Factual error: When Sweeney is sharpening his blades, most noticeably during the shaving contest, he is sharpening toward the blade, which you simply can't do with a razor blade and leather strop. A razor will slice right into the leather. He also doesn't even have the blade flat to the leather so again they're not remotely sharp as a sharp blade would easily sink right into the leather. Pirelli is using roughly the correct technique, even though they're trying to portray him as sloppy. (00:35:50)
Sweeney Todd (2007)
1 factual error
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen
Other mistake: Based on the location of the barber's chair with the picture window in Todd's barber shop and the layout of the exterior of the building, there is no possible way that the chute behind the chair would be able to dump the bodies directly into the basement without going through the center of Ms. Lovett's shop.
Sweeney Todd: You have a room over the shop, don't you? If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out?
Mrs. Lovett: People think it's haunted.
Sweeney Todd: Haunted?
Mrs. Lovett: Yeah. And who's to say they're wrong? You see, years ago, something happened up there. Something not very nice.
Trivia: Even though they play mother and daughter in this film, Laura Michelle Kelly is only six years older than Jayne Wisener.
Question: Is there any particular reason why the chorus lyrics were cut from a number of the songs? They used all of the lyrics in the verses, but not the chorus', which I found odd.
Answer: From what I heard, the chorus songs (known as "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd") were cut due to time and inability to make the chorus work on-screen. Actors were set up to play "ghost narrators" at first, so that indicates that the filmmakers did want to include the songs. They were just not able to find a way to make them work satisfactorily for them. Also, I think (can't verify) I also heard that Stephen Sondheim, the show's original creator and composer/lyricist, agreed that these cuts needed to be made for the film to work.