Battle of the Musicals: Les Mis vs. Sweeney Todd

Admit it, everyone likes the odd sing song. Whether melodiously murmuring Why Does it Always Rain On Me in the shower or prancing round like an idiot bellowing Bohemian Rhapsody, we all occasionally burst into song. But some people exercise their vocal chords a little to often, and indeed in musicals the characters don't know how to converse unless there's throbbing violins accompanying the character's musical introspection. This may seem hugely annoying, and indeed in many musicals it probably is. However, here are two of the best: Les Miserables and Sweeney Todd epic tales of redemption and revenge respectively. But which is better I hear you ask (or rather sing in an odd recitative like fashion). Well dear reader, I will do my best to supply the answer.

The Music
After watching Les Mis I immediately rushed out to buy the soundtrack, nineteen tracks of brilliantly realised musical genius (and one track of some cannons accompanied by strings somewhat bizarrely). Who doesn't recognise I Dreamed A Dream, Castle On A Cloud or Stars? When each appears in the film I felt a pleasant reeling of recognition, glad I now knew where the song fit in the context of the the rest of the story. Recurring musical ideas embody thematic links, a mocking reminder of Javert's moral arrogance in Stars sounds before the stubborn policeman launches himself off a bridge and the Bishop's Song reappears as Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, unlike the vicar's faith in God, faith in revolution leads to a sticky end.
On the other hand Sweeney Todd has some great songs, crafted with humour rather than pain. While Anne Hathaway mourns her dead dream in Les Mis, Helena Bonham Carter sings about her appalling pies (and this is before they have bits of people in them). On the whole, Sondheim is to be applauded for crafting such an odd musical, with some inventive lyrics. But while Les Mis leaves you crying out for more, in Sweeney Todd you just want them to stop singing about bloody Johanna. But the music excels when character's sing duets. On the back of Pretty Women and My Friends, I feel I require the Sweeney soundtrack too.
On the whole, Les Mis aims to be epic and heartbreaking, while Sweeney Todd largely rejects bombast to give us more intimate, funny and less serious songs. But, on the whole....
The Winner: Les Mis

The Singing
Russel Crowe has been much criticised for his vocals as Javert, but in my opinion, he was in fine voice like the rest of the cast. On first viewing of the film I found Hugh Jackman's battered vocals (if vocals can be battered) slightly grating, but on the soundtrack I realised how effective his voice is in this character, especially on new song Suddenly. But the top singers in this epic are Eddie Raymond as Marius and Samantha Barks as Eponine, brilliantly capturing the pain of their characters while still sounding pleasant on the ear. But the main strength of Les Mis is Tom Hooper's choice to have the singing live on set. The music sounds more raw and real, and really adds to the emotional drama.
Meanwhile, Johnny Depp is a revelation. His voice manages easily to portray both elation and a deep hatred for the world at appropriate moments, his singing sounds effortless. Helena Bonham Carter is equally wonderful, her vocals expertly embody the weakness of her character. But the surprise hit is Jamie Campbell Bower, whose turn as Anthony, the only decent character in this whole debarkle, has easily the most powerful voice in the cast. While the vocals for Sweeney Todd are pre-recorded, this strangely seems appropriate as Burton isn't aiming for gritty realism, but his traditional twisted fairytale. But despite this...
The winner: Les Mis

The Acting
Hugh Jackman holds the whole thing together as Jean Valjean, and his transformation throughout the film is a sight to behold. Russell Crowe generally scowls a lot, but I suppose that's what Javert does, his suicide is still affecting. Meanwhile, Eddie Raymond's heartbreak hits you like a brick wall in Empty Chairs. And Sacha Baron Cohen is surprisingly humorous as Thenandier, creating the only light-hearted moments in the whole miserable affair. But, as her BAFTA shows, Anne Hathaway is the real star of the show. Her downfall come fairly early on in the film, and sets the tone for everything that follows.
In fact both films have some top quality British actors in them (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are in both). But Sweeney Todd has the upper hand. Helena Bonham Carter is promoted from bit-part to leading lady, and her talents allow sympathy for the frankly horrible Miss Lovett, whose desperation for happiness makes it all the more sad that Todd doesn't care for her at all. Speaking of Todd, after Johnny Depp's performance I can't imagine anyone else playing him. His brooding is top notch, as is his casual slitting of various people's throats. Meanwhile, Alan Rickmen is stone cold and evil, although not quite as bad as his nemesis Todd. Therefore...
The Winner: Sweeney Todd

The Director
Tom Hooper directed British hit The King's Speech, so clearly knows how to grab his audience's attention. The drama is hammed up as much as it will go, but it feels epic rather than melodramatic. Sweeping shots of France and intimate soliloquies are handled with equal ease, although sometimes the same shot lingers a little too long during the songs.
While Tom Hooper can step back and let the iconic musical do its work, Tim Burton has a much harder task. Sweeney Todd is hardly Les Mis, which leaves a little more oppertunity for the director's input. Although it can be argued that most of Burton's film share a similar style, the broad umbrella term of dark fairytale has many nuances. Rest assured, this isn't Alice in Wonderland (although Carter and Depp are in both). This is luxuriously stylised, the viewer is likely to feel that they are in a storybook land when rushing through the streets of London and the costumes for Depp and Carter are hugely appropriate and memorable. The highlight for me in terms of style was By The Sea, where Depp and Carter are transplanted into various idyllic setting, with Depp looking utterly miserable in all of them. So, I think you'll agree with me that....
The Winner: Sweeney Todd

And so I am left with a difficult choice. While Les Mis is musically superior, subtle stylishness is harder to achieve than epic bombast. But then again Les Mis is definitely more emotional (I'll admit it, I did cry a little). Therefore...

The Ratings
Les Miserables: 8/10
Sweeney Todd: 8/10

Sweeney Todd clip

Quickfire Reviews (Part 3)

It's been a while. Some more films I love or hate:

2001: A Space Odyssey

This is possibly one of the most visually stunning films ever made, which is impressive considering it was made in 1968. It's one of the best interpretations of what life in space might be like, toying cleverly with the concept of zero gravity (one of the rare moments of humour is an astronaut looking perplexed at a long list of instructions on the door of a toilet). However, Kubrick does get a little carried away with his visual prowess. Therefore the plot is sandwiched in the middle of some aimless visual meanderings and seems a bit of an afterthought. For a two and a half hour long film, not a lot happens. The central mysteries are never explained, with an ending that is impossible to decipher. However, the conflict between Dave the astronaut and Hal the evil, omnipresent computer is rather enjoyable, and the screen filling shots of Hal's "eye" are chilling. You're left feeling that 2001 would have been more successful if they let the man vs. machine conflict play out a little longer rather than rely on pretty pictures and booming orchestral music.

Rating: 5/10


A Clockwork Orange

After showing the world a woefully inaccurate picture of what 2001 was going to be like, Kubrick set himself the ambitious task of adapting Anthony Burgess's ground-breaking parable of free will and state control. He does an admirable job, his visual style is still horribly self-indulgent but this time feels less aimless and helps make the film seem "arty". The ultraviolence accompanied by classical music and a fastforwarded rape scene serve to distance us from the violence, giving the impression of a generation corrupted by the media and the overbearing presence of phallic symbols in all aspects of life. A fantastical vision of the future is juxtaposed against dreary urban images, allowing us to lose ourselves in Kubrick's world but ultimately remember that violent youths and tyrannical governments are all too real aspects of the modern age. Malcolm McDowell is brilliant as Alex (your humble narrator), managing to convey utter repulsiveness with an odd sense of charm that Burgess created so memorably in his novel. The rest of the cast brilliantly manage a surreal style of acting which involves the most bizarre facial expressions, helping to keep the film light rather than the miserable bloodbath that it could have been. And just to top it off, there's a healthy sprinkling of nadsat (Burgess's made up language). In short, a fantastic film.

Rating: 8/10


Pan's Labyrinth

I was originally wary of this film as it was Spanish with subtitles, but in fact this didn't detract from it at all. What plays out is a brilliant imaging of a childish fairytale vision of what the world should be like juxtaposed against the brutal reality of the Spanish Civil War. Rarely is it that fairies and torture appear in a film together. Surprisingly the gritty drama of the conflict between the evil Nationalists and Republican rebels is more gripping than the surreal encounters of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), although the latter greatly adds to the films appeal, and metaphorically represent the impact of the war. You end up utterly sympathising with the nightmare Ofelia and her mother are living through, and thoroughly hating the film's arch villain, the loathsome Vidal (Sergi Lopez). With an ambiguous, bittersweet ending, there's not a lot to fault with this film. The oppressive tone is maintained throughout, countered by Ofelia's occasional trips in to otherworldly realms. You can see why it won 3 Oscars!

Rating: 9/10


Bright Young Things

Stephen Fry's first and only jaunt into the directing profession, Bright Young Things is slick, fast-paced and made with an alluring bend of farce and pathos. Stephen-Campbell Moore is Adam Fenwick-Symes, a toff who's running short of cash after his novel was confiscated by border security. He spends this tale of upper class inter-war antics chasing after some hefty winnings which he left in possession of an absent minded general and trying to compete with a moustache-wielding David Tennant for the love of Nina (Emily Mortimer). Picture The Great Gatsby for British people, but infinitely more silly. Despite the continuous hilarity, there are some serious issues that are discussed, including mental illness, homosexuality and a vacuous existence consumed only by parties. Don't be fooled by the superficial sheen, this is comedy with a bite, almost (but not quite) up to History Boys standards.

Rating: 7/10


Night of the Living Dead

This was essentially the template for modern zombie films, the creation of George A. Romeo in 1968. While most modern zombie films feel like they're constantly covering the same ground (evident when you see how many times people have tried to remake this film), the action of NOTLD seems fresh and seminal. In  my opinion, this is actually scarier than many of the new zombie films. It's refreshing low-key, the dead have been reanimated by an unknown force and a group of terrified survivors have taken shelter in an old farmhouse. The dead stumble along and are just people without the usual hideous rotting flesh. The news of the spreading epidemic is chillingly broadcast over the radio, and when it's announced that they are eating human flesh, you can sense the shock rather than the general complacency about zombie behaviour in more modern films. As the film progresses, it transpires the sheltering humans are more of a danger to themselves than the flesh eating hordes outside. With a truly memorable ending and a focus on the creepy rather than the horrific, this film is possibly still the best zombie film ever made.

Rating: 7/10