Tim Burton's Gothic Imagination

• Tim Burton tells the story of seeing a London stage production of Sweeney Todd
and sitting behind two proper English ladies who asked each other whether the
liberal use of blood ‘was really necessary’? Do you think the bloodiness of
Burton’s version of Sweeney Todd is necessary?
• Of the story of Sweeney Todd, Robert L. Mack writes: ‘Each generation has been
compelled to make use of what might best be described as the ‘mythic’ elements
inherent in the macabre story.’43
o How might Tim Burton be considered to have interpreted the story of
Sweeney Todd for the twenty-first century?
• Describe the relationship between Mrs Lovett and Sweeney Todd?
• What is the role of Johanna and Anthony Hope in the story?
o How does Todd respond to each of these characters?
o Does the love these two share provide the story with some kind of
optimism?
FREE FOR EDUCATION Education Resources Tim Burton’s Gothic Imagination 25