One Bloody Gothic Fascinating Experience

Rating: Null/10 (21 September 2009)

'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' is perhaps Burton's darkest movie to date. He masterfully combines two genres: musical and horror, with a tablespoon of humour and makes what is a grizzly and yet fascinating experience for the viewer. It clearly ranks as one of the finest musicals of all time. Shot beautifully, using washed out colours, Gothic art direction and dark lighting, London is portrayed as gloomy, sick and depressing but darker than that are its inhabitants. The film is high on violence but for me the most disturbing scene was the rape. It was rather suggestive than graphic but the idea of raping a woman and putting it on show in a party while the public cheer on left a more horrific feel. The songs are very amusing and the cast do quite a good job at it. Coming to the performances, now who better to play Sweeney Todd than Johnny Depp? Depp is transcendent and he defines Todd. With a cold quiet intensity, rage and vulnerability and a hunger for blinding revenge is all displayed to excellence by Mr. Depp. Even though many were not happy with her interpretation, Helena Bonham Carter too does a stupendous job. Alan Rickman is no stranger to evil characters but all of them pale in comparison to Judge. Sacha Baron Cohen and Timothy Spall do an equally convincing job. The only flip side for me was the Johanna-Anthony love story which could have done without so much screen time but this is more than made up for. 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' only proves that Burton is still one of the best directors today and 'Sweeney Todd' is the cinematic experience one wouldn't want to miss.