Sleepy
Hollow (1999)
Directed
by Tim Burton
Starring
Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, &
Christopher Walken
New
York City Detective Ichabod Crane is called to the little town of Sleepy Hollow
to assist in an investigation. There have been a string of murders where every
victim was decapitated. Crane, a man of science and user of new investigative
techniques, receives much resistance form the locals and town officials. They believe
a murderous spirit is the perpetrator; local legend the Headless Horseman. The
doubtful Crane pushes forward with the help of a boy orphaned by the murders
and with the help of Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of the richest family in
Sleepy Hollow. As he gets deeper into the case, Crane comes up against the
possibility that he may be dead wrong about this wrathful ghost.
This
is truly a Tim Burton movie and not one of his recent efforts which feel
lacking in his enthusiasm. The art, costumes, set design, and color palette are
gothic and twisted. The film favors lots of gray and black tones, saving
vibrant splashes of color for meaningful moments and for arterial spray. The whole
look of Sleepy Hollow is reminiscent of
Hammer films, which are a big influence of Burton’s. There’s even Hammer
regular Michael Gough in a small supporting role just to cement the link.
The
story itself is a surprisingly tight mystery. Questions of who summoned the
Horseman and who would stand to benefit from these murders are constantly
dancing through the movie. The only time you stop thinking about these things
are when the Horseman appears. Burton and company wisely use the Horseman as
more of a force of nature than a traditional movie monster. People can barely
slow him down and stopping him outright is nigh impossible.
The
special effects still look quite nice. The Headless Horseman looks fantastic
and the gore is ghoulishly fun. The only troublesome effect comes at the end of
the movie, when we see a human body part reform in a few quick shots. The CGI
used is showing its age, but it mercifully isn’t shown for long.
The
Horseman is ably played both headless and otherwise by two actors. Ray Park is
the headless one, creating menacing poetry in motion. Christopher Walken is the
Horseman with a cranium, looking like pure crazy in free fall. Johnny Depp is
great as Ichabod Crane, playing the detective like with the mind of a scholar
and the courage of a prepubescent girl. Christina Ricci does well with Katrina,
imbuing her with equal amounts of courage and tenderness. The supporting cast
is composed of skilled character actors turning in excellent performances. Even
Casper Van Dean manages to play a convincing douchebag. There’s not one bad
performance in the whole movie.
There’s
so much to like about Sleepy Hollow. It’s
a good mystery, a solid monster movie, and a gothic playground where Tim Burton
goes mad with the aesthetic. If you’re looking for a great horror with a little
flair, give it a try.
9 out of 10
