Sweeney Todd

Genre: Musical, Dark Comedy, Horror
By Dreamworks Pictures
Directed by Tim Burton
Runtime: 117 minutes
Starring Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd), Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett), Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin), Sacha Baron Cohen (Pirelli)

Sweet Revenge or Not?
Revenge, they say is sweet. But how sweet can it be if you do not derive any pleasure from it and especially when you destroy the one chance you had to get back the old happy life you used to have because you are so consumed with the notion of revenge?

Revenge was supposed to be the salvation of Sweeney Todd but it became the be-all and end-all for him. Life dealt him an unfair deal when his beloved wife and beautiful daughter was snatched away from him before his very eyes. Many years later, hardened by prison life, Sweeney has only one thought on his mind – Revenge.

His need for revenge was so great that it totally consumed him and he even passed on opportunities to rebuild his life and relive his happy days with pie-maker Mrs Lovett. Indeed, his need for revenge consumed him so badly that it became his own nemesis when he eventually killed his wife, unwittingly.

He ruined his very own chances to relive his beautiful life with his wife whom he loved dearly. The movie begs these questions: Is revenge really sweet? Is there a need for revenge when you can pick up your life and get back on track? I have always believed in karma. Others may have treated you badly but this is definitely not the end of the world. Those who have committed evil deeds will eventually get their comeuppance. At least this is what I believe in. We may not need to deal with these people ourselves. Heavens has a way of dealing with such people. Look what happened to Sweeney?
Back to the movie, Tim Burton does not disappoint as the master of such movies. The scenes are beautifully constructed with an eerie and ominous dark tone to the entire film. Since his Edward Scissorhand days, Tim Burton has never failed me visually. I may not have enjoyed the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but I certainly feasted my eyes on the visual feast before me.

As a musical, do not be surprised if most of the movie is portrayed with the actors singing their way through it. I may not be particularly impressed with the vocal chords of the actors/actresses but this is only to be expected. They have been chosen more for their acting chops than their vocal chords.

All in all, Sweeney is a thoroughly enjoyable movie and a refreshing change in the usual offer of straitlaced movies with proper dialogues. Just do not expect too much from our dear Johnny Depp in terms of singing. And of course, don’t get too caught up with revenge. You will only set yourself up on a path of no return.