Sondheims original musical was already a mad synthesis of
Sondheims original musical was already a mad synthesis of Jacobean shock, Brechtian irony and Dickensian pathos — to which Burtons lush visuals add another layer of aesthetic distance. The overall effect is somewhere between melodrama and camp. Im a tough audience for Buy Sweeney Todd DVD, since Ive probably played the original cast album a thousand times, but even I think its worth your time. A conceptual masterstroke. Sweeney always wanted to be a revengers tragedy to make us recoil in fright. Now it is. Merry Christmas. Visually expansive and imaginative. Burton’s best film since Ed Wood will come in handy for anyone in need of something for the weekend. Gruesomely satisfying, fans of both Burton and Sondheim are equally liable to be pleased with this marvelous meeting of minds. If the film sags a little at times, its technical prowess and superlative cast ensure we dont dwell on this for too long.