Review of Sleepy Hollow

Introduction

The United States, as a nation has barely existed for 200 years. Hardly long enough to establish a national identity, let alone a gain sense of mythology. However, one legend has become ingrained on the American consciousness, and is told with the reverence that the Arthurian legend earns in the UK. That is the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. Tim Burton brings this legend to the screen with his usual passion.

In Burton`s adaptation, Ichabod Crane is a constable working in New York. With a passion for investigation and scientific method that infuriates his superiors, he is despatched to the small town of Sleepy Hollow, where a series of macabre murders have taken place, the victims all decapitated and their heads taken. He applies his scientific method to the crimes, conducting primitive autopsies and forensic tests to narrow down the list of suspects, but his methodology is thrown into doubt when he comes face to face with the killer, the Headless Horseman. The resurrected form of the Hessian mercenary is in fact taking the heads for purposes unknown. Daunted only for a minute, Crane examines the ever-growing list of victims to establish a motive and uncovers a dark conspiracy, involving the darkest witchcraft and the undead. Ichabod must face the demons of his past before he can resolve the situation and his feelings towards Katrina Van Tassel.

Video

Video is a pristine 1.85 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Tim Burton directs with relish and his vision of Sleepy Hollow is a sumptuous feast for the eyes. The film uses a washed out, almost monochrome palette that creates the atmosphere of the story well. The mists and creepy forests tantalise the imagination and the occasional explosion of colour provides a magical contrast.

Audio

The sound is an expressive DD 5.1 track. Danny Elfman provides the score and lends a suitably eerie feel to the movie.

Features

Starting off with the wonderful menu design, you get a fair amount of extras. While subtitles are limited to English only, you get cast biographies, a picture gallery containing 14 stills, 2 trailers and two documentaries. Behind the Legend is a 30-minute making of documentary, which is informative, but is cursed with an annoying voice over. Reflections on Sleepy Hollow, is an 11-minute look at the film, consisting of interviews with the cast and crew, which go into the characters motivations. Finally there is the director`s commentary. Tim Burton`s movies are so well crafted and visually stunning that you would think that a director`s commentary should be made compulsory for each DVD release. Think again. I started the commentary track eagerly, relishing the insights of such an individual director that would be inevitable. I am sad to say that this is not the case. Judging by what I heard, Tim Burton is not the best of orators His comments were sparse and not always interesting. He seemed to have an obsession regarding Jeffrey Jones` fright wig (Once is funny, twice is humorous, after that we hit tedium) and I`m afraid to say that I gave up after 40 minutes. I can understand why Spielberg is reputedly against the ideas of disc commentaries, as a bad commentary can distract from a good film.

Conclusion

The cast is decidedly British in this 18th Century ghost story, reflecting the make up of US population at the time. Johnny Depp is excellent as Ichabod Crane, with a plausible accent and a quirky character. A squeamish detective who nevertheless is an advocate of forensic science, a meticulous man who has a supernatural history, his character is an examination in contradiction. However his tendency to faint does rapidly descend from farcical to tedious and his accent and passion for the mystery has me expecting an exclamation of "The game`s afoot, Watson!" at any time. Christina Ricci is adequate as Katrina van Tassel, the accent is accomplished and Ricci is ethereal and otherworldly as always, but her character is otherwise nondescript. Christopher Walken plays the Horseman as a silent movie character and while I`m not quite sure that is suitable for the movie, it does come off well in itself. As for the Brits, the film lists the best of British, with Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Richard Griffith, Ian McDiarmid and the master, Christopher Lee, who all bring their weighty talents to the piece.


Tim Burton`s films rarely leave middle ground for audiences, you either hate them or you love them. I totally despise, Batman Returns, or A Nightmare Before Christmas, and my contempt for Planet of the Apes can`t be adequately described without descending into the worst depths of profanity. Yet, I am in awe of the comedic genius that produced Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks. So where does Sleepy Hollow lie? I`m afraid to say that I loved this movie. Despite the numbing commentary, and the Scooby Doo/X Files leanings of the plot, the performances, by and large are excellent, Christina Ricci not withstanding and as I said, the creation of Sleepy Hollow is a visual smorgasbord. Burton creates a feast for the senses in this inspired adaptation of the Washington Irving tale.