Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Revenge is a dish best served cold...

As a history buff, I'm well aware of the different versions of the story of Sweeney Todd as well as the debate as to was he a real person or a creation of several real murderers. That as with most fictional adaptations can be debated forever, but what is evident is that people are still attracted to the story, and if you visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site you'll see how Johnny Depp adapts so very well to this role.

In theory Todd is seeking revenge on those he felt has wronged him, yet many suggest it was jealousy against those who had more than Todd that drove his murderous rage resulting in him slicing the throats of his victims with them ending up as meat pies. The plot is suggests that Todd is acting out of revenge for his being wrongfully imprisoned and that during his prison years something horrible happens to his wife and his daughter which drives him to "never forgive and never forget". No matter which version of the Sweeney Todd story you feel is more accurate, the desire for revenge, real or imagined, it is the desire for revenge that motivates the character in Sweeney Todd. Similar to the revenge scenes in "A Man on Fire" the motivation that drives the character is part his past and part his belief that correctly the wrong involves killing people. The movie's popularity has grown to such that you can visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace and perhaps even be added as a friend.

As a fan of both Johnny Depp and the work of Tim Burton, it will be interesting to see this film...





1 comment:

Chad Quigley said...

I must agree... "..Best served cold"