Sweeney Hyde
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The Film's "A Little Priest"Ok. The other thread has a lot of people complaining about the lack of humor and of the cuts in the film's version of "A Little Priest".
For the record, this is my favorite number in the show. I simply adore it and it is one of my favorite songs ever.
Now... the entire movie is much more serious than the original production and even the revival, which I think most would agree was darker than the original. In the original production, the song was styled to be like a British music hall number. The entire thing was played off of "Oh, look. Here's the pie." It also used Lovett just getting the idea and pitching it to him. She's crazy and doesn't hesitate with the idea at all. In the revival it was "Imagine what is going to be on this plate...certainly more than just a pie." It used Lovett also pitching it to him but she was shocked/surprised with herself. In the film it was "Look out the window. These are our victims. That priest. That marine. That lawyer." It is not intended to be uproariously funny like the other two. It's them plotting. Lovett in the film stumbles on the idea and gets excited, pacing back and forth only truly accepting the idea when he responds to it. In my opinion this works beautifully with the rest of the film. Even in Worst Pies in London...she's really not all that funny...she's very blunt. She knows they're bad. It's mostly our initial meeting her and her environment and the way her pies look that makes us laugh if we laugh at all.
Is there anywhere else in the film that we laugh? MAYBE at the chair...but it's all so disgusting and gruesome that we really shouldn't be laughing at all.
What do YOU think of "A Little Priest" in the film?
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Life=Cabaret
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I maintain my opinion (despite objections from my sister and a few friends) that HBC ruined the film, and I hate to say it, but "Worst Pies" might have been the worst. The song is written with uproariously funny lyrics, and HBC and Depp look like they're, as you said, plotting murder instead of hatching a plan. I really didn't like how that number was staged because it was a bit too literal (showing the characters instead of letting the imagination run free).
Does that make sense? I can see where you are coming from, though.
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actor
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She ruined the film? She was one of the best things about the film! I still prefer Lansbury's Lovett but it wouldn't have worked well on film. Sure, I wish A Little Priest had a little more humour/fun in it but I thought Carter did a great job.
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Sweeney Hyde
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| Life=Cabaret wrote: | | I maintain my opinion (despite objections from my sister and a few friends) that HBC ruined the film, and I hate to say it, but "Worst Pies" might have been the worst. The song is written with uproariously funny lyrics, |
That really depends upon the director's concept. The director is the interpretor of the piece. Burton interpreted it differently than Hal Prince. Also HOW did HBC ruin the film for you?
| Life=Cabaret wrote: | | and HBC and Depp look like they're, as you said, plotting murder instead of hatching a plan. |
What's wrong with that? It follows the concept of the piece that Burton had.
| Life-Cabaret wrote: | | I really didn't like how that number was staged because it was a bit too literal (showing the characters instead of letting the imagination run free). |
But it followed the concept. It wouldn't make sense any other way. And actually it does let the imagination work. It becomes much more gruesome with the audience imagining each of the people as pies. It's completely disgusting.
| Life=Cabaret wrote: | | Does that make sense? I can see where you are coming from, though. |
Obviously it didn't make sense to me.
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Disney-Bway27
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Blech. No thank you. I really prefer the stage's version. I actually prefer the stage Sweeney much more than the movie at all. It's just better in every way possible. Don't get me wrong, I liked the movie, but...meh. "A Little Priest" is intended to be funny. It wasn't. At all.
Sorry. 
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Pannic
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We all know that the movie put the humor to the side, for the most part.
Weird thing is I have a friend who was laughing for alot of the movie.
Then again, he also thought 'Disaster Movie' was good...
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Yakko
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| Pannic wrote: | We all know that the movie put the humor to the side, for the most part.
Weird thing is I have a friend who was laughing for alot of the movie.
Then again, he also thought 'Disaster Movie' was good... |
He said that 'Disaster Movie' was a good movie? I think you need a better friend....
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dolbinau
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Ok firstly, if you people didn't think Sweeney Todd (the film) had comedic moments then I think there is something wrong with you  . It was funny. It was just not 'slap in your face' humour - I don't think anything more would fit the movie the way Burton has visioned it.
I have been thinking about "A little priest" for the past couple of days now because it does not seem to work as well as it did on stage. But I'm not sure how it could have been any better: ridiculous laughter etc.. would have seemed 'slapstick-like' and out of place and if wasn't cut down like it was it may have even got boring.
Plus the lack of reaction from the audience especially makes it seem a lot less funny [I certainly get more kicks out of the 1982 DVD ALP or 2000 concert compared to the 1979 cast album just because of the laughter]. Also, as the act 1 closer it was just perfect in ending on this massive high, but also uneasy feeling of what was to come which is drawn out during intermission etc.., however, as a film this aspect is missing too making the song seem less important I think - I don't know, like I said, I'm not sure how I would have done it differently. Even if George Hearn and Angela Lansbury weren't rolling all over the floor, it still was a little funny - I mean, just listen to the lyrics .
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kozafluitmusique
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I loved it, but I bet once I see the in concert version I'll prefer that.
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dolbinau
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| kozafluitmusique wrote: | | I loved it, but I bet once I see the in concert version I'll prefer that. |
I don't know...Patti LuPone ....See the 1982 DVD instead (If you haven't already).
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kozafluitmusique
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| dolbinau wrote: | | kozafluitmusique wrote: | | I loved it, but I bet once I see the in concert version I'll prefer that. |
I don't know...Patti LuPone ....See the 1982 DVD instead (If you haven't already). |
No, I haven't seen the 1982...and I happen to love Patti LuPone...she's one of my favorite (if not my favorite) actress.
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dolbinau
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| kozafluitmusique wrote: | | dolbinau wrote: | | kozafluitmusique wrote: | | I loved it, but I bet once I see the in concert version I'll prefer that. |
I don't know...Patti LuPone ....See the 1982 DVD instead (If you haven't already). |
No, I haven't seen the 1982...and I happen to love Patti LuPone...she's one of my favorite (if not my favorite) actress. |
I like her too, including in the 2005 revival but not in this concert . Of course, if you love her you'll probably enjoy it. Bernadette is my favourite rose for a similar reason.
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lottielou22
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Re: The Film's "A Little Priest" | Sweeney Hyde wrote: | | Is there anywhere else in the film that we laugh? MAYBE at the chair...but it's all so disgusting and gruesome that we really shouldn't be laughing at all. |
Sweeney's bathing suit and Lovett's John Lennon sunglasses didn't make you laugh?? 
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Salome
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LuPoine ruinmed lovett.
HBC did a great job within the concept. nd A Little Priest had alot of morbid humor in the film. Burton didnt treat it like a vaudeville turn because it would have been out of place in the film version.
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Sweeney Hyde
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Re: The Film's "A Little Priest" | lottielou22 wrote: | | Sweeney Hyde wrote: | | Is there anywhere else in the film that we laugh? MAYBE at the chair...but it's all so disgusting and gruesome that we really shouldn't be laughing at all. |
Sweeney's bathing suit and Lovett's John Lennon sunglasses didn't make you laugh?? |
I forgot about that.
My point is that the film is not intended to be funny in the same way that the original production was.
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EponineBarker
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| Salome wrote: | | ...A Little Priest had alot of morbid humor in the film. Burton didnt treat it like a vaudeville turn because it would have been out of place in the film version. |
 Oh yeah, the film's A Little Priest sure got the 'morbid' part down, but nowhere did I see the 'humor' part.
With the way Burton handled comedy in his previous films, he could've done so much with the black comedy in this number (without turning it into vaudeville) and he didn't. It was just too subtle. I hate to say it, but the film's A Little Priest was a bit of a let-down for me.  They could've done so much more with it.
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dolbinau
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| Quote: | | Is there anywhere else in the film that we laugh? MAYBE at the chair...but it's all so disgusting and gruesome that we really shouldn't be laughing at all. |
Well it defines what you mean by 'laugh', I mean, I suppose laughing doesn't need definition but I think there are several humorous parts (whether I'm literally laughing is another story, it could be like, a subtle chuckle - a lot of this is of course just within the 'text')
- "Worst Pies In London" - Bugs/some lyrics
- A lot of Pirelli sequence (lyrics, characters etc.., 'smells like piss')
- Toby "Leave the bottle", taking the Wig off
- The Judge - Hanging the little boy
- Beadle is absolutely hilarious IMO, especially with the 'flirting' with Lovett and Sweeney as he comes to inspect the bakehouse. Also other lines "closest shave you'll ever know" etc.
- Entire Johanna/Slashing sequence (how is that not funny? Soo ironic)
- God that's good has some funny moments
- By the sea (mentioned) is also very funny.
- And of course, A little priest is kind of funny in some ways too.
It is meant to be funny, I'm sure!
- I get a kick out of Sweeney's blatant "How about a shave?"
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Sweeney Hyde
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My point is that it is not funny in the same manner that the original production was. Especially in A Little Priest. Speaking of which can we please focus on it?
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Kragey
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| Sweeney Hyde wrote: | | My point is that it is not funny in the same manner that the original production was. Especially in A Little Priest. Speaking of which can we please focus on it? |
If you're point is, "They're both funny, but in different ways," I have to agree. Oddly enough, the movie made me laugh much less than the stage show, with the exception of Pirelli. Stuff like that makes me want to kiss costumers.
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Vice
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I liked that the humour in the movie was very subtle. I've always been one for dry humour and I think it was pulled off well in the context of the movie.
(Of course I've been known to find things that weren't supposed to funny, very funny.)
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STRWBRRY
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I totally agree with you! I thought I was the only one who thought about 'a little priest' this way.
HBC makes it look like she is an insane murderess (well, she is an accomplice of an insine murderer, I have to admit that). But she is supposed to have a little crazy idea, which Sweeney is actually going to use. It's not about júst the murdering, it's about solving a problem.
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Kragey
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| STRWBRRY wrote: | I totally agree with you! I thought I was the only one who thought about 'a little priest' this way.
HBC makes it look like she is an insane murderess (well, she is an accomplice of an insine murderer, I have to admit that). But she is supposed to have a little crazy idea, which Sweeney is actually going to use. It's not about júst the murdering, it's about solving a problem. |
I thought HBC and Johnny Depp managed the "epiphany moment" really well; I actually imagined a lightbulb turning on above JD's head, and I laughed hysterically.
"If you get it..."
"...ah!"
"Good, you got it!"
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navada
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"Have a Little Priest" is my favourite song in the show. I thought the subtle black humour of the song in the movie matched the style of the piece overall, but I missed Todd's and Mrs Lovett's more obvious enjoyment of the evil possibilities which is evident in the stage version (as well as their enjoyment of each other's wordplay and enjoyment of their mutual willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty in disposing of those pesky customers).
I think the song is intended to be more of a concept piece and provide Todd with his all-important "epiphany", rather than being quite so literal as to spot each new "flavour" through the window.
However, I did rather like Burton's decision to have the two characters waltz at the end of the song with their implements of choice in their hands - he with a chopper and she with a rolling pin!
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