Overview: Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast) transforms the Demon Barber of Fleet Street from a caricature of evil into a heartbreakingly tormented soul who discovers his power to kill—and his powerlessness to stop.

DVD Verdict: Absolutely brilliant and totally gripping from beginning to end with superb acting throughout! Yep, that's 'Sweeney Todd' for yer. No beatin' about the bush 'ere, Guvner! OK, enough of that melarky, but this film IS thoroughly realistic, with atmospheric settings and story line. I was totally involved, enthralled and appalled in turn as we were allowed to identify with and begin to understand and also to pity the tormented Todd himself. An orgy of entertainment, in fact!

In filthy, teeming 18th-century London, expert barber Sweeney Todd lives in the shadow of Newgate Prison, a hellhole where he spent 20 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Todd tries to carve out a quiet, simple life of service, but his past haunts him. Battling murderous impulses, he befriends Mrs. Lovett, a lusty young woman whom he sets up in a pie shop next door. As carved-up bodies start turning up in the Fleet River, and Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies turn ever more delectable, the police launch an investigation. How long will it take them to suspect the quiet, gentlemanly barber?

Ray Winstone ('The Departed') is extremely convincing as Sweeney Todd. The fact that Todd thought it was a justifiable thing to murder and he appeared to get an explosive buzz from the actual blood spurting everywhere leads me to believe he was just evil and selfish. It's easy to justify your own evil doing by what happened to you in your upbringing but I just don't believe his childhood made him murder only men. Sure I sound like I'm now preaching for the murderous bastard - and yes, I know it's only a film/stage play! - but didn't this actually happen in real life??!?!? '

In closing, well I was unable to move from my armchair the whole time this was on and I have not felt like that about anything for months! I was there in the period, could smell the smells and feel the discomfort. 'Sweeney Todd' also stars Essie Davis, Tom Hardy, David Warner, and David Bradley ('Harry Potter' film series). This is a Full Screen Presentation (4:3) and comes with the Special Features of:
Footage not seen in the BBC broadcast
Sweeney Todd background essay
Cast Filmographies