The Tale of Sweeney Todd
| The Tale of Sweeney Todd | |
|---|---|
Video cover
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| Directed by | John Schlesinger |
| Produced by | Ted Swanson |
| Screenplay by | Peter Buckman |
| Story by | Peter Shaw |
| Starring |
Ben Kingsley Joanna Lumley |
| Music by | Richard Rodney Bennett |
| Cinematography | Martin Fuhrer |
| Edited by | Mark Day |
| Distributed by | Showtime |
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Release date
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April 19, 1998 |
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Running time
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98 minutes |
| Country | Ireland United States |
| Language | English |
The Tale of Sweeney Todd is a 1998 American crime-drama/horror made-for-TV-movie directed by John Schlesinger. The teleplay by Peter Buckman was adapted from a story by Peter Shaw. It was broadcast in the United States by Showtime on April 19, 1998 and released on videotape in France the following month. It later was released as a feature film in select foreign markets.
Set in 19th Century London, the story focuses on Sweeney Todd (Ben Kingsley), a murderous barber whose business provides him with two profitable sidelines, the sale of his victims' jewelry and the disposal of their bodies to his mistress Mrs. Lovett (Joanna Lumley), who uses them to prepare meat pies for her unsuspecting clientele.
American Ben Carlyle (Campbell Scott) arrives in the city to track down wealthy diamond merchant Alfred Mannheim and $50,000 worth of jewels he had sold to Carlyle's employer but failed to deliver. Mannheim's staff advises Carlyle their boss disappeared without a trace weeks earlier, and he posts notices offering a reward for information leading to his discovery.
Charlie (Sean Flanagan), a mute orphan who works as an assistant to Todd, recognizes Mannheim as a man the barber shaved just prior to his disappearance. Realizing his dastardly deeds are in danger of being revealed, Todd imprisons the boy in his basement.
Meanwhile, Carlyle is seeking the assistance of the corrupt local police and an amiable serving wench named Alice, who happens to be Todd's ward, with his quest. When his suspicions about the ingredients of Mrs. Lovett's pies are all but confirmed by a chemist, he hides himself in a burlap sack and has himself deposited in her pie shop cellar with a delivery of meat. There he makes a gruesome discovery that spurs him to confront Todd, who overpowers and binds him. As he prepares his instruments to torture Carlyle to death, he explains what led him to a life of murder and cannibalism. Charlie, who has managed to free himself from his shackles, stabs Todd in the back, killing him. He then frees Carlyle, who sets the building on fire before escaping with the boy.
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