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.