Sweeney Todd Compare And Contrast

The musicals Sweeney Todd directed by Tim Burton and Buffy the Vampire Slayer directed by Stephen Sondheim have many similarities and differences. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is about a girl named Buffy Summers who has to defeat the demon named sweet who causes people to break out in song and dance, this demon has also stolen Buffys younger sister Dawn Summers. Sweeney Todd is about a barber the gets punished for a crime that he did not commit, fifteen years later he makes his way back to London and changes his name to Sweeney Todd to get revenge on the judge that wrongfully convicted him. By comparing the settings, endings and choreography it is visible to the audience that these two musical pay tribute to their heritage however they have different

The traditional musical is supposed to be uplifting and have happy endings as the traditional musicals explored themes of the American dream. In the end of Sweeney Todd, Sweeney finally gets his revenge on judge Turpin however he finds out that he kills his wife Lucy in the process and as he holds her dead body his throat gets slit. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer after Buffy defeated the main antagonists a demon named Sweet this however, is not seen as a real victory by Buffy and her friends, because whilst they were singing and dancing they gave away all of their secrets causing conflict within the group. These are both unhappy endings unlike the traditional ending from the golden era of musicals. Another similarity these two musicals have is that the both have is counterpoint duet. In Sweeney Todd, judge Turpin and Sweeney sing the song “Pretty Women”. This song is a counter duet as the song is being sung from different points of view as judge Turpin is thinking of Sweeney’s daughter Johana whilst singing and Sweeney is thinking of avenging his wife. The counter point duet that was sung in Buffy the Vampire Slayer is sung by Rupert and Tara, Rupert is singing about how he wants to be more of a fatherly figure to buffy and Tara is singing about how she cannot trust Willow any