christopher Lee
and Jeffrey Jones are among the actors who continue to appear in many Burton
films
FILMS AND STORIES SIMILAR
TO SWEENEY TODD
· Les Miserables, another tale about a man who is
harshly persecuted and whose family is taken away from him.
· Django Unchained, another over-the-top revenge fantasy
flick.
· The Phantom of the Opera, a grand guignol cousin to
this tale and character
· Repo! The Genetic Opera, a 2008 American horror
musical rock opera