Sweeney Todd too dark to be called musical

BY VICKI GILHULA

The story of Sweeney Todd, a serial killer in 19th-century London, is an urban legend that dates back to the 1840s.

Whether the barber of Fleet St. killed his customers so his landlady could have meat for her pies has never been proved, although there are several books on the subject including Robert L. Mack's The Wonderful and Surprising History of Sweeney Todd: The Life and Times of an Urban Legend.

The tale of Todd first appeared in the page of Edward Lloyd's The People's Periodical and Family Library in 1846.

The devilish story inspired Stephen Sondheim to write the music and lyrics, and Hugh Wheeler to write the book for a ground-breaking Broadway musical in 1979. It starred Canadian Victor Garber in the role of the young sailor, Anthony, Winnipeg-born Len Cariou as Todd, and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett. It won eight Tony Awards.

The Sondheim musical version is set in Victorian London with a Dickens-like message about poverty and privilege.

The bloody subject matter is not the usual fare for musicals. The story, the characters and the setting are so dark that Sweeney Todd is considered by many to be a 20th century opera.

The three-hour Broadway show has been made into a two-hour movie directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.  Depp and Burton have worked together before on Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, and The Corpse Bride.

The movie is a masterpiece worth seeing even if serial murder is not your cup of tea. First of all there is the music of one of Broadway's best composers. Sondheim wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, and Gypsy, and lyrics and music for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Little Night Music, and Sunday in the Park with George.

The gifted performances of Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman as the wicked judge, Sacha Baron Cohan (Borat) as a rival barber and, of course, Depp are another reason to see this movie. All do their own singing.

Depp manages to make the revengeful barber/murderer into a sympathetic character. He borrowed from Keith Richards for his part in Pirates of the Caribbean, and from Michael Jackson for his role in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Now he has David Bowie's accent and voice when he sings Sondheim's tricky lyrics.

You may not love Sweeney Todd, but you will be glad you saw it because it brings together some of the best people working in the movie business and the results are noteworthy.

Production designer Dante Ferretti has created a sepia-toned Victorian London where everyone looks drawn and desperate. His previous work includes Titus, Gangs of New York and Age of Innocence. The costumes were designed by Colleen Atwood, who won Academy Awards for her designs in Chicago, and Memoirs of a Geisha.

She's worked previously with Burton on several films including Scissorhands.

Warning: There is a lot of blood in this movie. So much blood that it is over the top. The filmmakers used ketchup and it looks like ketchup. This makes the gory scenes ridiculous rather than scary. A much more scary movie is No Country for Old Men, but that's another review.