The One Thing The Horseman DIDN'T Cut--The Plot

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 1999)

Having observed the best and worst stories of the past year I can only state, in my humble opinion, that this time Hollywood went too far.
When Hollywood has a story that involves random violence and punishment of sinners in general, the first question the suits ask is, how can we make this "relate" to the audiences in general? In other words, they try to second guess you, me, your idiotic friend sitting next to you, and the audience as a whole.
WHO CARES??????? The Headless Horseman is a classic. He can explode from the shadows, chase down a sinner and lop off his head with all the incredible digital effects at his disposal for THREE HOURS of screen time, it doesn't make a difference. Just make sure that Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp, the hero) finds a way to dispatch him and save the day.
Hollywood, however, has presented the Headless Horseman as a poseur. Rather than making him a servant of hell that appears in the mist, a sharpened blade ready to sever the head of his victim, he is now the servant of.....wait, I guess that would be giving it away.
But once again, I say, WHO CARES?????? Let the Horseman ride free. Let Ichabod Crane detect his existence. Let Miss Van Tassle (Christina Ricci, unbelievably blonde) work her charms. And let the townspeople quiver in fear, not because they all know they are part of some conspiracy, but because he who is without sin shall retain his (or her) head.
But allow me to marvel at this film's incredible visionary process. Tim Burton (who I do not fault one iota) has given us his darkest vision yet. The sets are immaculate, the photography is wonderfully washed out (near black and white), and the pacing is heart-stopping. This being is umpteeth pairing with Johnny Depp gives us a sort of backwards Stanly Kramer/Spencer Tracy quality (or Capra/Stewart, you decide).
Depp has said in a few interviews that key to his performance was to play Ichabod like a 13 year old girl. Knowing this going in only makes some of the funniest scenes in the movie even more so...and did I mention the humor? Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare In Love) apparently did a stem to stern re-write of the script (credited to Se7en's Andrew Kevin Walker). It helped, I think, in the comedic aspects, but whoever's idea it was to introduce the "conspiracy theory" (and a nowhere flashback to Crane's childhood) to this film should have had the Horseman loosed on him.
One last praise: digital effects. I can not relate to you here why I loved them. I can only tell you that I was shocked. Amazed. Horrified. ...and I loved it.