I think Burton's major argument for cutting the sung lines was that the lyrics to the Ballad essentially give away the major plot point of the story before the story has even begun.
Yes, I know most people will *know* that SWEENEY TODD is about a barber who murders his clients before they even go in - but - in the storytelling itself, there is a greater emphasis in film to have calculated plot reveals - especially for a film like Todd that is being pitched as a genre film.
The Ballad is also awfully redundant even on stage where its a clever device. On film it could potentially have been quite cumbersome.
Updated On: 11/26/07 at 03:45 PM