Movie Research Paper

ANALYSIS OF SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (2007)
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“Sweeney Todd” is a 2007 film based on a barber who is unfairly imprisoned. As such, he arbors emotional trauma and seeks revenge by killing his aggressors. Benjamin Barker was a talented barber who loved his wife Lucy, and his daughter Johanna, but judge Turpin was an evil man who desired the barber’s wife. In his desire to take Lucy, Turpin puts Barker in jail and kidnaps both his wife and daughter Johanna hence becoming their keeper. Apparently, Barker manages to escape from jail after 15 years of imprisonment and gets back to London to plan for revenge. In his stay there, he lives in his old apartment over Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop. This woman becomes his accomplice in the murder he eventually commits (Walsh, 2007).
The theme of revenge is conspicuous in the entire film, and more especially in the aspect of evil. Mrs. Lovett develops love feelings for Barker and severally attempts to make him fall in love with her. The judge has a bad motive for Johanna. The movie starts with a lyric ‘there is a gap in the world like a deep pit, and the number of poor elements and also their “evils” are not worth what a pig could spit. In addition, at the top of the hole are the privileged and elite few making mockery of the underprivileged to the point turning beauty into filth and greed” (Barker, 2007). This is a suggestion that nothing good can survive in such a premise.
The main character of in the movie is Todd. However, there are also other characters surrounding him. Todd, the main character in the movie is hard to understand and can be described as a sycophant rather than a father and a husband who, not only tries to avenge for himself, but his family as well (Parson, 2008). The murder of the judge by Todd seems to be the starting point for his killing spree since he does not lay down his razor. The digital effect used in the film has enhanced its connection to the audience. This is because it brings different aspects of themes under different scenes. These effects add drama and action to the film by bringing out the themes that would never have been realized. This alteration of visual aspects in the movie enhances the creation of visual and emotional feeling in the film.
The musical lyrics in the film bring the audience closer as it unveils what is about to happen in the film. The aspect of Todd’s dreams of revenge establishes the emotional touch in the film while the bright and beautiful scenes are depicted by the love dreams of Lovett (Sati, 2011). Everything in her fantasies contradicts the real world because her love and affection for her psychopath has pushed her further to insanity and tragic death afterwards. The theme of the film is; ‘Never forget. Never Forgive.’ This shows how Todd’s victims are used to prepare meat pies by bringing the ethical and moral aspects of the main character in the film (Parson, 2008). The effects in the film depict how Todd murdered his victims ruthlessly, demonstrating to the audience how grotesque he could be.
Much of the film focuses on the aspect of the horror genre rather than the musical genre. This is because Todd, who appears to be the main character, is depicted has filled with evil throughout the show. Because of unfair imprisonment, Todd’s world seems to have been turned upside down and, therefore he sees no use of acting morally himself, hence deviates from following the normal ethical standards (Vineburg, 2008). The unjust sentencing of an innocent young man depicts how corrupt the judges can be and the ethical dilemmas in this profession.
The different manipulations in the film have enabled certain characters to look or appear in certain ways. For instance, the appearance of children in the film depicts mistreatment and filth, regardless of other aspects of their life. Only one aspect of the character trait was depicted in the film, leaving out other areas (Parson, 2008). The ethics and moral aspects of these characters are portrayed as being evil just like that of Todd. For instance, Mrs. Lovett used Todd’s victims to make her food, w...