these two seem to be experimenting with an idea that I don't think I've ever seen before; Mrs. Lovett being actually kind of afraid of Todd. There's an intensity in how Sweeny always seems to gesture and make contact with his razor, and Thompson almost seems to bring a sense of panic to her lines. Fascinating take.
It makes sense given the performers and the story circumstances. Todd is insane by this point, while Lovett is evil but rational. If you were someone the size of Emma Thompson trying to manipulate a lunatic the size of Terfel you'd be a little scared too.
I think part of it is also intensified in this particular song because Emma is trying SO hard not to break character and burst into laughter at every line
it’s my favourite interpretation of the character i’ve ever seen. something about lovett having moments of fear and trying to fix the situations they’ve put themselves in while also placating todd and his anger just brings more humanity to the piece.
Agreed all around on Emma’s fresh (and phenomenal) take on Lovett….Have to say though….This Todd just isn’t doing it for me. It feels like Hollywood royalty got thrown onto a stage with the janitor coz the actor fell ill and they couldn’t find a replacement. Maybe just me tho but there seems to be a huge difference in the level of quality of their performances
I don't know if it was intentional, but when Sweeney gets what Mrs. Lovett is saying, he looks positively entranced like he could kiss her on the spot.
I love their harmonies in this song. They’re so off putting and unsettling, something rarely done in musicals. The music is amazingly written, allowing the actors to act as if this is a conversation. The dark subject matter translates perfectly when contrasted with the beautiful music to tell such a brutal story.
I just love the way he asks “is it really good?” 🤩 Thompson is hilarious. I love the way she’s actually a bit scared of him, like when he touches her hand with his razor. And I love the way Terfel really, really uses the razor in gestures, like it is part of his arm.
I'm so glad they filmed this. They look like they're having a lot of fun. I love Emma Thompson's expressions here. It would be cool if she did more stage plays or musicals.
@@vic2958 Then again i was lucky enough to see the original cast and production. I know what Sweeney was supposed to be and what it was. Burton’s take on it was about as good as his Planet of the Apes and Dumbo remakes. Kinda superficial. I m sorry, i love Nightmare before Christmas and Ed Wood, and PeeWee’s big adventure. But just putting soot on everything didn’t make a compelling movie for me. And he cut out half (at least) of a perfect score….was an amputated Sweeney at best.
This is one of the few performances that ever convinced me that Sweeney and Lovett could actually have been happy together (others being Depp/Carter and Hearn/LuPone.) I'm especially impressed with Emma Thompson. Didn't even know she could sing.
Thompsons delivery of "has...had... has" has got to be my favorite of any Lovett ever. The performance as a whole is pretty good but that one moment she just knocked out of the park
I had no idea there was a theatrical version of Sweeney Todd? I'm again blown away byDame Emma Thompson's talent, she's just so phenomenal. This lady can do anything! (Bryn Terfel is great too, of course. )
What? Sweeney has been around as a play for a loooong time, lassie. I recommend you check out Pamela Lansbury, Patti LuPone and Imelda Staunton's performances, they're EVERYTHING, each in their own way.
The original stage version was way back in 1979 and starred Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett and Len Cariou as Sweeney. It's incredible and you can listen to the cast recording on Spotify. There's actually a filmed performance with much of that original cast (including Lansbury but with George Hearn as Sweeney) and it's available on DVD. Check it out, it's absolutely brilliant. The performance this was taken from, with Bryn Terfel and Emma Thompson, was also really, really fun, but I don't think it's available for purchase. It does show up, from time to time, on RU-vid though if you look around...
I can push this back eveb farther than Angela. Before the musical, it was a small town vaudeville play, and I actually saw it performed in Colorado at a dinner theater in the late 60s or early 70s. The only things. similar to this was Sweeney the Barber and his chair, which dropped customers down through the floor. Before that, it was "The String of Pearls," a Victorian novel about your basic poor girl whose dowry, the pearls, disappears in London along with the courier. She hires a detective, who after a long Dickensian search, traces the courier to the shop of one Sweeney Todd and thence to Mrs. Lovett. Oops.
1:40 this is one of the moments that Burton's adaptation wasn't able to capture. Maybe it was due to the speed of the recording, but they weren't able to savor these slow building punchlines as much in the movie. I still love the movie though, but I fully accept that the stage versions are superior in performance and music.
I love this version of this song, which is very different than the movie version. More verses, played for laughs. And the actors/ singers pull the best faces. Especially Emma Thompson, who I didn’t think would make it though the song without busting into hysterical laughter. I love the movie version, but it feels different seeing two people backed by an orchestra not being directed to play it straightforward. I wonder if they rehearsed it the way they sang it on stage.
I personally I prefer Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd but that’s jus my opinion coz I saw the Sweeney Todd Movie with Johnny Depp as Sweeney before I saw any of these or the original.
Terfel is bad in this scene. Musically poor, lost pitch completely, and nothing happening. Like he's waiting for the bus as opposed to going full on psychopath. Thompson is literally carrying this entire scene.
