Lighting, use of shadow and colour

At first, it almost seems that the film has been shot in black and white. The opening sequence, and in fact the entire film is shot in such a way that emphasizes the importance of the use of light and the manipulation of shadow. Another very important aspect of the film is the use of colour. A lot of dark, murky- type colours have been used, such as many varying shades of gray, dirty whites and neutrals; as well as dark blue, brown and green hues. ( In some parts the green/blue tinge is faint, yet still adds to the effect. An example of this is the colours of the floorboards in the barber shop room, that are blue/green tinged at times, making them seem damp,rotting and decaying.) Certainly the predominant colours in Sweeney Todd are dark and cold; as shown in the opening sequence as well as the rest of the film. The cold colours represent and portray a cold atmosphere: For example the dark billowing smoke, black and grey sewers showing a sense of grime and filth. The use of bright pastels and vibrant colours in Mrs Lovett's dreams, and Sweeney Todd's flashbacks to his earlier, happier life show a stark contrast to the bleak, glum reality and setting of the present time in the film.

Here we can see some of the dark shadows, the blue/green tinge, the stone grey and the bright red blood

The vivid, shocking red that is used for the blood in the opening sequence, and the blood of Sweeney's victims is thick, gooey, artificial and almost comical-looking. This adds to the blood a surreal and handmade feel; which Tim Burton uses a lot in his films, it seems almost a signature of his to have quirky, unusual concepts such as this. In turn, the style of the blood draws attention to the specific horror aspect and detail of the film. The blood stands out because it has been made in the way mentioned above. The focus on the film is not to be overly scary or have too much of the horror elements that the classics have; in that their blood is realistic and a focus is on the viewer being horrified or disgusted. Yet Mr Burton's blood concept in Sweeney is used in a stylistically artistic way in order to progress the story and the unexpected brightness of the colour in the opening sequence surprises the viewer. It highlights the importance that the recurring presence that the blood holds in the film. The blood drops that fall with the rain link the sadness and violence together. At the beginning we just see a dreary, gloomy London town; the buildings which connotate the 19th Century London place and time.The colour is used to show symbolic and important objects; the blood drops intermingled with the rain, the barber shop red and white-striped pole, the blood, and later in the film a red on some of Mrs Lovett's outfits are examples of the carefully placed use of the colour red and the stylistic blood.

Shot from Mrs Lovett's fantasy: note positive colours

In the picture above, which is from a later scene in the film; Mrs Lovett's "By the Sea" fantasy, has a light and positive tone, and could show a change in Mr Todd and Mrs Lovett's lives, at least from Mrs Lovett's viewpoint. Colour has been used to show a change in tone, the mood created is whimsical and soft; created by the warm hues: orange, red, navy, light blue, the creamy sand beach and soft clouds. The idea of the couple together,vacationing is supported by this. The striped pattern on their clothing also links them together, in that they are wearing matching stripes.

In comparison to the shot below, which is the actual situation; Sweeney, Mrs Lovett and Toby on a picnic. It is a big change in relation to the rest of the film, a welcome release of tension and change in setting, yet it is seen to be an unusual change from their normal, depressive lives and murderous occupations.  The cloud colour is more misty with dark and grey shadows.The colour is desaturated and almost flat; creating a limp and lifeless feel. Also, all of the character's clothing is in dreary, neutral colours, the style and fabric depicting that of a lower class.The lighting in this shot is interesting, in that it is quite light: the clouds, the clothing and faces, yet the clouds and the tree overhanging the trio make it seem almost ominous, and dreary with the use of shadow.

Actual situation: darker shadows and colours

The use of the lighting in the image below, and the heavy manipulation of shadow enhances the mood and the feel of the situation, the seriousness and darkness of Sweeney's songs and message behind his words are paired with this strong image. The dark shadows on Mrs Lovett's eyes and around her neck in contrast to the whiteness of her skin and partly illuminated face play up the contrast in the light and shadow even more so; Sweeney's face in in the shadow; half is dark, half is light which may have signifigance to the idea of his change in character. The dark is symbolic of his decision to cut the throats of all of his customers in order to refine his skill until he can kill the judge. He justifies this as relieving the men of their struggles, that their deaths will be a relief, and that he will be ridding the town of scum and corruption through these murders.The light side of his face shows that the goodness in his character is still in him, although getting taken over by the dark side of his character as influenced by the corrupt actions of the judge.

Note: Red on Mrs Lovett's dress, heavy use of shadow and contrast between white and black

The focus on the two characters involved, and the dark black around them means that the viewer is to completely focus on their faces and the action of Mr Todd placing the knife under Mrs Lovett's neck. We can clearly see Mrs Lovett's red trim on her dress, which links to what I said previously, about the use of red throughout the film and the signifigance of this. (Sweeney does not actually cut her, but the red links back to the blood and the murderous nature of the story!) The dark shadow also helps to keep the image sharp; linking to the action and playing up the paleness of the character's skin.We are unable to directly see either Mrs Lovett's or Sweeney's eyes, the dark colouring and the heavy shadow preventing this. This is important as it shows an extreme vulnerability on their faces, especially when paired with their white visages and the white in Mr Todd's hair. Sweeney is wearing a washed out grey, which links back to the idea of using dark, cold colours in the opening sequence and throughout the film.

When we first see " poor Albert's" chair in the opening sequence, there is a flash of thunder and the lightning illuminates the chair. This is one example of a clever manipulation of lighting. The chair and the immediate area around it are lit in the white light, and could possibly have a colour filter/gel used as well; as the floorboards and the room have a soft blue/green tinge. This reinforces the idea of the decrepit and isolated room and helps to convey the feel of the room being glum and low-spirited, or having a negative feel. The use of these "cold" colours ( blue, green, black, brown and grey) in the room gives an impersonal feel, a detachment from the town. For example, Sweeney does not notice, perhaps, the beauty in the world at present as he sees the world in these overly dark colours. It could also be seen as him not noticing what is going on around him, other things are pushed into the background whilst he is so focused on getting his revenge. This relates also to his relationship with Mrs Lovett, which I will talk about in another part of my analysis.

A shot from Mrs Lovett's "By The Sea"

Mrs Lovett's fantasies and daydreams are about the future that she and Sweeney could have; and the idea seems far removed from what is possible, as it is simply so far from the reality of her situation, including her relationship with Sweeney. As we can see from the image below, Mrs Lovett imagines a surreal scene, "By the sea" that is vivid; with the use of bright blue, orange and red colours. The use of warm colours ( red,orange,pink, yellow) and soft neutrals such as a clean white or pristine black give the impression of a higher class or more money. She is wearing fashionable clothing and they appear to be of a higher class. The other background characters wear a clean white, so focus is placed on Mrs Lovett in her dramatic Victorian gown. She is basking in the sun and glory of having a life that she wants so badly, but the expression on Sweeney's face tells a different story. This does add humour to the scene, yet it is also tragic and sad because Mrs Lovett is imagining something so distorted from reality, and even in such a situation, Sweeney could not be happy or give her the attention and relationship that she deserves.The uplifting colours make it seem so ridiculous and out of reach for Mrs Lovett.