C.) Titles/text

The opening title sequence of “Sweeney Todd” contains no dialogue or actors/ characters and this means we are not distracted by either of these elements but can instead focus on the images and themes presented. I will look at the way the titles are juxtaposed with the images on the screen and take on significance in foreshadowing the driving themes and meanings in the film.

Title designer Richard Morrison had worked previously with Tim Burton on Batman (1989) and they used the same technique in Batman’s opening sequence i.e. no actors/ characters shown. It gives us an association with Tim Burton’s style of directing and suggests his vision for horror films.

The film opens with “Warner Bros Pictures & Dreamworks Pictures presents” in gothic white font which contrasts against the black backdrop.  The gothic font helps create the setting of the film into the Victorian Era as we understand the style of the font and its common use in Victorian times. If the font was different, such as “Marker felt”, it wouldn’t fit as well and we wouldn’t get such a strong idea of when it was set.

Also many of the famous early horror movies were based on classic books of the gothic/horror genre, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and so the gothic font helps us understand the genre as well as the setting.

An example of another film where the font suggests the genre, is the futuristic style font used for the Star Trek Film called:

The gothic font is also a traditional font for inscribing names onto graveyard tombstones and so through this Burton has suggested to us that death is going to be a driving theme through the film. 

All the titles are in white gothic font until the title of the film is announced “Sweeney Todd” in red gothic (dramatically reinforcing the images of blood). Tim Burton used the stark contrast of the white font against the dark grimy background to emphasise the setting of the film in dark industrial Victorian England. Also the use of white font until the title is displayed keeps the actor’s names clearly defined and separate from the title of the film. When the title Sweeney Todd finally appears in a red blood colour it has great impact and we realise that Sweeney Todd is not only the title of the film, but also as the central character he is inescapably connected to blood.

“A Zanuck Company Production” appears mid way along the left to right pan; it fades in and flicks out with lightening/thunder, caught by a drop of blood.  This technique draws the eye in. "A Tim Burton Film" appears just after the blood splatter on the window, centre of screen over the barber’s chair. This gives us an association between the director of the film and the barber’s chair. We already understand that the director plays possibly the most important role in the production of a film and therefore the proximity of the barber’s chair to his name suggests that the chair is pivotal to the film plot. His name is centre screen and this also draws our eyes in.

Three actors’ names appear on the screen before the film title is displayed. They are the three main characters. We see an association between their name and the image presented.

First is "Johnny Depp" and the text appears by the old Victorian silhouette picture of himself. I think Tim Burton doesn’t think we need to see… “(Johnny Depp) as  Sweeney Todd” as the image is enough for us to make an association. This also keeps a slight sense of uncertainty and tension as we are not 100 % sure. Depp is introduced first as he is the main character and the setting is the barber’s room with the chair. The style of the silhouette image is Victorian and so in keeping with the gothic font. The gothic font and image accentuates the Victorian period and the text and image combined clearly put “Johnny Depp/Sweeney Todd” in the barber’s room with the chair. This association let’s us know that the room and chair are going to be important.

Then "Helena Bonham Carter" appears by the silhouette of Mrs. Lovett, which shows she is also a main character and linked to the barber’s room/house. The Director makes the association between the two actors for us and we understand Helena Bonham Carter is closely linked in the conspiracy with Johnny Depp’s character

The name of "Alan Rickman" appears as the camera pans down past the barber’s chair. We can see that his character has a close association with the barber’s chair and the director is drawing our attention to it. As we realise that he is the Judge we suspect that this might be the place of his murder.  The display of the text is carefully coordinated with the music and appears on the downbeat of the music. This gives a sense of finality and emphasis that this is the place of his death. It shows the main drive behind the film and why the chair is there - to kill Judge Turpin.