Sweeney Todd Slashed His Own Throat

[dotinthesky]

2008, you are letting me down. The first film I watched on TV was the disastrous Catacombs; and now I've got my disappointing visit to the cinema to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon of Barber Street to add to the list. I'm starting to wonder if Tim Burton has ever made a good film. Sure, there are some decent, entertaining stuff out there; but I don't think he's actually done anything great. This one will certainly not change the stagnant patch his career has hit.

The best word to describe Sweeney Todd, as Kevin said last night, is trite. Whoever had the godawful idea of filming it as a musical deserves to have their necks slashed and their innards turned into pie. To take a "penny dreadful" such as Sweeney Todd and turn it into a musical is the equivalent of building a Disney resort right in the middle of London, and having a Coca-Cola branded Jack the Ripper greet its visitors. It's wrong. The musical aspect takes away from its grand guignol, its dark humour. It's as if Tim Burton doesn't have the guts (so to speak) to go all the way with his vision. Film execs, rejoice in all the musical lovers who will fill your theatres. Too bad so many people will leave the theatre not wanting to learn more thanks to the film's disposable nature.

I don't mean to say that the film should have been devoid of music. It could have worked if, for example, each character sang in a style fitting his station, his background. Operas, sailor songs, folk music from the period. Anything would have been better than the insipid, horrid musical numbers that lumber the film like rocks. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman - three actors getting better in what they do as they grow older - are thrown away in a visually beautiful but forgettable film.

God, I hate musicals.

Comments

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Sure, but it wasn't something essential he had to do. He could have moved away from its musical connection, closer to the original penny dreadful, the real music from that period. It was a choice that didn't sit well with me.

[frankeecymraeg.livejournal.com]

Saw it with Marcus and John while they were here. I couldn't wait for it to be over. We wee going to see I Am Legend, but Will Smith is a Nazi so we decided against it. The only reason I didn't walk out was because Helena was fucking amazing in it.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I thought Helena was beautiful to watch too - the whole film is in general visually stunning. It's the singing that brings it down, unfortunately.

[frankeecymraeg.livejournal.com]

andjonnydeppshorribleness

[live-life-like.livejournal.com]

i'm going to watch it tonight.....

watched Cloverfield last night and ..eeek....such a poor film!!!!
hated it!!!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I heard good things about Cloverfield! :-)

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Ugh Cloverfield was a massive waste of...just everything that could possibly be wasted.

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

You hate musicals. Well, a) then going to see a musical might not have been such a good idea, and b) Call yourself a gay man?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

a) I live in the hope of being proved wrong. I almost was, once, with Caroline, or Change

b) Yup, and I also don't visit saunas or pluck my eyebrows either!

[moral-vacuum.livejournal.com]

Eyebrow shaping is a good thing if ones eyebrows need shaping, but eyebrow shaping that makes one look like an off-duty drag queen is a very bad thing indeed.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

off-duty drag queen eyebrows and face lifts are the worse. All over Old Compton Street, I'm afraid.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Caroline or Change was not as good as it could have been. I always get sad thinking of it.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It has its moments but, like all musicals, it's forgettable once you leave the theatre.

[desayuno-ingles.livejournal.com]

try to find a copy of the original, with Angela Lansbury and What's-his-face. I don't like musicals and I liked this. It's more of an opera. I told Aram (he knows Sweeney Todd like others know Rocky Horror) I didn't think I'd necessarily want to watch it again, but several weeks later I find that I do.

[dilvsy.livejournal.com]

I don't like musicals either, but I love Tim Burton, AND...I loved Sweeney Todd.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

This could be the Tim Burton film that lets you down. :-/

[dilvsy.livejournal.com]

but it didn't!

[deathrockboy.livejournal.com]

HERE, HERE! I liked Big Fish, but that's cause I got Daddy issues. Other than that, I don't understand the appeal of Tim Burton. Wife loves the guy. So I'll have to watch this movie soon. Not so happy about that.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Tim Burton is visual candy. Everyone should go not expecting any kind of nourishment... and warned that they might even get a bad tummy.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Thanks for confirming what I already suspected. I listened to a review on BBC and though the reviewer was trying his hardest to be nice he could hardly find a nice way to say that Tim Burton had bit off more than he could chew with this one....and just hearing the clips of the singing made me cringe.

Also, I never stopped to think of it, but the only Tim Burton film I really like is Beetlejuice. Generally I think he is pandering to a particular small demographic and I am not in said demographic so I just don't get overly excited after watching any of his films. Most of them aren't bad, they're just...um....middleaged goth fun time?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I'd say middleaged pantogoths! It's all style and no substance with him; his ideal is the cheesiest, most accessible song from The Cure's back catalogue - the one made to appeal to the masses nostalgia for Halloween.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Ha ha. Perfect description!

[beeorkendurkey.livejournal.com]

i just watched sweeney two nights ago. effing hated it. i really love the original sondheim work; read the play, seen several staged versions, even enjoy the occasionally painful soundtrack. this movie was awful. and i'm really sorry, but i thought helena bonham carter was the worst mrs. lovett i've ever seen. miserable. i'm going to watch it again before i give my review, but dammit. i was really disappointed. i knew i would be, but then i kept hearing people rave about it, and now... *sigh* doubly let down.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

If you didn't like it - and you are someone I think of as enjoying musicals - then I really wasn't being biast towards its musical aspect!

[sublimevisions.livejournal.com]

love the visceral comment... there's your passion!

the movie was destroyed by Sondheim. He wrote/arranged/adapted [word choice?] the original performance.

i disliked the movie for two reasons... Depp needed more singing parts that weren't of a rock style. They turned him into a tragic hero. lies lies lies! The real Todd was just villainous and vile! oh well.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Absolutely agree. They go to great lengths to explain his actions when, in the original penny dreadful, both himself and Mrs Lovett committed their crimes out of sheer insanity and evil pleasure - nothing more.

[electric-pages.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to wonder if Tim Burton has ever made a good film.

I feel the same way, though I haven't seen this latest one. He's had a real string of unremarkable films. On the other hand, I still think Ed Wood was magnificent.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

You are right, I'd forgotten Ed Wood. It may be the closest he got to a "masterpiece".

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I hate musicals because I know they are the lowest form of creative expression in our culture. I keep hoping someone will prove me wrong, but so far that hasn't happened (I live in hope.)

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

They can all be featured in a musical! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if someone weren't planning a musical based on Britney's life!

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Tom Wait's musical was an exception, now that I think of it.

[phyrephly.livejournal.com]

Musicals tend so often to be trash. I refuse to hate the genre only because of great kids movies like The Music Man and Mary Poppins. But if it aims above the age ten mark, stay far away.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Since I'm no longer ten years old, I'll steer clear of any musicals from now on.

[naturalbornkaos.livejournal.com]

I saw the stage version of the musical a few years ago in a really 'small' production and thought it was amazing. What puts me off seeing the film is Burton's typically indulgent, OTT visuals. Still, I want to see it. I just need to find time somehow. :/

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Indulgent is another great word to describe this film.

[amberholic.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that the fact that it's a musical is the only thing putting me off from wanting to watch it. I usually quite enjoy Tim Burton's films, more for their style than substance, but I never thought he was well suited for musicals. The Corpse Bride would also have benefitted from not being a musical, and at least the story and setting was a bit more appropriate for a musical than Sweeney Todd.

That said, I do think he's done some pretty good films. Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas... but I guess none of them were masterpieces.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

For myself, most of his films are entertaining, passable, but none are masterpieces (though Ed Wood comes close).

[amberholic.livejournal.com]

Ed Wood is probably the only Tim Burton film I've never watched. I think I'll have to add it to my rental list.

[oatmeal-texas.livejournal.com]

Boo! The stage musical is both devastatingly sad and hilariously macabre. I actually enjoyed the movie, but it did feel a little more sacharine than the stage show.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

We as a culture need to put an end to musicals.

[amanda-mary.livejournal.com]

I liked the little Giallo-inspired touches, I have to admit. But I agree that it could have done without ascribing so many of the characters' actions to motivation that is even remotely "virtuous."

Maybe a non-Tim-Burton affiliated film adaptation of The Threepenny Opera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Threepenny_Opera) would suit your tastes? Maybe?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That sounds a lot more to my liking! Also, I enjoyed Tom Wait's musical that he wrote with William Burroughs, The Black Rider (though it wasn't a musical per say since the songs were interesting, unusual and non-annoying.)

[llivejournal.livejournal.com]

I actually loved the fucking shit out the movie. I don't have any experience at all with prior versions of it, so nothing was tainted. And I have no capacity for judging singing ability, so it all sounds pretty good to me. I have no issues with musicals, either. So I thought the story was great, the songs were decent, the actors were great, the look of it was great, and most importantly, it was gory as fuck, which is admittedly pretty much the only thing a movie needs to charm me.

As for Tim Burton, how do you feel about Pee-wee's Big Adventure?

And as for musicals, maybe you should watch Forbidden Zone? It's definitely the most atypical musical I've seen, and it's pretty impossible to not have a lot of fun with.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I quite liked Pee-wee's Bid Adventure (and probably would have loved it if I'd watched it stoned.) But, again, I don't think it's a masterpiece. Tim Burton has never made an incredible, perfect film.

I hate musicals, so it's hard for me to be objective. However, if the songs had been tuneful or interesting, I might have overlooked things and actually enjoyed this film. Everything amazing about it - the gore, the visuals, etc - is let down by the HORRIBLE singing.

[llivejournal.livejournal.com]

I actually kinda think his Batman movies are masterpieces. But why do you have such high standards for him? Lots of directors have never made incredible, perfect films, but should still be respected for being somewhat consistently good or great, right? For TB, I love Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Batman and Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and (I know I'm totally alone on this one) Planet of the Apes. And Sweeney Todd. Do you think the majority of his films are not even good? Or are you just saying he's overrated?

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

I think he's overrated. He's not as good as people say he is - but he's not bad either! I am generally entertained by his stuff (yup, even Planet of the Apes) but I do have very high standards when it comes to masterpieces (only a few directors hit that spot, and only with one or two of their films). Ed Wood is in my opinion the closest he got to a perfect film.