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

Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a Gothic musical horror film that combines dark humor, haunting music, and a tragic tale of revenge. Adapted from Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical, it stars Johnny Depp as a vengeful barber with a straight razor and a score to settle. Let’s dive deep into the story, cast, music, and all the juicy (and bloody) details.

Detailed Summary

A Bitter Homecoming to London

The story begins as Benjamin Barker returns to 19th-century London after 15 years in exile. Now going by the name Sweeney Todd, he was once a happily married barber, until the corrupt Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) falsely imprisoned him to steal his wife, Lucy. Todd is filled with quiet rage and vows revenge on those who wronged him. He reunites with the eccentric Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), who now runs a grim meat pie shop below his old barber shop.

The Legend of Lucy and the Descent into Madness

Mrs. Lovett informs Sweeney that his wife, Lucy, poisoned herself after Judge Turpin sexually assaulted her at a masquerade. His daughter, Johanna, is now the judge’s ward. Sweeney’s grief rapidly curdles into psychotic fury. He reclaims his old barber’s tools and sets up shop, preparing for the judge’s eventual visit.

Blood Begins to Flow

In an early act of rage, Todd kills his rival barber, Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen), after the man tries to blackmail him. This is the first of many victims. With bodies piling up, Mrs. Lovett suggests a grotesque solution—bake the corpses into her meat pies. It’s horrifying… and oddly successful. Business booms.

Young Love and a Plan

Meanwhile, sailor Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower), Todd’s companion from the ship, falls in love with Johanna and vows to rescue her from Judge Turpin. Todd agrees to help, hoping the plot will also bring the judge into his trap. However, the judge escapes Todd’s first attempt at revenge after Todd is distracted and lets his guard down.

A Furnace of Murder

As time passes, Todd and Lovett perfect their gruesome “business.” She dreams of a cozy seaside life with Todd, who remains emotionally distant and obsessed with vengeance. Tobias (Ed Sanders), Pirelli’s former apprentice, begins to suspect the truth behind the meat pies and becomes protective of Mrs. Lovett, who takes him in like a surrogate son.

Movie Ending

The climax unfolds in pure Gothic tragedy. Todd finally gets his revenge: he murders Judge Turpin in a blood-soaked scene that’s simultaneously cathartic and chilling. But the moment is hollow—there’s no peace for Sweeney. In a cruel twist of fate, he discovers too late that the old beggar woman he murdered earlier was his supposedly dead wife, Lucy. Mrs. Lovett had lied to him to keep him for herself.

Enraged beyond reason, Todd throws Mrs. Lovett into the furnace and watches her burn alive, consumed by grief and rage. In the final scene, Tobias, having seen everything, takes up Todd’s own razor and slits his throat as he mourns over Lucy’s corpse. Todd dies with her in his arms, in a grotesque tableau of lost love and self-destruction.

There’s no redemption, no hero’s victory—just poetic, inevitable ruin.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Sweeney Todd does not have a post-credits scene. Once the screen fades to black and the haunting reprise of “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd” plays, that’s the end. The story closes definitively, without teasers or extended lore.

Type of Movie

Musical Horror Drama with a heavy Gothic influence. It’s a unique blend of theatrical storytelling, stylized violence, and haunting music. Definitely not your typical musical.

Cast

• Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd / Benjamin Barker
• Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Nellie Lovett
• Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin
• Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford
• Sacha Baron Cohen as Adolfo Pirelli
• Jamie Campbell Bower as Anthony Hope
• Jayne Wisener as Johanna
• Ed Sanders as Tobias Ragg

Film Music and Composer

The film features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, adapted from his acclaimed Broadway production. The orchestrations were handled by Jonathan Tunick, with vocal performances by the cast themselves (yes, Johnny Depp sings—and surprisingly well). Memorable numbers include:

• “Epiphany”
• “A Little Priest”
• “Johanna”
• “Not While I’m Around”

Sondheim’s music is haunting, witty, and rich with subtext.

Filming Locations

• Filmed primarily at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England.
• Victorian London was recreated using detailed indoor sets rather than shooting on location, emphasizing a stage-like atmosphere to match its theatrical origins.
• The city is deliberately stylized: dark, bleak, and saturated with gray tones, reflecting Todd’s inner world and Burton’s macabre aesthetic.

Awards and Nominations

• Won:
  • Academy Award for Best Art Direction
• Nominated:
  • Best Actor (Johnny Depp) – Academy Awards
  • Best Costume Design – Academy Awards
  • Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy – Golden Globes
  • Best Director (Tim Burton) – Golden Globes
  • Best Actor (Johnny Depp) – Won Golden Globe

The film received critical acclaim, especially for its visuals, performances, and faithful musical adaptation.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Johnny Depp had no prior vocal training before this film. He practiced singing to early demo tracks in his trailer.
• Tim Burton avoided traditional CGI and opted for practical sets to enhance the film’s grounded theatrical style.
• Helena Bonham Carter was pregnant during filming. Costumes had to be creatively tailored to hide her bump.
• Stephen Sondheim was heavily involved in the adaptation process and gave Burton and Depp his blessing, even when they deviated from the original musical slightly.
• The blood used was a special bright-red concoction that would look dramatic against the film’s desaturated color palette.

Inspirations and References

• Based on the 1979 Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, which in turn was inspired by penny dreadfuls and the Victorian-era urban legend of the demon barber.
• The original legend has been adapted in various formats since the 1800s, but Sondheim’s version introduced musical storytelling and rich character psychology.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

• A few musical numbers from the original stage production were shortened or removed, such as “Kiss Me” and extended versions of “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”
• Some darker beats and additional scenes between Todd and Mrs. Lovett were cut for pacing and to maintain a tight narrative focus.
• No alternate endings were filmed; Burton had a very clear vision for Todd’s tragic finale from the start.

Book Adaptations and Differences

While the film is not directly adapted from a novel, the character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in the 1846 story “The String of Pearls”. The film is mostly faithful to the Broadway musical version, though it trims a few ensemble numbers and condenses some subplots (e.g., Anthony and Johanna’s romance is far less emphasized).

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Sweeney singing “My Friends” to his razors—an eerie love song to instruments of death.
• “Epiphany” – Todd’s descent into full madness, pacing and screaming about how “they all deserve to die.”
• “A Little Priest” – the grotesquely funny duet with Mrs. Lovett about what different people might taste like in pies.
• Todd finally killing Judge Turpin – shocking and viscerally satisfying.
• The furnace scene – Todd’s realization and ultimate act of vengeance.

Iconic Quotes

• “At last, my arm is complete again.”
• “They all deserve to die. Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.”
• “The history of the world, my love, is those below serving those up above.”
• “There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit… and it’s filled with people who are filled with shit.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• A portrait in Mrs. Lovett’s shop resembles Lucy before her fall from grace.
• Sweeney’s razors are engraved with his initials—reminders of his former identity.
• The chorus-style prologue from the original musical is absent in the film but alluded to in the final scene, visually echoing the stage version.
• Pirelli’s elixir bottle is labeled in Italian, referencing his fake background.

Trivia

• Tim Burton refused to use traditional stage makeup and instead went for ghostly pale tones with deep shadows to amplify the Gothic horror.
• Helena Bonham Carter took baking classes to prepare for her role—even though her character’s pies are famously awful.
• The film features more than 70 gallons of fake blood.
• Sweeney Todd was the sixth collaboration between Johnny Depp and Tim Burton.

Why Watch?

This is not your average musical. It’s macabre, tragic, and loaded with irony and symbolism. If you enjoy Gothic aesthetics, powerful performances, and musicals that don’t sugarcoat death and vengeance, Sweeney Todd is an unforgettable ride into darkness—equal parts Broadway and horror.

Director’s Other Movies

• Edward Scissorhands (1990)
• Beetlejuice (1988)
• Corpse Bride (2005)
• Big Fish (2003)
• Sleepy Hollow (1999)
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Phantom of the Opera (2004)
• Les Misérables (2012)
• Corpse Bride (2005)
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• Crimson Peak (2015)
• From Hell (2001)
• Into the Woods (2014)