All that needs to be said, folks. All that needs to be said.
Johnny Depp is by far the best actor of my generation. By far.
Sweeny Todd
- Thread starter Temis the Vorta
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All that needs to be said, folks. All that needs to be said.
Johnny Depp is by far the best actor of my generation. By far.
The part about shepherd's pie is in the Depp version. Just heard it on the soundtrack, in fact.
The song is called "A Little Priest."
Yes, although obviously the staging is different. The film is quite faithful to the Sondheim musical; a good deal of material is removed, but little is changed or added. There are a few bits in the film that aren't in the show: the scene where Judge Turpin brings Anthony into his parlor and Beadle Bamford beats him (originally, they have a briefer encounter on the street after Anthony buys a caged bird from a street vendor as a gift for Johanna, and Bamford crushes the bird as a threat); the part with the asylum inmates being sorted by hair color and the asylum manager being left to his inmates' mercies (the original scene is different and ends with Johanna shooting the manager); and Johanna's lines to Anthony in Todd's barbershop toward the end, where she talks about the bad dreams never quite going away or something to that effect (I don't think there's anything in the original that this replaces).
They should have kept Johanna shooting the manager. I'd have liked it better, though the crazed blondes attacking him was a kick and a half. 
I kept wanting to throttle poor crazed Sweeney. Go get your daughter! Anthony's getting her out of the asylum! You can see her!!
Ahhhh, the myopia of revenge. I suppose that was the point.
I found a clip of Angela Lansbury on stage with one of the many stage Sweeneys singing "A Little Priest." Lansbury's a riot. I must agree with the others that Depp is the superior Sweeney. The man is brilliant. The perfect amount of hurt and crazed, unhinged vengeance against the world came across perfectly.
I kept wanting to throttle poor crazed Sweeney. Go get your daughter! Anthony's getting her out of the asylum! You can see her!! Ahhhh, the myopia of revenge. I suppose that was the point.
I found a clip of Angela Lansbury on stage with one of the many stage Sweeneys singing "A Little Priest." Lansbury's a riot. I must agree with the others that Depp is the superior Sweeney. The man is brilliant. The perfect amount of hurt and crazed, unhinged vengeance against the world came across perfectly.
Ahhhh, the myopia of revenge. I suppose that was the point.
That's why they call it a tragedy. Sweeney's obsession with vengeance is his hamartic flaw, because it leads to the destruction of everything he loves and ultimately his own demise.
The stage production available on video features George Hearn as Sweeney; the original Broadway cast (and cast album) starred Len Cariou. (Both would go on to recurring roles in Lansbury's Murder, She Wrote.) I was underwhelmed with Hearn's Sweeney; he had a good strong singing voice, but not a lot of characterization or nuance. Depp's Sweeney is one of the most impressive roles of his career, and that's saying something. I liked his singing fine, but his acting was fantastic.
I agree, though, that Helena Bonham Carter was a disappointment as Mrs. L. She looks like a young Lansbury, but that's about all she has to recommend her for the role. I wish they'd dubbed her over with a better singer, at least.
The bird song was lovely. Otherwise the whole Joanna thing was not very interesting. Depp was impressive but it was one impression the whole movie. Todd was murderous from the first shot to the end. The real dramatic tension for me was whether Lovett would turn on Toby in a vain sacrifice for Todd. And I thought the movie wouldn't have worked if the kid hadn't been so good.
The boy who played Toby was fantastic. He broke my heart when he sang "Not While I'm Around" to Mrs. Lovett. I couldn't believe she brought Todd down to the basement and was calling for Toby. 
Yeah, he was very good for a child performer. Certainly better than the Toby in the home-video version, who was a boyish adult affecting childlike mannerisms (and a pretty bad Cockney accent).
I was completely unfamiliar with the story/play but I really loved the movie. The songs were quick, witty, hilarious, and catchy. There were only 2-3 songs I didn't absolutely love (basically anything sung by Johanna or her asexual paramour). I thought Depp, Carter, and Rickman were all excellent, even their singing.
Actually, come to think of it, this might just be my all time favorite musical. Certainly beats Moulin Rouge or even Chicago. It was a great combination of great songs, black comedy, horror/violence, and a wonderful vengeful rage for justice which is always my favorite character beat.
What other prominent musicals have been released in the past decade or so, aside from Moulin Rouge and Chicago? I can't think of any except for the recent Across the Universe which I didn't see.
Actually, come to think of it, this might just be my all time favorite musical. Certainly beats Moulin Rouge or even Chicago. It was a great combination of great songs, black comedy, horror/violence, and a wonderful vengeful rage for justice which is always my favorite character beat.
What other prominent musicals have been released in the past decade or so, aside from Moulin Rouge and Chicago? I can't think of any except for the recent Across the Universe which I didn't see.
^^There was Hairspray within the past year. And a movie adaptation of The Producers more recently than the two you mention. Okay, those are both adaptations of musicals adapted from earlier movies, but they still count, I guess.
As far as musicals-as-films go, Chicago and Sweeney Todd are definitely my favourites. Strong acting, memorable tunes and a generous dollop of wit, cynicism, and black humour.
I also really like the movie version of Paint Your Wagon. SO much better storywise than the stage version -- and really, really funny. (Not to mention the gorgeous location where they actually built No-Name City.)
Also, better movie versions than stage versions: Cabaret, The Sound of Music and Camelot (even though the latter was overbloated, structurally it was better than the stage version).
The truest to the stage versions (thank God): The Music Man and My Fair Lady.
--Ted
Also, better movie versions than stage versions: Cabaret, The Sound of Music and Camelot (even though the latter was overbloated, structurally it was better than the stage version).
The truest to the stage versions (thank God): The Music Man and My Fair Lady.
--Ted
The part about shepherd's pie is in the Depp version. Just heard it on the soundtrack, in fact.
Oh yeah, I heard that part too. I was just saying that and the song that was cut were the only things I remembered.
I did have some trouble with the thick Cockney accents - fortunately there were the DVD subtitles. The lyrics are great, I'd hate to miss em!
As far as musicals-as-films go, Chicago and Sweeney Todd are definitely my favourites. Strong acting, memorable tunes and a generous dollop of wit, cynicism, and black humour.
While I liked Sweeny, I think Chicago and Fiddler on the Roof are my favorite musical-to-movie adaptations.
I think Johanna is a beautiful song.
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