Category four: Colour

The way that colour is used in this opening sequence is perhaps as expected for the subject matter. Aside from the blood and fire, the colours are desaturated and grim, making the fire and blood stand out more. Blood is an important part of this film (as expected), and making it stand out against the dark back ground draws attention to it, letting the viewers know it is significant.

The shade of red that Burton has chosen to use is not realistic, but it is consistent with his slightly artificial production style. If the blood were a realistic colour it would be a much darker shade, but then it would not be so effective in standing out.

In the majority of Tim Burton's films, the colour is very dark and de saturated. He is known for his quirky (and slightly disturbing) ideas, and Sweeney Todd fits with this well. Although "Coraline" is a cartoon movie, the colour schemes in it are very similar to Sweeney Todd's. He chooses one predominant colour, and couples it with black and white. In Sweeney Todd this colour is red, in Coraline this colour is blue.

(Coraline uses other colours also, as does Sweeney Todd, but these are the most prominent colours.)

The sudden blaze of bright orange and yellow towards the end when the fire is on screen suggests to the viewer that the scene is almost over. It is such a change from the faded blacks and greys that it is almost startling (which is probably the effect Burton intended on having.)

The dark colours in the first shot when the camera pans across London set the scene as dramatic and moody. Mr Todd's barbershop is also very dark, and this helps to make the place he lives (his lair, even) gloomy and sinister.

The colours in the opening tie in very well with Sweeney Todd's character later in the movie. He is a pale and creepy looking individual, with insomniac looking eyes. His clothes are dark (mostly black) and he almost resembles a vampire of sorts. His pale complexion is the only thing that stands out from where and who he is. The same goes for his partner in crime, Mrs Lovitt who is severe looking and always clad in dark dresses.

The dark colours throughout this scene are symbolic of Mr Todd's traumatic past. Losing his wife and daugthter have turned him into a tortured introvert, which is resonated in the predominantly black, white and grey colours.

The colours in Sweeney Todd are different from the average movie's, because of how dark they are. It is difficult to place Sweeney Todd into one genre, but if Tim Burton was a genre then it would fit in perfectly. When you compare the colours of Sweeney Todd to the colours of other genres, such as romantic comedies (bright colours, a lot of pink and soft white lighting) then it is obvious how it is different.

The colours are significant with the era, because 1785 London was very dreary and cold, as the colours in this film suggest.

Category three: Mood/ atmosphere.

As expected in a movie about a serial killer, the mood of this opening is very sinister. The colours are all very bleak and faded, adding to the macabre atmosphere. Because the unnaturally red blood stands out against the desaturated background, it draws attention to the fact that the entire opening is more or less about the blood its self. This makes the scene slightly uncomfortable to watch.

There is no dialogue in this opening, and no people either. The lack of face expression and generally humanly things makes this opening detatched, and almost emotionless-- the same way that Mr Todd is in the movie. Although he is a likable character, he has limited facial expressions, and at times seems inhuman. This makes drawing parallels between the opening sequence and the movie very easy.

"Sweeney Todd," as a movie, does an impressive job of playing with people's morals. Although the average person is against murder for any reason, it is difficult not to sympathise with Mr Todd's character, because he is strangely charasmatic for someone with so little to say, and the fact that he is seeking justice makes what he does seem right.

I mention this because the opening is a good lead up to this. The dripping blood and roaring fire make the mood of the opening sequence sinister and foreboding, and we expect the owner of this room to be evil and unappealing. The strange thing about this movie is that after watching it we feel the complete opposite.

Never mind what Mr Todd does to our fellow humans, he's a nice bloke and we're on his side.

Category two: Camera movement/ shots and angles.

Camera angles are very important to any scene. Letting the viewer know what's happening is vital to any successful movie, and the plot becomes very confusing if this is not done well.

Once the Warner bros logo has left the screen, the first thing the audience sees is a shot of London as the camera pans across dark and dreary buildings. This lets them know where the movie is set, and suggests at the time period it is set in because of the older looking buildings.

The camera then moves through Mr Todd's window, pulling focus to the pie machine inside his barbershop. The close up on this object is very important in introducing the idea that something as simple as a pie machine can become a threat.

The pie machine is a pivotal object in this movie, as it represents what Sweeney does to his victims, and how well the partnership between Mrs Lovitt works. This shot is used both to set up where the film mostly takes place, and to suggest the signifigance of the machine. The shot draws attention to it.

The remainder of the sequence is tracking the blood's journey through the pie machine. This is very important because is makes the audience almost sympathise with Mr Todd's victims, and what they go through once they're deceased. It almost warns them for what is about to happen in the film, because Sweeney Todd's subject matter is far from traditional.

The high shot of the spiral of blood on the floor (this can be seen in my previous post) is visually interesting, although it doesn't symbolise anything much. It keeps the audience member's attention, preventing them from getting bored and losing concentration.

Sweeney Todd's opening sequence is not dissimilar to that of Edward Scissorhand's. Edward Scissorhand's opening sequence starts outside, and slowly tracks into a lab where we see various pieces of machinery working by themselves. There are no people in it, just like in Sweeney Todd.

Burton likes to use opening sequences that introduce us to the character without us seeing them, There is no dialogue, and usually several close ups of objects significant to the protagonist.

Category one: Music.

Music is a very powerful tool for creating an atmosphere, and is used effectively in this short two minute opening. As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, the majority of Sweeney Todd's sound track relies on the organ. Organ music has very dramatic connotations, having been associated with churches: predominantly funerals and masses. Being a film with a protagonist who is a serial killer, reminding the audience of funerals is very appropriate.

Because there is no dialogue in this opening, the scene relies largely on music. There are small sections where digetic sound is used, such as the wind sound effects in the background, but aside from this the main focus is the music. The music does well in creating tension and release. A good example of this is when the music builds up at the beginning when the logo is on screen, and then dies down to the string section playing a fast moving tune, creating a feeling of anticipation, making the viewer wonder what is about to happen.

Even before the organ music happens, there is a drum roll that creates forward momentum, giving the beginning organ theme the drive to be interesting. Because the flute is a high pitched and haunting instrument, this is also used to fit the atmosphere-- making it sinister and creepy.

The opening to Edward Scissorhands, also a Burton film, has a similar feeling behind it. There is no dialogue, and the sound is entirely reliant on the music. The music in Edward Scissorhands, just like in Sweeney Todd, is orchestral and elaborate. This time the organ is replaced with a choir, giving it a less sinister feel, and more of a dreamy feel.

Because Sweeney Todd is a musical (with brilliant music and lyrics by Steven Sondheim), even the background music has a lot of thought behind it. The orchestration is expertly done, fitting the setting incredibly well. Throughout the entire film, music of a similar feel adds another texture to the film, and the opening is no exception.

Further explanation.

This opening sequence fits very well into the movie. Although it is simple-- no dialogue or people-- it is very effective in doing what it's supposed to, which is to introduce the film.

When the warner bros logo is on screen for the beginning of this opening, the music in the background is effectively dramatic. Organ makes the viewer think something huge is about to happen, because of the connotations behind it. (Organs are often heard in church music, as a part of a religious piece or a funeral. The idea of funeral music is very appropriate for a movie where the protagonist is a serial killer.)

The camera then pans from a dark and stormy sky to dreary looking London buildings, and a dark and intense atmosphere is set. The smog spurting out of the building's chimneys foreshadows the idea of London being a "great black pit" as is mentioned in the first song, "No Place Like London."The music in the back ground is eerie because of the sudden drop in volume, and the wind sound effects that are quite low in the mix. The frantic string parts give a feeling of anticipation, and the thunder helps to set an ominous mood.

The camera then zooms through Mr Todd's barbershop window, and onto the most important part of the opening: the pie machine. This part fits well into the movie, because it introduces the idea of meat pies being sinister. Mrs Lovett and Mr Todd use this machine to make a profit out of other human's deaths, and it is important to establish the machine as a pivotal prop. There is a small trickle of blood on the window as the camera zooms in. This further supports the pie machine.

From then on there is a strong theme of blood in the opening sequence. Almost every shot has blood in it in some shape or form. This also helps with the idea that it is dangerous in Mr Todd's shop, because outside of it the scene had no blood. The blood symbolises danger and death.

Blood trickles down the handle of the pie machine and onto the cogs on the inside. The flute part makes the music creepy, because it is high pitched and resonant of horror music. The cogs in the machine turn around slowly, and the blood pools on the edge of it before dripping in between two gears and falling through a trapdoor. To make the blood stand out against the otherwise dull gray colours in this scene, Burton has chosen to use and artificially vibrant shade of red.

The camera quickly zooms out onto a meat minder that is churning out large quantities of sausage-like meat. Anyone who has seen this movie before knows that the meat is far from innocent, almost definitely being human flesh. At this point the music builds up again.

A bright red spiral is drawn on the ground in more blood, which is very effective to look at. The red, again, is a huge contrast to the black floor it is on. The camera pull focuses to a close up of a fire blazing, while the meat is being cooked. The camera then shifts to a view of several meat pies baking in the oven: the final product. The door is closed by its self.

We then see how the blood is disposed of, when a sewer-like system washes it away down a pipe. The liquid is bubbly and disturbing, a mixture between water and blood. After this liquid is tracked through a vent, the water looses its colour and gradually fades into a mist, where we see a ship float in, indicating the end of the opening sequence. The music suddenly halts to help leave the scene with a feeling of resolution.

The lighting throughout this scene is dark and gloomy, because of the subject matter. There are very few colours other than the blood.

Link to opening sequence.

Here is a copy of the opening sequence! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLS1VzUwfQ4&feature=related

(First two minutes and thirteen seconds.)

Chosen Opening Sequnce.

The title sequence I plan on studying is Sweeney Todd.

In this sequence we are introduced to the idea of meat pies being sinister. The first shot is of a city panning into Mr Todd's window, which then zooms into the meat pie machine in his barbershop. The camera follows a trail of blood from the pie maker through the shop. The music in the background is atmospheric, creating a dark and ominous mood.

This opening sequence appealed to me because Sweeney Todd is one of my favourite movies. I have always enjoyed Tim Burton's slightly cooky style, and I think this is one of the best films he's done. The opening sequence does a really good job of setting up the directing style he is known for.

Burton's style tends to be quit artificial. Rather than using realistic looking blood, he uses a strange clearly fake looking liquid. This is done in the first scene when the blood goes through the pie machine. It is much lighter than real blood. Because the camera angle tracks the blood, it allows us to see the scene from the perspective of Sweeney's victims while they are becoming pies.