Rated R for graphic horror violence and gore, and for a scene of sexuality.
105 Minutes
Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: Kevin Yagher
Based On The Story By: Washington Irving
Staring: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Christopher Lee, Lisa Marie, and Richard Griffiths
"It is truth, but truth is not always appearance. -Ichabod Crane"
Review:
Tim Burton whisks us away into a full on fantasy world on a classic dark fairy tale. The rich feel of spooky that you immediately get from Sleepy Hollow tells you this is going to be an amazing movie to sit down and watch, and frankly it’s one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever had the joy of watching. A visual happy ending, it just doesn’t get any better than the set design and cinematography present here. With a classic tale, and Tim Burton’s masterful way of creating palpable and ingenious characters with brilliant casting, makes this one of my favorite films of his, and certainly one of my favorite to get in the mood for Halloween with.
An evil force has invaded the small village of Sleepy Hollow. With heads being found far apart from their bodies people are terrified. The locals whispers would lead travelers to believe that a creature known as the Headless Horseman is responsible, exacting revenge for its own untimely demise many years before. The “mystery” of the murders sparks interest all the way in New York City where constable Ichabod Crane, who methods of scientific evaluations and educated deductions are his specialty. In spite of his investigative techniques he at the sight of blood. Upon Crane’s investigation he doesn’t believe the story of revenge and begins to find clues that unveil mysterious revelations regarding the well-bred Van Tassel family.
Christopher Walken is the perfect part for this role and he is part of the reason the horseman’s becomes so terrifying. Yes, he is headless, but there are flashbacks that we get to see Walken’s penetrating eyes and frightening teeth. The intense fear caused by the Horseman’s various appearances around town were nearly as lethal as the raw physical power with which he operated. The character is evil and malevolent, a vicious killer with no remorse. Johnny Depp is enigmatic and tangible as the peculiar Ichabod Crane. As usual he fits into the strange outcasts created by Burton, but there is a lot more depth to Ichabod than there could have been with a lessor actor. Depp exemplifies his detachment and obsessions in an incredibly human and way that doesn’t turn him into a caricature.
The thick feeling of dread, yet a constant tingle of humor bubbling below the surface allows this film to be frightening, but it also gives it’s audience a break from the intensity of it’s mood and darker exterior. There isn’t a moment the pacing lets up or you feel remotely unstimulated. There is always something to get lost in, just like fairy tales are supposed to be. The magical world conceived and created by Burton is the true star of the film, taking on a life of it’s own.
Being the time of year, and Tim Burton being this months review star, this was a perfect time to revisit this story and recommend others see it and get in the spirit of Halloween and this eerie time of year. There are vast levels of entertainment here, and Sleepy Hollow becomes what for me, is one of Burton’s most successful creations. On every front one can desire there are levels of joy, fear, and of course romance. It wouldn’t be a Tim Burton movie without a romance somewhere in the mix of darkness. Sleep Hollow is definitely Halloween appropriate and fun throughout the year.
Sleepy Hollow for me is a movie that doesn’t work as well as it should. I mean it’s filled with stuff I like, the dark muted colors (except for red), the fog creeping in, and so forth. But I just feel like something is missing in it and the movie kind of walks around lost for a bit in the middle.I think Depp can be a great actor but I think his pairing with Burton has way overstayed it’s course. I’m one of the few people who didn’t like Sweeny Todd. I loved him in Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood (Burton’s best movie IMO) but it just seems to be rehashing characters and the same ideas. I thought with Big Fish that Burton had grown more as a director but then he just goes back to the well and made the horrible Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I love the gothic style but Burton needs to add some depth to his creations. We can’t all be brooding 16 year olds for our entire lives.
I think I “appreciated” Sweeney Todd more than I actually liked it. It was well done, good acting, good music, beautiful visuals, but somehow I just didn’t connect with it. I thought maybe it was my disconnect to musicals, but I’m hearing more and more people say they felt the same way as you.
For me, Sleepy Hollow does lack in many of the places you mentioned, but somehow grows on me more and more with multiple viewings. The enjoyable aspects greatly outweigh some of the disjointed story telling aspects, and the headless horseman is a truly nasty and scary villain.
Heather recently posted..The Brothers Grimm 2005
Love that first image. It says a lot about the film – the visuals are fantastic, I love the look of this film. It isn’t my favourite Tim Burton film but it’s definitely one to bring out at Halloween. I find myself agreeing with Kloipy on a few things – there is something missing in the film stopping reaching the heights of Burton’s best efforts. And, I too, didn’t like Sweeney Todd.
Dan recently posted..Review- Match Point
It’s one of the times where Burton’s magical visual world really sucks you in. You actually absorb what you are looking at rather than feeling like it’s fantastical nature isn’t tangible.
There are a few things that stop it from being better, but it’s a damn enjoyable flick.
Heather recently posted..The Brothers Grimm 2005
It’s a mixed bag that I sort of enjoy. As Kloipy above said, there seems to be a lot of extraneous stuff in the movie that take away from the overall quality of the film. Love the atmosphere and the cinematography but the plot drags on a bit too much, decent Tim Burton movie.
Castor recently posted..
Strangely, I love the plot here…it’s way better than the actual novel and just strikes me as the type of film that shows that Burton can work brilliantly with adaptations (sometimes).
Encore Entertainment recently posted..Music Break with the Cast of Rent
I also think one of Burton’s biggest flaws is that he doesn’t understand humor. This could be attributed to the writers but it’s also shot in such a flat way that most of the time it just doesn’t catch you. He’s too interested in being quirky to really focus on the story or characters.
kloipy recently posted..But he doesn’t have a… Pumpkinhead!
One thing I do enjoy about Burton is his sense of humor, but I suppose that goes with comedy that is that specific. It’s only going to speak to a certain group of people.
It’s just a little too long for its own good, but a great movie to watch on Halloween.
Fitz recently posted..
The over developed and too central ‘science’ vs ‘superstition’ aspect takes up way too much screen time in what could have been a much better film. I really like the look of the film, it is one of the more ‘restrained’ Burton films with less of his trademark askew-architecture than his others. But for an R rated film I never got a real sense of danger or risk to the characters involved. If I had not read that it was R rated in the stat line I would have sworn that it was PG-13. I’d be less generous than Heather……1.5 to 2 stars I’d say….
I thought maybe it was the violence or something of the like, but I’m kind of surprised at the “R” rating as well. Especially when you look at what was going on with movies in that year. Not really worthy of it.
I think this just gets better with time. Great to watch around this time every year and who would have thought Walken would rock a role that is both funny and frightening at the same time?? I guess Burton:)
Aside from Ricci this was cast to perfection…even lovable old (very old) Chris Lee in the opening scene works fantastically. For me this is one of my standard Halloween flicks. Its a shame that (again) Ray Park does fine martial arts work and gets no credit for his performance:(
Ray Park needs to be honored in cinema. Some of my favorite martial arts performances with no face is Ray Park, and just the stuff he’s choreographed over the years is just incredible. The fluidity of his movement is almost like dance. Beautiful.
I don’t remember this movie much, I even forgot Walken is the headless horseman! I’m usually not a fan of Burton’s work but I quite enjoy this one.
rtm recently posted..FlixChatter Review- Secretariat
This is a movie that makes me feel full on like it’s time for Halloween.
Next to the two flawless Burtons (i.e. Big Fish and Corpse Bride) I think Sleepy Hollow/i> and Sweeney Todd come next. I’ll probably provoke the ire of Depp of fans, but I think this is one of his three best performances.
Encore Entertainment recently posted..Music Break with the Cast of Rent
Sleepy Hollow strikes me as being the film that signaled the loss of Tim Burton, filmmaker, and the introduction of Tim Burton, brand name. At this point in his career, Burton’s just a Planet of the Apes and a Big Fish away from making Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and becoming something of a joke and a hack, a filmmaker who rips himself off over and over again. Being as how Planet was a catastrophe and Big Fish was mixed (if nothing else it wasn’t a huge mover at the box office), maybe it makes sense that Burton chose to celebrate the proclivities so prominent in Sleepy Hollow in all of his later endeavors, and while they work here they just feel so tired in all of his other pictures.
This is an enormously fun movie and a really great one for the season to boot. Everyone here seems to be running at 100% capacity and then some, from the minor players (like Michael Gambon and Christopher Lee) all the way up to Depp. It’s deliciously violent and grim, and who can say no to a vengeful Christopher Walken (even if he is headless for most of the picture)?
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