Sleepy Hollow (1999)

 

You pretty much know what you're going to get when you see the name of Tim Burton attached to a project. Maybe doubly so when it is in conjunction with Johnny Depp. And yet, even for Burton-standards, this is a pretty dark film. Sure, the gothic overtones are rather prevalent in his body of work, but Burton never truly embraced the more gory side of the creepiness. He does so here, and it makes for a film that is clearly by his hand, yet also surprisingly close to full blown horror. 

So yes, it's pretty great.

In the remote town of Sleepy Hollow, things are not going well, as several members of the village are killed by an unknown assailant with a very bizarre modus operandi: everyone's head is cut cleanly off and taken. Meanwhile in New York, detective Ichabod Crane isn't faring too well, as his superiors don't like his approach based on science (forensics, one might say). He is dispatched to Sleepy Hollow to try and clear up the mystery of the murders. 

As soon as Ichabod gets to Sleepy Hollow, the town elders explain to him that the murders are committed by a headless horseman, the spectre of a Hessian soldier buried somewhere nearby. Of course, Ichabod does not believe in these fairy stories, yet, several happenings at last convince him that there are mysterious forces at work. Behind all this lies the malice of a living, breathing person. So Ichabod tries to unravel the mystery and determine why these people are being murdered and especially who the culprit behind it all is... 

This has all the trimmings of a classic Burton: the dark atmosphere, the quirky characters, the bizarre mesh of reality and fantasy... And it works in the end. Sure, Johnny Depp's character is a bit of a wet hen, but this was intentionally so. The fact that he is squeamish when performing dissections and the like is actually funny and he truly feels like a fish out of water. It is the other characters that make this one stand out. Christina Ricci is great as Katrina Van Tassel, the love interest and sort-of witch. The only bizarre thing about her is her blonde hair. I have no idea why they thought this was a good idea, but it looks off. 

Then again, she can't always be Wednesday Addams, now can she? 

But the town elders are all pretty spot on, and this group is portrayed by some class actors: Michael Gambon, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Gough, Jeffrey Jones and Richard Griffiths! Now that is one hell of a line-up. And you have cameos by Martin Landau and the almighty Christopher Lee! 

The one thing that is a shame is that by this point in time, Miranda Richardson was cast so often as a villainous character, you will have little issue with believing there is more to her than at first glance. And not to spoil too much, but she does have a particular role to play in the whole. And casting Christopher Walken as the Horseman and not have him say any lines is both a stroke of genius and a real shame. 

Suddenly I have images of Christopher Walken portraying the Horseman with that New York swagger he so often portrays and it is rather weird.

I want it. 

You can rightfully argue that the colour palette of the film is way too dark and blue and you would be correct. It was done to make the blood stand out more, but it does feel a bit much at times. The entire project is sorely lacking in colour, so it appears dull. Sure, it fits with the story, but still. Luckily, it has plenty of gore: decapitations, spurting blood, skulls, lacerations... Perhaps this took many people by surprise, as Burton is not known for indulging in this such displays of anatomy, yet it was the right choice. 

Oh, and when you know the headless horseman was portrayed by (among others) Ray Park, you know the fighting scenes will be good. Which they are. Oh god yes, they are.

'Sleepy Hollow' might miss the overall quirkiness of Burton's other films, but it sure as hell is a good time for those wanting a true gothic horror story with some light comedy thrown in. You have to be in the right mood for this one, but if you are, you could do a lot worse.