A film worth watching

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2005)

Near the end of the 18th century, a gentleman police officer comes to a Dutch colonist community, northwards the state of New York, in order to conduct investigation around a series of repulsive murders, where the residents believe are committed by a revenging headless horseman.
The rational, sober young man with his vanward, for his time, methods of medical jurisprudence, although hesitant at first, doesn't take too long to understand that the legend is based on truth, while at the same time develops a special relationship with the enigmatic daughter of a local eminent resident...
Tim Burton tries to adapt one of the most popular Gothic fables of American literature (written by Irving Washington in the 1800s) to his monumental filming universe. It is obvious here, that we are a few steps away from the typical Burton thorniness (the stain of diversity and the non-acceptance by an environment intolerant), not however from the peculiar tonality that lives each of the authors work ; result of his beautiful use of stylized, austere, plain rhythm in writing, melancholy, and the use of eccentric humor and picturesqueness in narration.
Brilliantly incorporated are the superbly made special effects, when, and where needed in order to accelerate the effect of fiction - while the music as well as the recreation of the era are worked and given attention in every single detail. Slightly "slack" remains perhaps the content, in mainly what has to do with the characters, if at the end we come to accept that the characters are not just "ordinary" people. The actors are doing pretty well their job, and Depp confirms with his performance that he's got more than just the looks. Anyway, none of Burton's work lacks importance and special interest, something that all his (many) fans know very well.
This is a film well worth watching, scary but not too much this one has Tim Burton written all over it. There is only this little something missing that makes a great film differ from a truly amazing one.