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Sleepy Hollow (17-Nov-1999)
Director: Tim Burton Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker; Kevin Yagher From short story: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving Keywords: Horror, Halloween, Ghost Police constable and amateur scientist Ichabod Crane is sent upstate to tiny Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of beheadings. Initially reacting with disbelief, he finds the perpetrator some manner of supernatural entity, a Headless Horseman. Lavish Tim Burton adaptation of Washington Irving's well-known story, more dark fantasy than actual horror. Won an Oscar for Best Set Decoration; received additional nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.
[watch trailer]
REVIEWS Review by Walter Frith (posted on 9-Jun-2007) Tim Burton's
films have always been filled with a sweet or sour amount of gothic
prancing. The first 'Batman' movie he directed in 1989 was always
balanced with a sense of fun even though it was dark enough to startle
the most loyal fan of Bob Kane's comic book series. 'Batman Returns' in
1992 was a silly, repetitive and nasty assault on our senses with
horrible villains, an incoherent script and some very bad overlapping
on the part of Burton's direction. 'Pee Wee's Big Adventure' (1985),
'Beetlejuice' (1988), 'Edward Scissorhands' (1990) and 'Mars Attacks!'
(1996) all have their audience and it's easy to love or hate any film
directed by Tim Burton. 'Sleepy Hollow', set in 1799 and based on
Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and adapted for
the screen this time by Kevin Yagher and Andrew Kevin Walker, is the
story of New York City Constable Icabod Crane (Johnny Depp) and his
investigation into the stories about a headless horseman who is
murdering people by decapitating them while charging in grand fashion
on his horse. Crane is sent to upstate New York to investigate these
disturbing events at the behest of a city judge (Christopher Lee). Some
of the people Crane comes into contact with are Baltus Van Tassel
(Michael Gambon), his wife Lady Van Tassel (Miranda Richardson), and
their daughter Katrina (Christina Ricci). Lady Van Tassel is her
stepmother and is a mysterious character who levels her own ideas about
the headless horseman which are startling and fun to watch during the
film's climax. Other interesting local characters are played by Jeffrey
Jones, Casper Van Dien and Ian McDiarmid. If you wanted to take the
film seriously, you would have to look at the characters first and
foremost and unfortunately, Depp's is the only interesting one in the
whole picture. The film seems obsessed, almost addicted like an
alcoholic would be, with showing the decapitation of heads again and
again and again. The entire production is a well photographed but
familiar looking Tim Burton piece where bad hair and pale expressions
extend to the far ends of celluloid for maximum effect. Perhaps the
most impressive thing about this film is the cameo by Christopher
Walken as the headless horseman. Many would argue it's a full blooded
role, but in my mind, Walken's not on screen enough to be given major
credit on screen and he isn't. He is to be given credit, however for
his absolutely frightening portrayal of the film's chief villain (his
teeth alone were hair raising). Burton directed Walken in 'Batman
Returns' and Martin Landau also makes an uncredited cameo as a man who
loses his head (literally!) in the film's opening scene. Landau won an
Oscar under Burton's direction for 1994's 'Ed Wood'. The element of
beauty in this film is the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and the
editing by Chris Lebanzon. The work by these two is absolutely riveting
and may bring them Oscar nominations. Credit also has to be given to
Johnny Depp. He is a great performer and looks right at home in a
period piece role as comfortably as any other part he has ever played.
He adapts to the role of Icabod Crane as well as any actor could have.
He combines intelligence, bravery in the face of horror and a straight
laced portrayal of the law very well. Any director deserves credit for
putting his stamp on a film so well. The true key to a director's
vision is for avid movie fans to view a film without the credits being
shown and then trying to guess who the director is. That's easy when
watching a Tim Burton film. If Burton hadn't been a movie director I
see him in one of two professions in life.....designing fun houses for
amusement parks or taking on the job of an architect, designing gothic
looking structures with the most bizarre detail given to every part of
his structures. Visit FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith
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