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Film: Sleepy Hollow
Year: 1999
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: Kevin Yagher and Andrew Kevin Walker
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and Miranda Richardson
Review:
This was a movie that I remember when it came out. I didn't catch this in the theater since my parents weren’t interested. It would have come out when I was 12 and it wasn't necessarily a story that I would have pushed to see either. Now I do remember when this hit the movie channels. I would jump in at different times. I'm not even entirely sure when I originally saw this all the way through or if I ever did. This came up next for Depp Dive Podcast as this was a first time watch for Jaime, my wife.
Synopsis: Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the decapitations of three people. The culprit is legendary apparition of The Headless Horseman (Christopher Walken).
We start this with getting images of a will be drafted up for a Van Garrett. This then leads to a horse drawn carriage that passes by a scarecrow. It is attacked by the Headless Horseman. The movie then shifts over to a bigger city where Ichabod, who is a detective, discovers a body in the river. He is determined to use pathology to investigate it as he thinks it is a murder. His superiors rule it a drowning. Due to his pushing, he's sent to Sleepy Hollow by a burgomaster played by Christopher Lee.
It is here that he causes a stir. Ichabod catches the eye of a young Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci). The problem there is that she is seeing Brom Van Brunt (Casper Van Dien). Her father, Baltus (Michael Gambon) is happy to see him as he's sent there to investigate the murders. The people of the sleepy village know who the killer is, but Ichabod doesn't believe it. Other players here are Lady Mary Van Tassel (Miranda Richardson), who is Katrina's stepmother. The village elders also include Reverend Steerwyck (Jeffrey Jones), Bürgermeister Phillipse (Richard Griffiths), Dr. Lancaster (Ian McDiarmid) and Notary Hardenbrook (Michael Gough). These men know more than they're letting on. They’re also convinced that the Headless Horseman is the killer.
Ichabod is a man of science. He believes there's a logical explanation. There are interesting elements of his backstory that are presented, where his mother was a free spirit who seemed to have been punished as a witch because of it. Lady Crane is played by Lisa Marie as well. Katrina is like her which makes Ichabod pause, as there is attraction there. He also questions what he believes after seeing the Horseman attack others, Ichabod still uses a scientific approach to figure out why the Horseman attacks certain victims and this leads him to an old crone in the woods. There is also a conspiracy and revenge in this small village.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that I know I've read this story back in junior high school. It has been a long time since then. Now I did see the first film adaptation of this work for the podcast. It has been years since that watch. I do know that in the story, Ichabod is a schoolteacher who comes to Sleepy Hollow, not a detective. This conspiracy in this version is used to deepen the plot, which I don't mind being honest. It is a bit of Tim Burton's flair.
Now that I've set that up, let me delve more into the story here. I'll reiterate that I love the changes that our co-writers, Kevin Yagher and Andrew Kevin Walker, made. The short story by Washington Irving is quite basic. What they did is add subplots and give an interesting concept as to why the Headless Horseman is attacking like he is. The story implies that there is no specter where this movie leans into the fact that this haunting figure is real. I even like how well they develop the backstory and lore. Walken does a great job at being menacing as this Hessian mercenary who was killed and now searching for his missing head.
There is also a subplot here that I want to explore and that is the supernatural. Ichabod doesn't believe. He seems to have closed off his mind to those ideas after his mother was tortured, presumed until death, by a priest who has devices from the inquisition. It is arriving here that he sees Katrina might hold similar beliefs. There is the crone who lives in the woods that Ichabod seeks out. There could be others living here as well that are keeping this in the shadows as well. I did like the incorporation here, especially early on when Ichabod uses science to investigate the murders there. It is baffling so supernatural is the next step to explaining.
What I'll say here is that the conspiracy that gets revealed is interesting due to the acting. Depp is perfect for this quirky Ichabod. He seems like a man of science and I like that he's a coward as scary things happen around him. Ricci also works in her role. The only thing there is that she is 19 here and playing a character of that age. Depp would have been 36, but I think they're portraying Ichabod at closer to her age. Katerina’s love interest before Ichabod arrives, Brom who is Van Dien would be 31 here. I can overlook the gap, especially the era it is set in. All these actors mentioned fit their roles well. Ricci does bring a bit of naivety needed. There is also a great cast of Richardson, Gambon, Jones, Griffiths, McDiarmid, Gough and even Walken here. I also like the cameos by Marie and Lee as well.
All that is left is filmmaking. What I like here is that Burton incorporates his vibe while also being grounded. It is a period piece, set in the late 17th century. It feels like that era. I like the rural setting as well. There is a dark and dreary feel to the world. He does incorporate his love of German Expressionism when it comes to things like the windmill or a certain tree in the woods. That was great. The scarecrow was taken out of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which made me smile. They went practical with what they could. The blood and attacks we saw were good. Elements of that are played for laughs and loses believability at times. There is CGI as well, parts of that don't hold up well. Other than that, the soundtrack fits the tone and atmosphere needed for the movie.
In conclusion, this is a good adaptation of the source material. It does update flesh out into more, but I think what they do there is interesting. Exploring science vs. the supernatural is something I'm a fan of. The expanding of the folklore here for the Headless Horseman was good. The setting is great with this small, isolated town. The dreary look and incorporating German Expressionism made me smile. I also thought that we had a solid cast as well to bring life to the characters. This is a fun popcorn horror film.
My Rating: 8 out of 10