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Jan. 9th, 2008 02:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lissa_quonSo I saw Sweeney Todd Monday night and I think I've finally forgiven Tim Burton for Corpse Bride (Danny Elfman wasn't involved so I'm still waiting for him to improve).
This is a vague possibility mind you, since he didn't have a whole lot to do with the story or plot of this one. But I was generally happy with the film and liked his directing and cinematography of the thing. From what I have seen of the stage play the astethics of the thing are much better. He desaturated a wee bit too much in this one but generally it was a nice visual.
My main qualm was I counldn't follow some of the lyrics. For example, my friends and I didn't quite get why Mrs. Lovetts pies were a big hit after they started serving man on the menu (we didn't think man flesh would taste that good). In the lyrics of "Worse Pies of London" it's essentially said she makes bad pies cause she has nothing to put in them, they're nothing but crust and lard. So when she finally gets some meat they're edible. I also assumed that she'd been using cats in her pies originally but no, that was another pie shop she was talking about and she found herself unable to catch any cats to do the same.
Not big details mind you, but still something that bothered me. There are probably other parts in there I missed that vexed me. I am also saddended to discover Sweeney's daughter did a bit more in the original play than sit there and wait to be rescued. As it stood most of the time Burton seemed to treat any scene with Sweeney's daughter as an inconvenience that needed to be handled quickly so he could get back to baking some pies.
But all in all I enjoyed it, though it might have just been the Sondheim showing through.
This is a vague possibility mind you, since he didn't have a whole lot to do with the story or plot of this one. But I was generally happy with the film and liked his directing and cinematography of the thing. From what I have seen of the stage play the astethics of the thing are much better. He desaturated a wee bit too much in this one but generally it was a nice visual.
My main qualm was I counldn't follow some of the lyrics. For example, my friends and I didn't quite get why Mrs. Lovetts pies were a big hit after they started serving man on the menu (we didn't think man flesh would taste that good). In the lyrics of "Worse Pies of London" it's essentially said she makes bad pies cause she has nothing to put in them, they're nothing but crust and lard. So when she finally gets some meat they're edible. I also assumed that she'd been using cats in her pies originally but no, that was another pie shop she was talking about and she found herself unable to catch any cats to do the same.
Not big details mind you, but still something that bothered me. There are probably other parts in there I missed that vexed me. I am also saddended to discover Sweeney's daughter did a bit more in the original play than sit there and wait to be rescued. As it stood most of the time Burton seemed to treat any scene with Sweeney's daughter as an inconvenience that needed to be handled quickly so he could get back to baking some pies.
But all in all I enjoyed it, though it might have just been the Sondheim showing through.