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January 10, 2008

Sweeney Todd!

This past weekend I went to see Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, directed by Tim Burton. The movie opens with a story told by Sweeney Todd himself about a barbor named Benjamin Barker who was arrested by the evil Judge Turpin who kidnaps Barker's wife and child. The movie begins 15 years later after that incident...and Barker is back out of prison, but he's quite different. He's no longer warm and generous, but dark and cold...and he has a vengence for the judge who took his life away from him. His name is now Sweeney Todd. Through out the musical Todd receives help from the pie maker, Mrs. Lovett, located in the flat below his barbor shop. Together they make a great team, benefitting from each other's "gifts."

Through out the film Sweeney Todd is looking for revenge against a couple of people, which turns into anyone who comes to get a nice, clean shave. He has it out for the entire city of London, and finds solice in his "friends," the razors. In typical Depp/Burton style, the film is weird, odd, and dark. The cinemotography is incredible and the scenes of slashing, (many, many scenes of slashing), are over the top, think slightly less than Kill Bill. The music, written by Stephen Sondheim, is haunting, and performed incredibly well by Depp and co. My favorite song is 'Not While I'm Around,' a beautiful song about the protection of a loved-one. If you have the stomach to get through the movie you should go and see it on the big screen!
I can't help but feel like this movie is one that speaks of the times we live in so well...the timing is perfect. It seems like we, the American public, have been longing for revenge since 9/11 and since the War in Iraq began...we love seeing people get payed back for all the wrong they've done. The theme of vegence has been common among our culture since then: Charlize Theron won an Oscar for the incredible portrayal of a prostitue who went on a killing rampage seeking revenge on what life had handed her, the inspiration behind Linkin Park's vengeful album, Hybrid Theory, the highest selling album of 2001, is all about a son dealing with the aftermath of growing up in an abusive home, I can't forget Reality TV which is full of people with a vengance, and we all sang along to Beyonce's 'Irreplaceable,' the #1 song of this past year, according to Billboard charts. We cannot get enough of 'revenge'.
The interesting thing is that by the end of Sweeney Todd, I had had enough, I wanted it over...and it ended with no hope in sight. The revenge that Sweeney Todd had sought in his wife and child's honor had not eased the pain at all, in fact, it hurt even more afterwards. When people do us wrong, we really want to see them get a dose of their own medicine. After our 'wrong-doers,' if you will, get what's coming to them, the hurt or betrayel still lingers. While we may snear and think at the time, "what goes around, comes around," it seems like sometimes, the best option is to just let go and forgive. Ultimately we will all be held accountable for our actions. The peace that can come from doing so is pleasant and real. The movie was incredible, but dark and painful at the same time...an epic film, although written in '79, spoke of the world we live in today.

| By Nathan Gemayel | 6:45 PM

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