Sweeney Todd

[Nashoba]

Thanks Nash! I pride myself in being much more eloquent in writing rather than speech.

Do you mean early 1900s or 1870?

I'm not really an expert here but I think her skirts aren't full enough to be 1700s or 1800s. Skirts were GIANT then!

Yeah, me too, Unless I have time to think through my thoughts before I an say them .
You've got a point about the skirts, but then some of those dresses are rather large. Although that light blue dress that Johanna wears (*gasp*) the detailing on that was absolutely incredible. I would think that it probably does lean a bit more towards the early 1900s.

We went to see the movie last night. It wasn't nearly as disturbing as I anticipated it being based on the descriptions I was receiving. Our audience seemed to understand and appreciate the darker humor, but there were still some things that I laughed at that no one else seemed to....perhaps that says something about me but ah well. My husband was far more disturbed by it, mostly at the end, the copious amount of blood in the final scenes unsettled him, but based on his experiences overseas I probably should have thought through asking him to take me to see it a bit more than I did. He said for the most part he thought it was pretty good, but that the blood and the way it pooled bothered him.

Overall though, I thought the cinematography was fantastic and the acting was just incredible. In the stage production, the part of the assistant is played by an adult, the choice of a child in the film production made the final scene all the more potent and disturbing. I thought it was a daring choice that really paid off.

In any case, I loved it. Perhaps I'm more warped than I thought...

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Yeah, me too, Unless I have time to think through my thoughts before I an say them .
You've got a point about the skirts, but then some of those dresses are rather large. Although that light blue dress that Johanna wears (*gasp*) the detailing on that was absolutely incredible. I would think that it probably does lean a bit more towards the early 1900s.

I just watched an lil bit about Sweeney on the official website. Sondheim said that the story of Todd began in th 1840s. Hmm...

Wasn't that dress amazing!

We went to see the movie last night. It wasn't nearly as disturbing as I anticipated it being based on the descriptions I was receiving. Our audience seemed to understand and appreciate the darker humor, but there were still some things that I laughed at that no one else seemed to....perhaps that says something about me but ah well.

I felt the exact same way!

 

[CharlesB]

it was an all around outstanding film

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Here's THE dress Miss Nashoba was talking about. I thought I'd throw it up here in case anyone wanted to take a slice at it. No reason for me to make it; I don't have blonde hair.

 

[Barbigirl]

Thanks Nash! I pride myself in being much more eloquent in writing rather than speech.

Do you mean early 1900s or 1870?

I'm not really an expert here but I think her skirts aren't full enough to be 1700s or 1800s. Skirts were GIANT then!

Every photo I have seen costuming-wise screams Victorian Era to me.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Every photo I have seen costuming-wise screams Victorian Era to me.

Early, mid or late?

 

[Jerekson]

I'd have to say some time among the Industrial Revolution. Toby's comments (in the film) about child labor in the workhouses only strengthens that.

I just saw it this evening. Quite the masterpiece...I'd say it was one of Burton's better films.

The violence and overall bloodiness was a bit unsettling, as well as the human meat pies and the stove death, but I could handle it...and I think that, all things considered, it was necessary for this film.

 

[Mr. Rover]

I can't wait to see this film! Sweeney is one of my favorite musicals, which are few as I can't stand Broadway musicals most of the time. When we produced this show in high school, we built the trap door with barber chair, which was alot of fun to watch. I don't know if I can help thinking about the cherry pies we had to eat, pretending they were meat pies. It was pretty tough to sing "God That's Good!" with all that sugary syrup in my mouth- I suppose it's a little better than singing with chunks of ground meat spraying on the audience.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

I'd have to say some time among the Industrial Revolution. Toby's comments (in the film) about child labor in the workhouses only strengthens that.

I just saw it this evening. Quite the masterpiece...I'd say it was one of Burton's better films.

The violence and overall bloodiness was a bit unsettling, as well as the human meat pies and the stove death, but I could handle it...and I think that, all things considered, it was necessary for this film.

Yes, indeed, it is one of Burton's best films. His talent overwhelms me. Did you hear he's doing a stop-motion animation of Alice in Wonderland next? Vey exciting.

I also think that the gore was needed. It...relieved...the tension that Sweeney couldn't emotionally.

I can't wait to see this film! Sweeney is one of my favorite musicals, which are few as I can't stand Broadway musicals most of the time. When we produced this show in high school, we built the trap door with barber chair, which was alot of fun to watch. I don't know if I can help thinking about the cherry pies we had to eat, pretending they were meat pies. It was pretty tough to sing "God That's Good!" with all that sugary syrup in my mouth- I suppose it's a little better than singing with chunks of ground meat spraying on the audience.

I can't wait until the musical comes to LA next year. I hadn't really known about it until this year, and not being the biggest Sondheim fan, I didn't have the inclination to see it anytime soon. The film completely convinced me of the show's brilliance, though. It sounds like a blast performing the Sweeney, too! (but I think I'd rather have a meat pie than a cherry one...!)

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Just got back from viewing number 2 of Sweeney.

 

[$ally]

Wikipedia isn't especially accurate, but the time period is discussed here. Hope this helps:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweeney_Todd

I'm really NOT a fan of gore, so I'll pass on this one. If it were just dark and murky, I'd go.

 

[Nashoba]

Oh Pink, that's one's breathtaking too..but I was talking about the light powder blue number with the diamond cut outs in the sleeves and up the front...I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Oh Pink, that's one's breathtaking too..but I was talking about the light powder blue number with the diamond cut outs in the sleeves and up the front...I'll have to see if I can find a pic of it

I thought you might have been thinking about that one. I like the short sleeve one better. That's just me.

 

[Nashoba]

I thought you might have been thinking about that one. I like the short sleeve one better. That's just me.

lol fair enough.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

Ah, just saw the film for the second time--still amazing! I paid more attention to the costumes (lush) and the cinematography this time, since I was more familiar with the storyline. I took my parents, and they loved it too! Some of the audience laughed at bizaare parts, but it was another enjoyable experience. Not quite sure why the critics were so up in arms about the blood, though. It's not as bad as I was expecting, anyway, and nothing gratuitous or over-violent. Any ideas?

 

[Jerekson]

Yeah, I still have no clue why the critics are so up-tight about the violence.

It's there, but...it's nothing we haven't seen before.

 

[Marlowe P.]

Saw it on Christmas Day it was Amazing... they can all sing too! The love interest angle was the only slightly lame part.
Johnny Depp was amazing and they dressed him so well.

 

[Nashoba]

Ah, just saw the film for the second time--still amazing! I paid more attention to the costumes (lush) and the cinematography this time, since I was more familiar with the storyline. I took my parents, and they loved it too! Some of the audience laughed at bizaare parts, but it was another enjoyable experience. Not quite sure why the critics were so up in arms about the blood, though. It's not as bad as I was expecting, anyway, and nothing gratuitous or over-violent. Any ideas?

I'm sure I laughed at bizarre parts because there were times I was laughing before anyone else was and time I was the only one laughing. I don't think it's so much the blood as it was the throat slitting. It is quite graphic, but I think perhaps the amount of blood and the extremely realistic manner in which it was portrayed was probably a factor in why many of the critics indeed many people were distrurbed by it. I think I've said this already but I know for us, while it didn't bother me in the least, my husband was quite uncomfortable especially in the end. Part of that I think though is that it took him back to his time in Iraq where he dealt with quite a bit of blood (my husband's job in the Marine Corps is Peronnel Retrieval & Processing, basically mortuary affairs) but I can see why even people without the experiences in violent deaths might be disturbed by it. It's a disturbing story and it should be. It was meant to be. But I think that perhaps as they were watching maybe they felt their own pulse a little stronger, put their hand to their throat....and wondered just how much blood would spill from them...sick to contemplate but I know that all these factors can contribute to the unsettling feeling that the movie creates.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I had no problem with the violence or blood, and after all the reviews talking about "rivers of blood", I found it to actually be far less blood, and far more stylized (and hence unrealistic) violence, than I was expecting.

Honestly, this is a movie, and a musical at that, and set in a highly abstracted "London" of Tim Burton's mind that does not feel like a real place. Furthermore, the characters are all heightened theatrical constructs, none of whom come across as "real" people. The throat-slittings were also highly theatrical, and even if they were vaguely realistic in terms of how the blood would spurt, I didn't find them disturbing.

As I said before I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I didn't find any of it particularly believable, which rendered the killings unaffecting - for me, that is.

 

[deadpandiva]

Is this more graphicaly violent then say Sin City? My sister wants me to see this but I have a really weak stomach and get dry heeves at even the thought of gore.