Part C: Film Technique Analysis: Music

The loud, sharp, piercing sound of the Organ at the beginning of the sequence is intricate and mournful. It blends from the production names into the visual element to create suspense and a mysterious feel. The effect from this piece of music is melancholic.The quick, light buzz of the violins create a sense of urgency and add to the tension. It fits well with the visuals in the sequence also-even though the organ is not playing at this point, the mournful mood is carried through by the other music that follows. The alternation between light and dark styled music provides variation to match the visuals, and most of the musical sequences provide symbolic echoes of the plot.

For example, the images of the foreboding chair, the stylized, thick blood and the heavy cogs of the chair and the machinery of the oven are emphasized by the high-pitched violins, and the dark bass sound. The music helps to create a feel of these objects having significance and importance. It is an instrumental piece with no singing at this stage. There are changes in the pace, volume and type of music throughout the sequence, as we hear different instruments being introduced.

Diegetic sounds: squelching blood and cogs moving

The longer notes played on the Organ and darker instruments continue the feeling of the suspense and action, reinforcing the original mood that the music set. The next instruments of viola and violin which buzz and are light and short suggest a curious yet sombre feel; a softer and more inviting sound. This sound continues as we see the chimneys and the window of Mrs Lovett's attic. Now we hear some diegetic sounds; thunder, rain,the blood drops that fall with the rain and the splatter of blood on the window. These sounds help link the blood with the attic and the significance that the room holds. The killings take place here and the placement of the blood and noise at this point help to convey that. Also, when Sweeney Todd was known as Benjamin Barker, he lived with his wife and child in the room above Mrs Lovett's pie shop. This has significance to the background of the film, and his purpose for returning to Fleet Street.

The hum quickly escalates with some dark notes before a very distinct flute is introduced. This gives whimsy and a virtuous feeling to the piece. This mood relates to Sweeney's virtuous wife and the music almost plays out the back-story; dark and gloomy for the tragic, immoral parts and lighter and almost joyful for the romantic parts. We can also hear some diegetic sound with the music here: the cog creaking and beginning to turn, the blood squelching down and filling the cogs. These sounds add to the atmosphere and layer the detail in the sound. The mood is heightened when the blood drips onto the chair cogs; indicated by the increase in pace and pitch- the higher notes suggesting urgency, or lowering of pitch; the lower notes more menacing and pernicious. Once again the mood is heightened  when we see the blood and water rushing out of the pipe and into the sewer; the music matching the grim images. The music at this point is in a style that is used often in horror or thriller films before a scary moment, a violent murder or capture.

The background of the strings is still there, trumpet, trombone and drums are added, layering up the instruments until it flies into a crescendo; with rich bass notes, an increase in both pace and pitch, with the underlying low notes balancing out the sound. The crescendo could be seen as the turning point in the film or the events that led up to the film. For example, the judge taking Sweeney away, pursuing Lucy, (Sweeney's wife), adopting his daughter,or Sweeney's purposeful return.

We hear diegetic sound when the blood boils in the oven, and the flames from the oven are shown. These sounds and images link the blood and violence to the disposal of the bodies, and ultimately, the creation of human pies.

Diegetic sounds: Blood boiling and flames

The lull in the music alludes to the softer parts of the plot, and to the helplessness that some of the characters face. It releases the built up tension that the previous music has made, providing delicacy to the music.This matches the intricacy of the film and the more positive parts. For example, the flashbacks to Sweeney's life before prison and Mrs Lovett's fantasies about how her life could be with Mr Todd. The ominous tone at the heart of the piece with the strong, sharp notes returning and repeating builds up the tension and links to the more sinister events in the film.Toward the end it almost sounds like a low, echoing hum of voices, desperate and sad. 

Stephen Sondheim has used the variation of instruments to create a beautiful yet haunting opening track that engages the viewer from the very beginning; musically there is a strong, distinctive attitude to the film, without any dialogue or singing. It is unmistakable and cannot be missed. It is loud and demands attention; which links to the visual components of the film also.The forceful cutting sound of some of the instruments such as the woodwinds, the bass and the drums position the listener to be alert and want to know what happens next, preparing to be launched into a grim musical.

Mr Burton's view on the music aspect: 
“I always felt it was like a silent movie with music in it — those old black and white horror movies.When you think of people like Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff, they have a strong image of a character, sort of "let the eyes do the talking. That's why we kind of minimized the dialogue and let them tell the story through their eyes and the music." 
 
Throughout the rest of the film music is widely used to link to the plot and visual elements. At times it is softer and tender; for example when Sweeney Todd is singing about his beautiful wife and his past, or when Mrs Lovett sings " I am your friend too, Mr Todd" . The music and lyrics blend beautifully, hence when the lyric is of a darker nature, the music becomes haunting to match.

 " They all deserve to die, because the lives of the wicked should be made brief, for the rest of us death will be a relief, we all deserve to die."

 This is an example of a lyric sung by Sweeney Todd when he decides he will "relieve" as many men as he can of their lives or struggles in order to sharpen up his murderous skill until he has the chance to give the judge-who is his ultimate target. "the closest shave he will ever recieve".

It is very effective in enhancing the emotion in the lyrics and therefore fits with the plot and theme of the play, without being garish or standing out. Most of the movie is sung, and as the song is in a natural, conversational tone, it is a positive thing. In my view, the nature and brilliance of the stage musical orchestration  is portrayed artistically and in a strong style through the use of the music in the movie.

Preparation B: Genre And Atmosphere

 What is the tone? Mood of the opening? How is it created?

The film is placed in the Drama, Musical and Thriller Genres. It is firstly a recreation of Stephen Sonheim's stage show, so naturally is has a place in the musical genre. It has comedic, melodramatic, slight slapstick and Gothic elements as well.

 It is accepted as being a Horror, although it is done in a satirical way, and is more an art-film than being frightening in terms of gore, for example. It is very stylized in the way that the horror element has been done, and ultimately, this stylization and level of bloody violence is essential to the story. The plot does follow " The Demon Barber" on his journey for revenge and does have graphic elements ( Sweeney cutting his victim's throats) but it also has romance and sadness, which makes me feel that it is more of a romantic tragedy; in that Sweeney's motivation for revenge/killing comes about as a result of someone else's corrupt actions.

 Stephen Sondheim believes that it is a story of revenge and how it consumes a vengeful person. "…what the show is really about is obsession."

Director's View: ( on it being said that this is a horror-movie version of the musical..)

I don't quite see it that way. To me, it's more of a tragic romance - the tragedy of (Sweeney's) life, the tragedy of (Mrs. Lovett's) unrequited love for him. Everybody's at cross purposes. That, to me, is the grand melodramatic tragedy.

The tone is very Burton-esque; dark, quirky and "odd". The opening has use of very few colours, or colours with positive connotation. At first, seeming as though it may be filmed in black and white, the vivid red colour that is used emphasizes important objects which relate to plot and character. Grime, filth, and a sense of delinquency are shown also through the use of lighting, shadow and music. We do not see any characters or hear any dialogue in the first few minutes, which reinforces the idea of the town being deserted and dilapidated- or perhaps how the happy place and home has changed since Todd has been imprisoned. We can pick up a lot from the set-up of the opening sequence; we really see London through Sweeney's eyes or see it how he has imagined it will be when he returns. As Sweeney sings, " A great black pit". A place now so depressing, bleak, and able to drain the livelihood from oneself. The viewer is intrigued, and wants to meet the characters through whose eyes we first see London. I felt as though I were plunged into the dusky, peculiar and unpredictable world. The combination of visual elements and the music offered me a chance to escape into the bleak, old-fashioned setting.

In the first minutes of the next scene we are introduced to two important characters and their views on London. Firstly, Anthony Hope, the young sailor who is said to have found Todd floating at sea after his escape from prison and who has helped Sweeney get to London. We are also introduced to Sweeney Todd; whose difference in character is immediately evident. This part is both upbeat and has a sense of wonderment (from Anthony) and a harsh, depressing tone (from Sweeney). Sweeney may have had a similar view of London when he lived there with his wife and child, but is now a broken and demented man. The strong use of shadow, lighting, colour and lyric show these differences and enhances the mood in this part of the film.

Reason For Selection: Why Sweeney Todd Appealed To Me

I love Tim Burton's quirky and atypical style of direction. His different views on creation of film, of writing, project development, the fact that he can be successful in his work and art and execute his concepts and designs are an inspiration to me.

Director, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp on the set of Sweeney Todd

 Sweeney Todd is one of many examples of his highly-skilled work, featuring collaboration with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter; two talented actors who I am fond of. I enjoy the diverse and challenging roles that they star in.The sheer brilliance of Stephen Sondheim's music is another attractive aspect.

 I feel that Sweeney Todd encaptures many things that I am interested in and enjoy. For example, the vintage fashion, 19th century way of life, a kind of fantasy world with a twist; a horror, yet with tragic romantic elements in it also.There were several twists that excited and surprised, and Sweeney Todd is a beautifully made film.

Opposite, Director Tim Burton with Composer Stephen Sondheim and actress, Helena Bonham Carter at a rehearsal. 

I love any film that pushes the boundaries, that is a bit avant-garde so to speak. Any theatrical, loud film that strikes a chord, has mental and emotional impact on me. I am a sucker for anything Romantic. Even if it is a Romantic tragedy and evokes the mood and emotion of sadness in me, as Sweeney does; I will watch it again and again, hence I also love The Notebook (:

Tim Burton tends to direct films that focus on characters that are seen as strange and are often socially outcast. I tend to enjoy watching and contemplating over their difficult struggles. When someone is at their most vulnerable a lot can be said about their character. Both Sweeney Todd and Mrs Lovett are vulnerable in this film. For Todd the unfortunate situation that has been forced upon him shows this vulnerability, for Mrs Lovett, her devotion and unrequited love for Sweeney which is apparent from the very beginning. Even before she sings "Poor Thing" I had an inkling that she may have been aware that it was Sweeney all along that had walked into her shop.

A really important thing for me in a film is meaning, and themes that are universal. I feel that in Sweeney Todd Tim Burton has portrayed messages such as the power of love and the effect of corruption clearly, and I will go into detail about them in the technique analysis.

Preparation: Reason For Selection: Describe the opening

 The scene begins with an Organ instrumental. This dramatic music is reminiscent of music that one would hear at a funeral. The strength of the instrument and the loud volume enforce the idea of a sad or haunting past experience; for example Sweeney Todd getting imprisoned for life on a false charge. This sets the quirky and serious tone and the viewer is plunged right into the gloom of industrial 19th Century London; with a sweeping view of dark,ominous-looking skies thick with dripping rain and the backdrop of silhouetted chimneys and billowing dark smoke.

To the right: Storyboard outline plan and pictures of the opening sequence!

 This dark, swirling smoke links to the smoke that comes out of the bakehouse and is complained about as being "an awful stench" and an unbearable smell at night, later in the film. At night Mrs Lovett bakes the remains of the victims into pies, hence rotting flesh is the reason of the bad smell. There is a connection between the dirt of the chimney and smoke remains to the idea that the people who inhabit London live in a filthy lifestyle. Sweeney Todd has a strong view on this, as is shown in the lines "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit, and the vermin of the world inhabit it, and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of London." I will talk about this later on, in the technique analysis.
 
Even from the very beginning of the opening sequence the viewer is exposed to violent and inauspicious imagery. The camera zooms up close and angles over the window to the attic of Mrs Lovett's pie shop.This is where Sweeney has his barber shop, and all of the murders take place. There is a flash of lightening and bolt of thunder as we see the iconic barber chair, that was once Mrs Lovett's " poor Albert's" chair lit by the illumination. A blood splatter lands on the pane and slides down, beginning the appearance of the symbolic substance. It sits in isolation; decrepit and forgotten; almost as Sweeney has been.The camera zooms into the room, to the far wall where two portraits hang.The silhouetted shapes are of two different women; one Mr Todd's wife, and the other, Mrs Lovett. A rusty looking substance trails down over the face of the first portrait, and then the second, marring the Victorian frame and image.

Below: the carved lion on the arm rest; you can see the blood running over the face and a small bit of the armrest above the lion's head.

We are then introduced to a thick,sticky-looking, plastic-like blood. It slides down the barber chair and over the arm rests. It slinks over the stone lion carving on the end of the arm rest, looking as though it were a tear that the lion were shedding. The blood continues moving until it drops onto the large cogs of Sweeney's modified chair, which could also be a cog on Mrs Lovett's mincing machine. It appears to be made of a thick, old-fashioned stone.The weight of the blood forces the creaky, heavy cog to move, where the blood starts to run down the cog and hit the floor. The floorboard falls away ( or Mr Todd's inventive trapdoor) and the blood falls down to become the title "Sweeney Todd" in a bright, artificial red. The idea of following the blood over the chair and down the trapdoor gives the viewer a sense of being one of Sweeney's victims falling to their demise/ to the bakehouse. It also allows the viewer to gain insight into what the plot line is roughly about.

 To the left: Part of the title of the film  " Sweeney Todd" in vivid blood red, stark contrast to the rest of the text which is in white. Stands out on the dark, repressive blue/black background. (which is where the bodies were discarded of and fell to the bakehouse below. The text moves down as though it were a body in the clip.)

This transitions to the meat of " unknown origin" being pushed out of the mincer/grinder in worm-like strands. The music at this point becomes more urgent and the movements of the blood increase in speed. As the meat strands get pushed down they fade into droplets of blood. There is then a thick swirling pattern of blood that begins to bubble around, before yellow and orange blazing flames, which contrast with the dark night sky; lick up from the bottom of the frame, cooking the pie mixture. This links once again to Mrs Lovett, her business, baking and bake oven, where the prepared pies are cooking.

The artificial, gooey blood boils on the tray, once again showing the link between the baking and the use of human flesh in the pies. The camera moves out of the oven, the door automatically closing as the camera moves to the left, where we see gutter grates and the sewer passage. The blood then makes its way down the gutter and into the grate, where rats alongside the blood connect to the thought of the people of London being "vermin". As the blood mixes with the sewerage and water the magnitude of Mr Todd and Mrs Lovett's actions becomes clear; the whole of London is affected. The blood fades out of the water, which flows out of the tunnel and into the sea. This transitions into foggy grey mist, out of which comes Anthony and Mr Todd's ship mast.

A snippet of the history of “Sweeney Todd”

Sweeney Todd first appeared in the story entitled The String Of Pearls: A Romance. This “Penny dreadful” ( A British Fiction publication from the 19^th century) was published in 18 weekly parts, from the 21st of November 1846 to the 20th of March 1847. Both James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Peckett Prest have been credited as having written parts of the serial. There were several other editions and serials adapted from the original story.

A number of earlier texts with elements of the Todd story were identified around the late 17th century and claims that Sweeney Todd was a real person were first made in the introduction to the 1850 edition of The String of Pearls and have persisted to the present day, therefore making it an example of an early urban legend.

This tale evolved into an 1847 Victorian melodrama, the first surviving film adaptation; a silent film, was made in 1928, in 1959 was made into a ballet and there have been many other versions, for both stage and screen. Tim Burton's version of Sweeney Todd, that I will be studying, is based on Stephen Sondheim's 1979 worldwide stage sensation.

First thoughts on my film sequence...

 The first thought of mine in regard to possible film openings is to choose a film that I love, that excites and inspires me. I want to analyze and study a film that is dramatic, thought provoking and mixes reality with fantasy, in a wild creation of mysterious and whimsical proportions.

Naturally, the creative genius of Tim Burton comes to mind. I think one of the best films to show his immense talent is Sweeney Todd; (click here and here ) below, two striking promotional posters for the 2007 musical horror.

 " Scary, monstrously funny and melodically thrilling. A spellbinder of breathtaking beauty." Peter Travers, Rolling Stone.

 A 2007 gripping thriller, starring Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd, Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs Lovett and Directed by the legendary talent of Tim Burton, creator of films such as Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride.

"Need a shave? A close shave? Sweeney's waiting..."