Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007)

The movie's a current obsession of mine right now, and for the past few days, I've been watching the closest-to-the-original 1982 stage-to-TV version, as well as the 2001 concert version, on YouTube. Who would've thought that the Russian guy who got shot in Sneakers played Sweeney Todd for a VERY long while on Broadway? And Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett?? It was fun to watch the stagehands move the props and stuff in-between scenes.

Anyway, I enjoyed all versions (the stage ones were longer, and more detailed, of course), but here are the inevitable comparisons (because I'm bored, and I've nothing better to do). As There Be Comparisons, so shall There Be Spoilers:

Naturally, the movie being an adaption from the 3-hour musical, there's bound to be some changes and some cuts, and personally, I think that the choice to make Toby a little boy was a very good one, even though I got a massive kick out of watching Neil Patrick Harris play Toby in the 2001 concert. It made for Mrs. Lovett's betrayal all the more heartwrenching. In the stage version, Toby was supposed to be "a very simple young man". To go into that would be rather insulting, since I can't think of any other way to describe it, and that would be politically wrong, or incorrect, as right-wingers would have you put it.

Out of the three actresses playing Mrs. Lovett that I've seen, I prefer Helena Bonham Carter. I was really surprised, because normally, her voice's quite low. I mean, Angela Lansbury was a riot, and I like her because she's cute and she's Mrs. Potts and all, but Patti Lupone I feel, just mutilated 'Worst Pies In London' and 'By The Sea'. That 'Ooh ooh' part? Horrible. Although sometimes you can hear that Movie Lovett can't really reach her notes, and I feel that the stage Lovetts were louder (that is, vocally stronger). But it made her character all the more sad and pitiable, especially nearing the end.

Now, the Johanna in the movie is INFINITELY BETTER(!!), than the Stage Johanna in 1982. Stage Johanna looked deranged when she's singing to the birds. No wonder no birds seemed to come. The video description said that the actress playing Stage Johanna was told to portray it as comic relief, but COME ON! It's hard to believe that Stage Anthony fell in love with her. From the stage version, it's no wonder that Judge Turpin kept her locked up. She's barking mad! (Haha, mini-pun, since she's already a Barker.).

As funny as Sacha Baron Cohen is as Pirelli, the Stage Contest was hilarious. Stage Pirelli was even more over-the-top, as hard that is to believe. And without that bulge in his pants. *winkwink*. The part where Stage Pirelli was shaving the other guy was priceless(!), since the guy was squirming about with pain because Pirelli was such an awful shaver. But I've to admit, being strangled a little bit, is nothing like being bashed violently on the head a bunch of times with a hot kettle. Man... you'd think he was dead already...

And the 'Epiphany' part in the movie didn't show Johnny Depp swooning and ranting around, in his room, brandishing his razor. Of course, the stage version couldn't provide for people walking in the street, since, ya know, limited space, but I'm glad the movie showed us Sweeney's Epiphany from his point of view. Made Helena Bonham Carter's reaction all the funnier.

A Little Priest was much longer on stage, and provided a lot of fun puns.

I loved the whole dream sequence for 'By The Sea'. Johnny Depp's expressions (i.e., lack of it) were priceless.
"By the sea..."
*Sweeney puts hand on Lovett's lap*
"Married nice and proper..."
*Sweeney removes hand from lap*
No comparisons here, since stage versions are live, and don't use the magic of camerawork, except maybe for televised versions of the stage ones.

The part where the beggar woman was in the barbershop (right before she got sliced) was longer in the stage version. Actually, the beggar woman had LOADS of screen time on stage. I'm glad that they didn't show much of the beggar woman in the movie, otherwise I might've figured it out earlier. I watched the end sequence first (without really knowing the story), and I realised that that was the wife when she said, "Don't I know you, sir?" My jaw was on the floor and I was like, "Oh snap..." when he cut her throat.

For the ending, I feel that Johnny Depp's reaction was infinitely sadder, in his realization that he sliced his wife, compared to George Hearn, who merely screamed out, "Oh my God! What have I done??" in stark horror (actually, I think all stage Sweeneys screamed out that part). There's that whole 'point of no return' thing with the movie version, and it was a bit more creepy, since you wouldn't know what was going through his head after all that.

Unfortunately (for me), there wasn't much singing with Alan Rickman, but Judge Turpin's just a side character, so can't make a big hoo-ha about that.

Halfway through, I saw Timothy Spall and Alan Rickman together and I went, "Look! It's Wormtail and Snivellus!" And when Judge Turpin comes in and says, "Mr. Todd...", it's like when he's saying, "Mr. Potter...". And I love the Beadle's cane... Hahaha.

I saw a comment on one of the YouTube videos that Johnny Depp got to do his Jack Sparrow voice again. I agree. Haha. Another comment stated that 'Johanna' was the perfect stalker song. Hahaha.

A very nice person posted up the singing clips from the movie up on YouTube, and since it's a musical, that's quite a bit. I've been arranging the clips from the movie in sequential order, which isn't easy, since I've never seen the movie. Unfortunately, the videos for the ending sequences were removed (not sure by whom). Hopefully it'd be back up soon.