Keep your head on

Rating: 8/10 (24 August 2005)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman is a timeless one; everyone knows it. So how better to re-tell this story in an interesting and innovative fashion which will appeal to today's audiences than to hire quirky filmmaker Tim Burton, whose eccentric sets and expertise at mood building are a fair guarantee that the film will be interesting, if nothing else.
Burton lives up to his reputation here; Sleepy Hollow may prove to be his most atmospheric film yet. The sets of the town Sleepy Hollow are marvelously strange, (and very Burton-esq for any fans) perfectly capturing the feel of this shady, timewarped town. There's also a constant feel that something isn't right, as if dark forces could strike out at any moment. (aided by Danny Elfman's triumphant score, which I enjoyed, but found too intrusive at times: when the tension should have been built slowly and sickeningly to draw the viewer in further, Elfman sometimes brings it to a crashing climax far too quickly) It helps of course, that the village residents have the grizzled look of having stepped out of a child's fairy tale book, especially Burton favorite Michael Gough, Richard Griffiths, Ian McDarmid and Jeffrey Jones as some of the town elders. Burton even manages to sneak in a brief role from another favorite of his, Christopher Lee, who manages to be typically imposing and commanding, standing out even though he was in only a single short scene.
Of course, Johnny Depp is always a pleasure to watch, and he manages to make the role of Ichabod Crane his own, filled with twitchy mannerisms and girlish squeaks. Crane may not be the typical action hero, but he is delightfully personified, and just quirky enough to work. Christina Ricci also gives a strong performance as Katrina Van Tassel, daughter of Baltus (Michael Gambon) and Lady Van Tassel (Miranda Richardson) unofficial leaders of the town. Katrina appears to be the only innocent and pure character, yet with some undisclosed dark secrets of her own. Ricci pulls off the character believably, though she struggles with her accent at times. However it is great to see such classy actors as Gambon and Richardson as the mysterious unofficial magistrates. Both turn out excellent and dignified performances, though both graze the line of going over the top during some of the more dramatic scenes. Even Casper Van Dien gives a satisfying performance as a highly suspicious village resident. And of course, it's great to see Christopher Walken as the Hessian Horseman during a flashback sequence with his head on - Walken proves that he is truly one of the greatest actors still around as he manages to make his role utterly terrifying without speaking a single word. (although to be fair, his makeup does help add to the effect, but it's easy to believe he could have been equally frightening without it)
The strong performances from the cast help the film hold strong during some of the weaker sequences, and really help make the film a success. Although, another major draw will be Burton's unique and creative set design and trait for really giving the sense of immersing the audience into a complete other world. If you are willing to forgive the occasional weak plot point, Sleepy Hollow is an excellent way to spend an evening, immersing yourself into Burton's dark world and profound imagination. This truly does seem to be the movie he was born to make.
-8/10