Tim Burton’s film Sweeney
Todd does indeed make viewers sympathize with both Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett
even though they do not make the best decisions morally. The way music is used
in this film greatly influences our feelings toward Sweeney and Lovett. The
passion they portray through their voices makes viewers want the best for each
of these significant characters in this movie. Burton overcomes the moral disgust,
murder, and cannibalism illustrated by down-playing it the same way he does in
his other movies dealing with death. Usually Burton decides to use humor to
weaken the emotions that usually come from death, but this time he decides to
use rather nonchalant mannerisms. These mannerisms are used while performing the
actual murders and when the idea comes to make Mrs. Lovett’s pies. Cannibalism
is a central element in this film along with the other remakes of this story. In
order for cannibalism to come into play, murder has to occur. Sweeney Todd ends
lives very easily in this film showing no sort of regret or remorse after doing
his dirty deed. He goes on to live regularly as if he always murdered people
every day of his life. Mrs. Lovett condones the idea and action of murder, she
even influences him so that she can continue making her human meat pies. The
way Mrs. Lovett made people consume other human beings really dehumanizes their
environment. Since they make it seem so easy to eat people, it suggests that
humans are not worth much at all. It also suggests that the people who get
murdered are weak people because they do nothing to protect themselves; this
gives them a rather unintelligent factor as well. The killing of the weak
directly points to the survival of the fittest. Even though Sweeney and Mrs.
Lovett are not very prosperous, they show that they can be stronger or cleverer
than the upper-class persons of their society. This is how the cannibalism in
this film relates to urbanization in London. The overpopulation of the city
along with the manipulation of the poor leads to classification and stereotypes
of urban people.
