Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Johnny Depp reunites with Tim Burton for Sweeney Todd

Johnny Depp’s range as an actor is undeniable. From his portrayal of demonized English Inspector Frederick Abberline in the re-imagining of the “Jack The Ripper” investigation in From Hell to his playful antics as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Depp has proven he can take on any role and deliver a pleasing performance. And on December 21st, fans will get another chance to see Depp reunited with Director Tim Burton in another dark film set in 19th century London. Depp plays Sweeney Todd – in a film by the same name – as a barber, who is wrongly accused in the death of his wife and daughter. Having just been released from prison, Todd vows revenge in this masterful thriller.
While I’ve seen almost all of Depp’s films, I am most fond of his portrayal of Inspector Abberline in From Hell and Dean Corso in The Ninth Gate. While the latter is far from the settings of From Hell or Sweeney Todd, the film mixes the playful and arrogant side of the actor within a serious and dark setting. In the opening scene we are introduced to Corso while he is conning a couple into selling a priceless volume of Don Quixote. Although an ethically challenged situation, it sets up the rest of the movie in showing that Corso can use his expertise of rare literature to help solve the mystery of The Ninth Gate. Conversely, Depp’s portrayal of Abberline in From Hell is as much about the flaws of his character as it is about the horrid crimes for which he is seeking the killer. Abberline becomes so immersed in the investigation that he risks his own sanity by taking opium for which he believes will allow him to see visions. His character rises to the occasion when challenged by his boss over whether he is deeply involved in the case or has indeed gone insane. The range of these two characters lends itself well to the line between sane and insane for which Sweeney Todd toggles in Depp’s latest role. For more on Sweeney Todd, visit the official Sweeney Todd movie site or visit Sweeney Todd on MySpace.


1 comments:

rel=nofollowPetula said...

I like the way you wrote this... I posted this one too!