Sleepy Hollow (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Sleepy Hollow' (directed by the great Tim Burton) opens with one of the most exhilarating & viscerally scary sequences I've ever seen. The year is 1799, & we witness a horse-drawn coach carrying the wealthiest man in the forest district (Martin Landau). It is the dead of night. And the coach is blistering down a misty woodland path. Amid haunting images of this man's face, acute sound design, eerie music, & dread-like silence, the headless horseman comes upon the coach & attacks. Just like that, Sleepy Hollow's most distinguished citizen has been decapitated; and there's more where that came from. The inhabitants of S.H. are convinced that they are cursed by the demonic spirit of a dead Hessian trooper (Christopher Walken) who was slain in the snowy Western Woods during the war. He is their headless horseman.
So enters Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) onto S.H.'s hallowed grounds; sent by a cantankerous judge (fantastic Christopher Lee) from NYC to investigate these murders; in which the victims are found with their heads missing. Though a nervous fellow by nature, Ichabod is sure enough in his own scientific techniques to thwart any of these supernatural death rumors. One of his 1st assumptions is that a town brooder, Brom Van Brunt (Casper Van Dien) is the horseman (dressed in black cloaks). But before long, Ichabod realizes that something stranger is afoot. And during his stay in S.H., more random (or so we think) murders occur; one of which he even witnesses! As his investigation deepens (opening old emotional wounds), he also finds himself falling for Katrina (Christina Ricci), daughter of the town's head landlord, Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon). Not only must Ichabod juggle the investigation & this budding romance, but he soon discovers an unholy connection btwn. her father, Baltus, & the horseman himself.
From start to finish, 'SH' is absolutely thrilling to look at. The twisted woodland setting, ghoulish cinematography, lush production design, period costumes, & grisly make-up make for some striking imagery. In fact, this movie is FULL of visions. i.e., that opening sequence; Crane walking through the ghost town for the 1st time; a terrifying night sequence where a lookout senses that the horseman is approaching town from the fog-shrouded forest; the iconic image of Ichabod standing in the middle of the covered bridge with the horseman appearing at one end; the bloody sight of Ichabod's long-lost mother; the twisted Tree of Death. I can go on & on. I also appreciate the sound effects, special effects & spooky music (all of which add to the macabre plot). Another amazing aspect of this film is that while it's incredibly bloody & scary, it's also chock full of fun. Tim Burton makes sure that the silly plot doesn't get too heavy handed; that is, until the very end.
The script does some interesting things; fleshing out Ichabod with a series of odd flashbacks; and introducing us to some seemingly secondary characters, only to find out that they play far more prominently in the plot than previously imagined. Johnny Depp is GREAT here as the fainting-prone, yet self-assured constable. Ricci is 'okay' as his love interest. Walken is perfect as a rampaging killer. And Miranda Richardson is wonderfully ambiguous in her small time onscreen. Now, the plot does meander, a bit. And Burton puts a different (if not always successful) spin on the written tale, 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. But I do appreciate the originality. In the end, this gothic, dreamlike movie has a knack of both lulling us & then jolting us out of our seats; offering a great combination of romance, fun, & horror. Sketchy, hokum-filled narrative aside, the look & feel of the movie trumps any other weakness. I was enveloped by Burton's powerful, instinctual prowess as a director. And I was thoroughly creeped out. Love that.
So enters Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) onto S.H.'s hallowed grounds; sent by a cantankerous judge (fantastic Christopher Lee) from NYC to investigate these murders; in which the victims are found with their heads missing. Though a nervous fellow by nature, Ichabod is sure enough in his own scientific techniques to thwart any of these supernatural death rumors. One of his 1st assumptions is that a town brooder, Brom Van Brunt (Casper Van Dien) is the horseman (dressed in black cloaks). But before long, Ichabod realizes that something stranger is afoot. And during his stay in S.H., more random (or so we think) murders occur; one of which he even witnesses! As his investigation deepens (opening old emotional wounds), he also finds himself falling for Katrina (Christina Ricci), daughter of the town's head landlord, Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon). Not only must Ichabod juggle the investigation & this budding romance, but he soon discovers an unholy connection btwn. her father, Baltus, & the horseman himself.
From start to finish, 'SH' is absolutely thrilling to look at. The twisted woodland setting, ghoulish cinematography, lush production design, period costumes, & grisly make-up make for some striking imagery. In fact, this movie is FULL of visions. i.e., that opening sequence; Crane walking through the ghost town for the 1st time; a terrifying night sequence where a lookout senses that the horseman is approaching town from the fog-shrouded forest; the iconic image of Ichabod standing in the middle of the covered bridge with the horseman appearing at one end; the bloody sight of Ichabod's long-lost mother; the twisted Tree of Death. I can go on & on. I also appreciate the sound effects, special effects & spooky music (all of which add to the macabre plot). Another amazing aspect of this film is that while it's incredibly bloody & scary, it's also chock full of fun. Tim Burton makes sure that the silly plot doesn't get too heavy handed; that is, until the very end.
The script does some interesting things; fleshing out Ichabod with a series of odd flashbacks; and introducing us to some seemingly secondary characters, only to find out that they play far more prominently in the plot than previously imagined. Johnny Depp is GREAT here as the fainting-prone, yet self-assured constable. Ricci is 'okay' as his love interest. Walken is perfect as a rampaging killer. And Miranda Richardson is wonderfully ambiguous in her small time onscreen. Now, the plot does meander, a bit. And Burton puts a different (if not always successful) spin on the written tale, 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. But I do appreciate the originality. In the end, this gothic, dreamlike movie has a knack of both lulling us & then jolting us out of our seats; offering a great combination of romance, fun, & horror. Sketchy, hokum-filled narrative aside, the look & feel of the movie trumps any other weakness. I was enveloped by Burton's powerful, instinctual prowess as a director. And I was thoroughly creeped out. Love that.