I was quite sceptical about seeing Sweeney Todd, as I couldn’t quite comprehend how a gruesome story about a serial killer could also be a musical. I was drawn to the cinema though, out of curiosity and the knowledge that the film had the winning combination of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, who in my opinion, never fail to impress. Although Tim Burton is not new to musicals with The Nightmare Before Christmas amongst his film titles, I had trouble imagining actors of the calibre of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter singing. However, I was very relieved to find that the majority of the cast could actually carry a tune. The music itself, that is consistent all the way through the film is not amazing or memorable in the slightest, but it certainly doesn’t take anything away from the film’s disturbing brilliance.

Sweeney Todd is a grim tale about a barber (Depp) who has been greatly wronged in the past, and as a result has become bitter and seriously disillusioned with the city of London and its inhabitants. In his bitter and vengeful mood he takes to slitting the throats of many of his customers. The dead bodies are then disposed of by his neighbour and accomplice, Mrs Lovett (Carter). The meat from the bodies is then put into pies which go for sale in Mrs Lovett’s pie shop and are consumed by the unknowing general public.

Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd are fascinating characters, as although their behaviour is clearly appalling and should incite disgust, Burton somehow generates some feelings of sympathy towards them. Mrs Lovett is a widow, who has been struggling to survive on her own for years. Her pie shop, before Sweeney Todd’s arrival, is in a dire state, as she cannot afford to upkeep the shop or buy meat for the pies. She seems to see Todd as a blessing in disguise, as his terrible actions provide her with a steady source of meat that enables her pie shop to flourish. Despite their terrible conduct though, they are not the main villians of the film. That role is occupied by the despicable Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and the grotesque Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), as it is their horrendous actions that turned Sweeney Todd from a respectable family man into an unscrupulous murderer.

As expected with a Tim Burton film, Sweeney Todd is incredibly dark throughout. Even the costumes and make-up have a sinister edge. The main characters are pale and deathly looking. The make-up on Todd is especially effective, as he has dark circles under his eyes, incredibly white skin and wild beastly hair; which makes his presence in scenes all the more intense. The darkest element of the film though, has to be its incredibly tragic ending. Without giving too much away, the film’s closing has to be one of the most disturbing in film history and the final image is so powerful and haunting that I think I can say say in all certainly it is completely unforgettable.

Dir: Tim Burton

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman