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Creepy turns melodic in Sweeney Todd
You get to see Johnny Depp in his most darkest, villainous
role ever, and he sings too. Could cinema get any better?
By Aamna Haider Isani
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I
don't think I ever want to eat a meat pie again. And if I were a man,
I certainly would not want to get a shave on Fleet Street in London.
That's one thing the film Sweeney Todd does for you, though I have
to admit that despite all the bloodshed and brooding, it is impossible
to resist Johnny Depp's charms.
Sweeney Todd; Demon Barber of Fleet Street is an odd film. It's a
weird concoction of horror, comedy, romance and most importantly,
music. It's a bit of a kabuli pulao or Christmas pudding mince meat,
if you wish to keep the culinary fibre of the film alive and you must,
if you want to savour the film to the fullest.
Though most people are watching the film for its cast (let's admit
it, for Johnny Depp only), it is possible to enjoy Sweeney Todd even
if you're not a Depp fan because the film appeals to one on so many
totally different levels. The only mandatory prerequisite is a love
for music.
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On
the surface level, it is the bizarre story of a barber named Benjamin
Barker (Johnny Depp) who returns from Australia (where he was unjustly
imprisoned) and finds that his family has fallen apart. His wife was
raped by Judge Turpin (also responsible for his sentence) and is now
dead; his daughter has grown up as the Judge's ward, and the lecherous
old man now is eyeing her with fancy. Barker takes up a false identity
of Sweeney Todd upon his return and promises to avenge all the injustices
that he has served.
Throw in the song and dance and till now, the story sounds befitting
for a Bollywood production. But the bizarre turn it takes twists it
to the macabre instead. Todd befriends Mrs Lovett, a buxom widow who
runs the "worst meat pie shop" in London, and takes a room
above her shop. And when the throat slitting marathon begins, they
decide that the best way to dispose the bodies is to strip them and
chop them up for pies. Hold your guts! For some people, the ease with
which innocent people are sliced dead may be too much to digest!
That's the most basic core of the story. However, given its history,
Sweeney Todd stands for much more. The story of Sweeney Todd was documented
in an award-winning musical (with a book by Hugh Wheeler) in the 1970s.
And the musical was based on the 19th century legend of Sweeney Todd
and specifically upon the 1973 play The String of Pearls, by Christopher
Bond. So unlike what it seems - a horrific series of slitting throats
and nothing more - this is a part of literature that has existed and
has been explored for decades. It can even be compared to Jack the
Ripper though no critic has established whether Sweeney is a mythical
character or actually existed.
Likewise, the premise and setting of the film is very symbolic. Sweeney's
character is a bit like Hamlet; he destroys himself in the rage for
revenge. Despite his being cruelly villainous, one has sympathy for
him as he has suffered as well. And as with all literarily intense
characters, he meets with poetic justice in the end. But you need
to watch the movie to figure out how. There are no spoilers in this
article!
The element of cannibalism (the meat pies) adds to the 'dog-eat-dog'
or in this case 'man-eats-man' philosophy and the story presents a
degree of social commentary on the times in which Sweeney Todd was
written. Mrs. Lovett's meat pies are no longer merely creepy but are
symbolic of a mechanistic, materialistic society. But enough of the
analysis!
What binds the entire film and makes it so pleasurable (other than
Johnny Depp) is the music and he fact that you get to hear Johnny
Depp sing for the first time. Much of the dialogue is orchestrated
to songs and one song leads to another just like an act of a play
would. These are not songs you can afford to skip; they enhance the
storyline and emphasize the drama.
Amongst the most instrumental to the story are 'There's no place like
London', which brings Sweeney back home, 'The Worst Meat Pies', sung
by Helena Bonham Carter who is cast as Mrs Lovett - it is a catchy
beat that gets one finger tapping, and most of all 'Pirelli's Magical
Elixir' that has been delightfully sung by the young Ed Sanders. Adolpho
Pirelli the barber, by the way, has been magnificently portrayed by
Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G or Borat) though it is difficult
to recognize him. Musically superior are 'Epiphany', where Sweeney
roams the streets stalking his victims and the title song, 'Sweeney
Todd: The Demon Barbar of Fleet Street.'
The film is loyal in following the genre set up by all Tim Burton
films - it's dark and eerie, always creepy. It casts Johnny Depp and
Helena Bonham Carter and it idolizes the bizarre and almost villainous.
But it is just as successful and enjoyable and is a must watch! |
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