Tim Burton's Visually Stunning Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (3 September 2005)

As far as adaptations of old American novels go, Tim Burton's visually rich, tightly composed, resplendent version of Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' ranks in the top echelon. The script for the screen is the work of Kevin Yagher and Andrew Kevin Walker and while it takes some liberties from Irving's story, the resulting dialogue and action pacing are so wholly in keeping with Burton's vision that it feels like an original story.
Much of the magnificence of this film is due to the atmospheric set design by Rick Heinrichs (with art direction by Ken Court, John Dexter, and Andy Nicholson with set decoration by Peter Young) and Colleen Atwood's extraordinary costumes. It is not usual to credit these artists when reviewing a film, but their contributions are an integral part of the success of the movie.
As far as acting, Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane shines in a fully nuanced character portrayal complete with paraphernalia and ticks and mild madness. He is ably supported by Christina Ricci (in one of her finest moments), and a troupe of brilliant actors that includes Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Griffiths, Christopher Lee, and Ian McDiarmid. They appear as though they are daguerreotypes, so perfectly in keeping with the time and period and mannerisms of Irving's novel. The musical score by Danny Elfman and cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki are synchronous with Tim Burton's brilliant direction. This is a treasure of a film. Highly recommended. Grady Harp