Washington Irving's gothic classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow remains one of the earliest pieces of American fiction with enduring popularity to date. So in 1999, no one better than the macabre surreal artist filmmaker Tim Burton himself managed to loosely adapt the story into a supernatural thriller. Based on a murderous slasher take on the story by makeup artist Kevin Yagher and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, the film went on to be receive generally positive reviews and modest financial success. Although Burton fanatics don't often rank this film among his best work, there's still enough to be intrigued by.
Set in 1799 New York, the story follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) who is sent to the upstate Dutch town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate an onslaught of murders done by a mysterious headless horseman. Taking numerous creative liberties from Irving's tale, the film's plot is executed more as a mystery case than the tale one would expect. It is of course not without romance as Crane's fancying towards Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) is hinted at within first sight, but the main focus of the feature is the investigation behind the headless horseman's ongoing murders. While keeping its mystery intact, the determination Crane has in tracking down the evidence behind the horseman is what keeps the momentum going, and Depp carries the film through a surprising amount of sympathetic pathos and bitterness. With many of the hierarchy in Sleepy Hollow showcasing some form of guilt in relation to the horseman's killings, one could almost see a conspiracy tangling within the plot, and it's through the updated scientific methods of Crane that carry the plot on its shoulders.
As for the headless horseman itself, while Christopher Walken's hammy performance should not be undermined, Ray Park's presence as the headless man could send shivers down anyone's spine, showcasing how skilled of a weapons expert he is without needing to see. Adding into all that, Rick Heinrichs and Peter Young's Oscar winning production design appropriately paints Sleepy Hollow as a gloomy sunshine ridden town where anything dangerous could be lurking, complete with props and architecture translated directly from Burton's sketchy imagination. As a clear tribute to the Hammer horror films, the specific choices in cinematography, color and even character interactions showoff Burton's abilities in bringing a long lost form of horror cinema back into the mainstream. As gory and bloody as the film is, it is all shown through artistic intent, detailing the consequences of different ideologies and the tragic fate of the horseman himself. Complete with an unsettling score from Danny Elfman and the recipe for a twisted take on Irving's story is all intact.
With all of that said, there are some notable flaws in the storytelling that do keep the film from being truly magnificent. As it is established that Ichabod disapproves of late 18th century New York City's barbaric torture devices in favor of a more earnest trial, a lot of this stems from his own tragic past that also inspired his fascination of magical ornaments. While it does play a big factor in his character arc, it often gets sidelined by the main narrative and is rarely touched upon enough to leave a bigger impact to the whole of America. One would hope the film could at least acknowledge at least some notable change in direction from the beginning, and yet we're merely left with more questions than answers. Also, the original story's famous Brom Bones is merely utilized as a typical arrogant brawn over brains aristocrat whose fate is too obvious for its own good. Lastly, the ending itself is a bit too traditional for both Irving fanatics and Hollywood cynics, to the point where Crane's battle over the horseman becomes too over the top, even by Burton standards.
In spite of its shortcomings, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow nonetheless proves to be a delightfully horrifying twist on the acclaimed story, elevated by an intriguing mystery angle, gorgeous art direction, artistically crafted carnage and strong performances. Unless you're too much of an Irving purist to give this film the time of day, it is still worth checking out for its own take on the story rather than it being a fake faithful adaptation. By taking the already gothic elements of the story and expanding on them for a more macabre execution, there's much to dissect in a feature filled with eccentric filmmaking techniques.
Set in 1799 New York, the story follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) who is sent to the upstate Dutch town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate an onslaught of murders done by a mysterious headless horseman. Taking numerous creative liberties from Irving's tale, the film's plot is executed more as a mystery case than the tale one would expect. It is of course not without romance as Crane's fancying towards Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) is hinted at within first sight, but the main focus of the feature is the investigation behind the headless horseman's ongoing murders. While keeping its mystery intact, the determination Crane has in tracking down the evidence behind the horseman is what keeps the momentum going, and Depp carries the film through a surprising amount of sympathetic pathos and bitterness. With many of the hierarchy in Sleepy Hollow showcasing some form of guilt in relation to the horseman's killings, one could almost see a conspiracy tangling within the plot, and it's through the updated scientific methods of Crane that carry the plot on its shoulders.
As for the headless horseman itself, while Christopher Walken's hammy performance should not be undermined, Ray Park's presence as the headless man could send shivers down anyone's spine, showcasing how skilled of a weapons expert he is without needing to see. Adding into all that, Rick Heinrichs and Peter Young's Oscar winning production design appropriately paints Sleepy Hollow as a gloomy sunshine ridden town where anything dangerous could be lurking, complete with props and architecture translated directly from Burton's sketchy imagination. As a clear tribute to the Hammer horror films, the specific choices in cinematography, color and even character interactions showoff Burton's abilities in bringing a long lost form of horror cinema back into the mainstream. As gory and bloody as the film is, it is all shown through artistic intent, detailing the consequences of different ideologies and the tragic fate of the horseman himself. Complete with an unsettling score from Danny Elfman and the recipe for a twisted take on Irving's story is all intact.
With all of that said, there are some notable flaws in the storytelling that do keep the film from being truly magnificent. As it is established that Ichabod disapproves of late 18th century New York City's barbaric torture devices in favor of a more earnest trial, a lot of this stems from his own tragic past that also inspired his fascination of magical ornaments. While it does play a big factor in his character arc, it often gets sidelined by the main narrative and is rarely touched upon enough to leave a bigger impact to the whole of America. One would hope the film could at least acknowledge at least some notable change in direction from the beginning, and yet we're merely left with more questions than answers. Also, the original story's famous Brom Bones is merely utilized as a typical arrogant brawn over brains aristocrat whose fate is too obvious for its own good. Lastly, the ending itself is a bit too traditional for both Irving fanatics and Hollywood cynics, to the point where Crane's battle over the horseman becomes too over the top, even by Burton standards.
In spite of its shortcomings, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow nonetheless proves to be a delightfully horrifying twist on the acclaimed story, elevated by an intriguing mystery angle, gorgeous art direction, artistically crafted carnage and strong performances. Unless you're too much of an Irving purist to give this film the time of day, it is still worth checking out for its own take on the story rather than it being a fake faithful adaptation. By taking the already gothic elements of the story and expanding on them for a more macabre execution, there's much to dissect in a feature filled with eccentric filmmaking techniques.