Tim Burton slices 'Sweeney' for Lincoln Center crowd

    Of the three scenes from Sweeney Todd that [Tim Burton revealed] last night during a [Lincoln Center tribute at the Rose Theatre](http://filmlinc.com/special/events/timburton07.htm), only one displayed factors that both fans of the Broadway musical and the renowned goth filmmaker are respectively hoping for: Yes, Johnny Depp can sing, and oh, yes—there will be blood. [“Joanna,”](http://www.amazon.com/Sweeney-Barber-Street-Deluxe-Complete/dp/B000X4OVLM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1195138843&sr=8-5) the swelling ode to the Demon Barber of Fleet Street’s lost daughter, features Depp putting on a solemn face and carrying a tune. It also follows the visual rhythm of several graphic throat slashings committed by the barber as he knocks off one customer after another. The visceral impact of the cheerfully gory montage makes the opening slice in Eastern Promises look like chopping lettuce.

    Although Sweeney Todd marks the first full-blown live action musical to come out of Burton’s darkly playful oeuvre, it walks and talks like a Burton film. The use of sepia tones, a lead male actor in heavy makeup sporting a hilariously unkempt hairstyle, and sympathy for social pariahs recall pretty much everything good the guy has made since Beetlejuice. Burton said he knew for a long time that the material was a perfect match for his artistic inclinations.

    “I saw it when I was a student in London and just thought, ‘wow, this is amazing,’” he told the audience. “Then I got involved in other things, but recently, I started thinking about it again. I looked at an old drawing of it that I did—and it looked like Johnny and Helena [Bonham-Carter, Burton’s wife and Depp’s co-star]. I didn’t know either of them at the time, so it seemed kind of like a weird fate to me.”

    He began the process of culling interest from his favorite star.  “I gave Johnny the soundtrack to see what he thought of it. He said, ‘I think I can do it.’ I knew if he said he could do it, he could do it. It was the first time in our [career together] where he knew he could do it.”

    As for the singing, Burton seemed satisfied with his stars that weren’t veterans of the form. “None of them are professional singers, which gives them an extra layer that you don’t necessarily get onstage,” adding that lyricist Stephen Sondheim was “very supportive. He was OK with Johnny without hearing him sing, because I think he knew Johnny could pull it off.”

    The Depp performance came across in the clip reel like Edward Scissorhands in the Victorian Age with a psychotic streak. The scene in which Sweeney Todd discovers his fate as a murderer features several close-ups of the actor’s face reflected in the blade, an expressionistic visual scheme that allows Depp to emote while his face grows hideously contorted. “Johnny and I always talk about old horror movie actors, like Boris Karloff,” Burton said. “They have a certain acting style that you don’t see much anymore, based on movement and internalization. This part seemed perfect for that.”

    But when moderator Richard Pena asked Burton if he would ever make the transition to stage direction, the director withdrew his enthusiasm. “I’ve always wanted to do something onstage,” he said. “I’ve got a couple ideas, but not for right now.” As if to validate his hesitation, he explained himself with an anecdote. “I remember, one time, they wanted me to do a musical version of Batman,” he said, shaking his head as the room erupted into laughter. “I could just see him prancing around stage. Batman on ice.”