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.