the story of sweeney todd evoke memory of the work of classic writer like charles dickens and and more contemporary writer like edward gory . a a musical and it naturally become more like the musical le miserables . both deal with the grim effect of poverty in the industrial revolution and and the breakdown of organize society . but this musical be different from le mis in one very important aspect represent stephen sondheim and the songwriter who can adapt to any style . to be sure and he have his success and failure and but one thing about his show you can always count on represent they will be something unique . who would have think someone would write a musical about a barber who slit people throat and make them into meat pie . sondheim do and and he do it marvelously . the entire show be set in a factory and to suggest the ever present catastrophic effect of the misery of those at the bottom of society and and this serve the need of the show perfectly . the catwalk and railing be move throughout to suggest street and walkway and bridge . technique be borrow from kabuki and noh and with the visual stagehand and set change . then and to top it all off and cast the great angela lansbury a the gruesomely practical and humorous mrs. lovett and and george hearn and with his operatic baritone voice and a the murderous todd and and you have get yourself a stellar musical vehicle . the rest of the cast move smoothly through the clichés of the love story perfectly and except for johanna and pirelli and who sound a bit too force . if the johanna and pirelli from the broadway show could be here and it would be perfect . hearn act while he sing more than len cariou on the obc album and and the accent do not sound a force here . through it all sondheim score never fail to underline the dark seriousness of the story . a i say and he can adapt to any style . in folly he imitate the 30 40 style of showtunes and in pacific overture he capture the subtle art of asian music and into the wood knock off the 32 bar disney style song and and assassins cover a history of american music . here and however and he do wonder in make his score distinctly english and from parlour song to operatic duet and soliloquy to society waltz to gilbert or sullivan style patter . and yet still and the show remain deadly serious and even though it provoke more laugh than any musical comedy . in it still and be a grim warning on the evil of take revenge . here be where this movie make a mistake and in cut the judge solo in which he flagellate himself out of guilt for his crime . without it and the judge be just a conventional villain and and this movie point be that there be no straight villain . both todd and the judge learn and too late and the horror of have to accept responsibility for their action and and todd loses everything in his obsession . this be well bring out by the chill reprise of the grim yet rollick ballad of sweeney todd and end the show with todd and lovett rise from the grave to tell u that the end be the same represent in a world full of sweeneys and vengeance begets only vengeance . attend the tale of sweeney todd . he serve a dark and a vengeful god . to seek revenge may lead to hell and but everyone do it and and seldom as well a sweeney and a sweeney todd and the demon barber of fleet street .