My favorite horror movie

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2009)

This is the first Johnny Depp /Tim Burton movie that i have seen. It is simply an entertaining horror movie with a nice gloomy atmosphere which I much enjoy. I am a horror fan, but I'm not the Exorcist kind of horror fan. I like this one better, it has a more Gothic, beautiful yet dark atmosphere, it doesn't rely on gore and violence, but on the creepiness of the surroundings, like the human-like trees, mist and scarecrows.
It's the images that impressed me the most. The hamlet covered in darkness and mist is the most persistent image for me, and it reminds me more of a desaturated painting rather than a movie. The apparent tranquility adds to the creepiness of the whole thing, it reminds of the Grimm Brothers' stories (and of Gilliam's movie which has a very similar look by the way). Another powerful image is the town folks whose' deformed faces are like Halloween masks (the mayor, the reverend, and so forth). They seem like caricatures, which adds to the overall sense of surreal. The interior scenes resemble Dutch Renaissance paintings.
Johnny Depp gives a breathtaking performance in his role of Ichabod Crane. He doesn't try too hard, which I like, and carries the whole movie. As in other Burton movies, Depp wears strange glasses at times and uses some sort of steam punk-styled gadgets. The other characters are less developed but enjoyable. I also appreciate the spectacular fighting scenes, they seem like titanic clashes between even opponents, and they are quite memorable.
I give the movie 4 out of 5 stars.