Sweeney Todd
And everyone thought it so droll. They figured she had to be daft, you see, So all of `em stood there and laughed, you see, Poor soul! Poor thing!
NOOOOOOOO…! Todd’s wild howl shatters the memory and tears us back to–
14
INT. PARLOR — DAY
–Todd is bolting up from the sofa, tormented–
….. NOOOOOO! He stands for a terrible beat.
TODD Would no one have mercy on her?
MRS. LOVETT So it is you — Benjamin Barker.
TODD Where’s Lucy?! Where’s my wife?!
MRS. LOVETT She poisoned herself. Arsenic from the apothecary on the corner. I tried to stop her but she wouldn’t listen to me. And he’s got your daughter.
TODD He? Judge Turpin?
MRS. LOVETT Adopted her like his own. Todd absorbs this sickening news.
TODD Fifteen years of sweating in a living hell on a false charge. Fifteen years dreaming that I might come home to find a loving wife and child… A beat as he stares into the fire, madness and purpose creeping in.
MRS. LOVETT Well, I can’t say the years have been particularly kind to you, Mr. Barker, but you still–
TODD No, not Barker. That man is dead. It’s Todd now. Sweeney Todd … And he will have his revenge. He continues with a chilling and quiet resolve as he stares with unblinking eyes into the fire:
TODD Judge Turpin and the Beadle will pay for what they did. A beat. He finally turns to her.
TODD First I must have my shop back.
EXT. PIE SHOP — DAY
They emerge from the pie shop. She begins to scale the exterior staircase to the darkened second floor room. He hesitates.
MRS. LOVETT Come along… She continues up, he slowly follows.
16
INT. BARBER SHOP — DAY
A macabre shroud of dust and spider’s webs. Furniture covered in sheets. A broken mirror on one wall. We hear footsteps approaching and then Mrs. Lovett enters. The door creaks like a living thing.
MRS. LOVETT Not to worry, a touch of oil will put that right. … Nothing to be afraid of, love, come in. She moves into the room. But Todd hesitates at the door, looking into the room. For him this is a truly haunted place.
Meanwhile, she kneels and pries loose a floorboard. Underneath there is a hidden area. Within that, something covered with a velvet cloth. She removes it and carefully unwraps it. Her touch is particularly gentle and respectful. We discover it is a fine leather case. She looks at it for a beat. Then turns to him, dusting it off.
TODD I don’t believe it… He finally steps into the room, drawn toward the case.
MRS. LOVETT When they came for the girl, I hid ’em. I thought, who knows? Maybe the silly blighter’ll be back again. Cracked in the head, wasn’t I? Haunting music begins as she opens the case… And we see it contains a beautiful set of razors. He stands for a long moment, gazing down at his beloved razors.
MRS. LOVETT Those handles is chased silver, ain’t they?
TODD Silver, yes… These are my friends, See how they glisten. (He picks up a small razor) See this one shine, How he smiles in the light. My friend, my faithful friend. (Holding it to his ear, feeling the edge with his thumb) ) Speak to me friend, Whisper, I’ll listen. I know, I know– You’ve been locked out of sight All these years– Like me, my friend. Well, I’ve come home To find you waiting.
Home, And we’re together, And we’ll do wonders, Won’t we? Mrs. Lovett leans over him, in her own kind of trance as well. They now sing simultaneously:
TODD (Picking out a larger razor) You there, my friend, Come, let me hold you. Now, with a sigh You grow warm In my hand, My friend, My clever friend. Rest now, my friends. Soon I’ll unfold you. Soon you’ll know splendors You never have dreamed All your days–
MRS. LOVETT I’m your friend too, Mr. Todd. If you only knew, Mr. Todd– Ooh, Mr. Todd, You’re warm In my hand. You’ve come home. Always had a fondness for you, I did.
TODD –My lucky friends. Till now your shine Was merely silver. Friends, You shall drip rubies, You’ll soon drip precious Rubies…
MRS. LOVETT Never you fear, Mr. Todd, You can move in here, Mr. Todd. Splendors you never have dreamed All your days Will be yours. I’m your friend.
And you’re mine. Don’t they shine beautiful? Silver’s good enough for me, Mr. T… The music continues quietly as Todd stares at one of his razors.
TODD Leave me now… She goes. Todd finally picks up his biggest razor and slowly opens it, looks at it.
TODD At last my arm is complete again. And he remains standing. Exalted. Then– In the shattered mirror on the wall he suddenly sees– The distorted reflections of the Gentleman, the Banker, and the General, looking at him–
GHOSTS Lift your razor high, Sweeney! Hear it singing, “Yes!” Sink it in the rosy skin Of righteousness! Todd turns to them…
GHOSTS His voice was soft, his manner mild. He seldom laughed but he often smiled, He’d seen how civilized men behave. He never forgot and he never forgave, Not Sweeney, Not Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Todd pulls a sheet off Baby Johanna’s cradle. A cloud of dust rises. The ghosts disappear in the cloud of dust and Todd stands alone, staring at the cradle, holding his razor.
17
EXT. EXCLUSIVE STREET — DAY
Anthony, now out of his sailor’s uniform, is walking along the sidewalk near the Judge’s mansion, absorbed in a copy of Baedeker’s London. He stops, lost, trying to get his bearings, studying his map. Then an unusual sound emerges through the normal cosmopolitan bustle. It is the sound of a woman humming. He looks up to see… JOHANNA, a 16-year-old girl with golden hair, beautiful and hauntingly sad. She sits at her window above, behind bars, humming to herself as she does needlepoint. Anthony watches her, absolutely mesmerized. Johanna notices a Bird Seller passing. He carries a long, wooden pole with little bird cages attached.
JOHANNA Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird, How is it you sing? How can you jubilate, Sitting in cages, Never taking wing? Outside the sky waits, Beckoning, beckoning, Just beyond the bars. How can you remain, Staring at the rain, Maddened by the stars? How is it you sing Anything? How is it you sing? Then … she sees Anthony on the sidewalk below. Music continues. There is a long look between them. Her intense, melancholy expression moves him. She continues singing, the strange anguish and yearning of her words seem intended only for him…
JOHANNA My cage has many rooms, Damask and dark. Nothing there sings, Not even my lark. Larks never will, you know, When they’re captive.
Teach me to be more adaptive. Green finch and linnet bird, Nightingale, blackbird, Teach me how to sing. If I cannot fly, Let me sing. Then she turns away quickly, alarmed, when someone enters her room. She looks terrified. Below, Anthony is concerned for her. He sees her move from the window. He is craning to see better when a BEGGAR WOMAN — a filthy tendril of a woman, her foul clothes of rags like a second skin — suddenly thrusts her arm up from the curb, imploring:
BEGGAR WOMAN Alms! … Alms! … For a miserable woman On a miserable chilly morning… (Anthony drops a coin into her hand) Thank yer, sir, thank yer.
ANTHONY Ma’am, could tell me whose house this is?
BEGGAR WOMAN That’s the great Judge Turpin’s house that is.
ANTHONY And the young lady who resides there?
BEGGAR WOMAN That’s Johanna, his pretty little ward. Keeps her snug, he does, all locked up … So don’t you go trespassing there or it’s a good whipping for you — or any other young man with mischief on his mind… She suddenly leers into a lewd and demented assault:
BEGGAR WOMAN ‘Ow would you like a little muff, dear, A little jig jig A little bounce around the bush? Wouldn’t you like to push me parsley?
It looks to me, dear, Like you got plenty there to push. She grabs at Anthony’s crotch — Anthony starts back — she turns away, instantly plaintive again, and appeals to other pedestrians as she goes:
BEGGAR WOMAN Alms! … Alms!… For a desperate woman… Anthony considers the mansion. He sees a figure standing at a window, unclear behind the shutters, watching him. He sits on a bench outside the mansion and sings quietly:
ANTHONY I feel you, Johanna, I feel you. I was half convinced I’d waken, Satisfied enough to dream you. Happily I was mistaken, Johanna! I’ll steal you, Johanna, I’ll steal you… Then the figure disappears from the window above. Anthony stands, waits. Then the doors to the mansion swing open… Anthony is expecting Johanna… But it is Judge Turpin, the predator we met in Todd’s flashback, who steps into the doorway. He seems a different man now. Paternal and warm, he smiles and beckons to Anthony. Anthony hesitates, unsure. The Judge beckons again. Again the warm smile.
JUDGE Come in, lad. Come in… Anthony goes into the mansion.
18
INT. TURPIN’S MANSION — LIBRARY — DAY
Judge Turpin leads Anthony into the dark library, filled with books. Anthony is looking around for Johanna. He is wary, this is all very strange.
JUDGE … you were looking for Hyde Park, you say?
ANTHONY Yes, it’s terribly large on the map but I keep getting lost…
JUDGE Sit down, lad, sit down. Anthony sits, uncomfortable, as the Judge pours two snifters of brandy.
ANTHONY It’s embarrassing for a sailor to lose his bearings, but, well, there you are. Then… The large form of the Beadle appears from the shadows. No introduction is made. Anthony glances to him, uneasy.
JUDGE A sailor, eh?
ANTHONY Yes, sir. The “Bountiful” out of Plymouth.
JUDGE (handing him a snifter of brandy) A sailor must know the ways of the world, yes? … Must be practiced in the ways of the world … Would you say you are practiced, boy?
ANTHONY Sir? The Judge moves to consider some beautiful volumes, bound in the richest leather. He runs a finger along the spines of the books; his large library of pornography.
JUDGE Oh, yes … such practices … the geishas of Japan … the concubines of Siam .. the catamites of Greece … the harlots of India … I have them all here … Drawings of them ….
JUDGE (cont’d) (he turns again to Anthony) … All the vile things you’ve done with your whores. Anthony is speechless. The Judge just smiles at him amiably.
JUDGE Would you like to see?
ANTHONY I think there’s been some mistake–
JUDGE Oh, I think not. You gandered at my ward, Johanna … You gandered at her … Yes, sir, you gandered. The Beadle moves behind Anthony.
ANTHONY (glancing nervously back at the Beadle) I meant no harm–
JUDGE Your meaning is immaterial. Mark me: if I see your face again on this street, you’ll rue the day your bitch of a mother gave you birth. Anthony is stunned. The Judge proceeds with shocking venom:
JUDGE My Johanna isn’t one of your bloody cock-chafers! My Johanna is not to be gandered at! He nods to the Beadle — the Beadle instantly grabs Anthony and brutally hauls him out.
19
EXT. MANSION — ALLEY — DAY
The Beadle drags Anthony through a rear door of the mansion and flings him into a filthy alley. Anthony pulls himself up. Stunned.
BEADLE Hyde Park is that way, young sir … A right and then a left, then straight on, you see? …
BEADLE (cont’d) … Over there. Flustered, Anthony turns to look– The instant Anthony’s back is turned, the Beadle swings his lethal billyclub and SLAMS him from behind brutally, in the kidneys — Anthony’s knees buckle– The Beadle then SLAMS Anthony across the back of the neck — Anthony falls hard– The Beadle then uses one dainty foot to roll Anthony over– Anthony gazes up at him, panting for breath, in agony–
BEADLE You heard Judge Turpin, little man. He presses the end of his billyclub into Anthony’s forehead, grinding it hard–
BEADLE Next time it’ll be your pretty brains all over the pavement. With that, the Beadle returns to the mansion and slams the door. Anthony slowly pulls himself to his knees, doubled over, coughing up blood. A long beat as Anthony gets his breath, wiping blood from his face. Still doubled over, he sings with burning intensity:
ANTHONY I’ll steal you, Johanna, I’ll steal you! Do they think that walls can hide you? Even now I’m at your window. I am in the dark beside you, Buried sweetly in your yellow hair. He pulls himself up, every movement is agony. He makes his way down the alley, leaning on the wall for support. 20
EXT. EXCLUSIVE STREET — DAY
20 The music swells as Anthony emerges from the dark alley into the bright sunlight. He makes his way along the sidewalk:
ANTHONY I feel you, Johanna, And one day I’ll steal you. Till I’m with you then, I’m with you there, Sweetly buried in your yellow hair… The soaring music continues as Anthony stops at a park across the street from Turpin’s mansion, bravely gazing up at Johanna’s window. 21
EXT. STREET LEADING TO ST. DUNSTAN’S MARKETPLACE — DAY
21 Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett are moving quickly, she struggles to keep up with his long, loping stride. He carries his razor case, she carries a shopping basket.
TODD He’s here every Thursday?
MRS. LOVETT Like clockwork. Eyetalian. All the rage he is.
TODD Not for long. 22
