Science or Superstition?

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2015)

There is no question that Director Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" is as atmospheric as movies come, but the feature could have much better. It certainly has nice production design, art direction, and cinematography. Loosely based upon Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," the stylish period piece (1799) falters from incoherency and a middling script. Even though Burton draws upon Irving's settings and characters – like Ichabod Crane, "Brom Bones" Van Brunt, and Katrina Van Tassel – his screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker, does a great disservice to the source material as he turns a folk tale into a horror flick. Also, the movie simply does not know which way to turn. Initially it seems to promote progress by referencing reason and scientific knowledge, but then reverts to witchcraft. The original Irving story's main premise involved Ichabod and Brom fighting for Katrina's attention. Here it is hardly played out. By adding a back-story – childhood flashbacks of Crane's childhood – does nothing to enhance the drama. It becomes somewhat gruesome with its pile of decapitated corpses. Even the gnarled tree is blood-soaked, and when Ichabod exhumes a female corpse, the blood is fresh.
It begins promisingly. Before the opening credits, a coach carrying the town's leading citizen, lawyer Peter Van Garrett (Martin Landau) rolls in the fog-shrouded forest at dusk outside the misty Dutch hamlet of Sleepy Hollow, two days north of New York City, where "everyone is related by blood or marriage." Strange noises are heard, and Garret is astounded when he peeks outside the carriage window and sees that his driver has become headless. The carriage still rumbles along. When Garrett attempts to escape into a cornfield, his head is also lost. Other equally grizzly deaths follow, and, in all cases, the killer takes the victim's head. The folks of Sleepy Hollow are convinced that they are being haunted by the Headless Horseman, a demonic spirit of a dead German (Hessian) soldier (a mercenary of the Crown) who was slain by Continental soldiers during the American Revolution. He can see without his head, and has his lair in the gnarled tree in the Western Woods.
Jittery Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) arrives; he's a constable sent by a judge in New York City to solve the bizarre murders of the ghastly horseman. Crane is not the superstitious schoolmaster of Irving's story. In fact, Ichabod claims that reason and science can explain any unusual feature about the deaths and that a "modern" detective method will solve the mystery. But he misspeaks when he boldly states that people are at the dawn of a "new millennium" (confusing the year 1800 with 2001). Anyway, he sneers at the idea of a supernatural being from Hell. At first it appears that the horseman may actually be the local bigwig, Brom Van Brunt (Casper Van Dien) in costume, but Ichabod soon learns that he must abandon reason. Brom does attack Ichabod with a pumpkin at the wooden covered bridge. In the original story though, the prank occurs at the end, when the believer in ghosts is easily fooled. As Ichabod's investigation continues he finds himself falling for blonde Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), the daughter of his landlord, Baltus Van Tassel (Michael Gambon).
"Sleepy Hollow" is creepy and effective largely because of Director Burton's visualization, cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's camera- work, and Rick Heinrichs' impressive production design. However, there comes a point when the main characters have to take the helm, something not allowed by the script (although the main actors do as well as granted). Much of "Sleepy Hollow" consists of the insipid Ichabod, with his bizarre instruments, constantly fainting and bungling to uncover the reason for the horseman's rampage. Then towards the end he finally has much of the puzzle pieced together. (The subplot about who double-crossed whom is convoluted.) Finally in the denouement – which goes on and on – Ichabod's skittish character magically morphs into the most heroic man on earth when he battles a demon! Irving focused on the romance angle, but the screen relationship of Ichabod with Katrina appears forced, and there is hackneyed dialogue between them. For instance, he says that she "bewitched" him (Actually she believes in sorcery.). Another time Ichabod inquires why she snooped inside his room. Katrina responds, "Because it's yours." (Ugh!)
Positives include an impressive supporting cast. In addition to Baltus' Michael Gambon, several other well-known actors include Miranda Richardson (as Baltus' wife and the Crone), Michael Gough (notary), Ian McDiarmid (doctor), and Christopher Lee (cameo). Lee is the New York burgomaster who sends Ichabod to Sleepy Hollow. Christopher Walken has a cameo as the horseman before losing and regaining his head. Danny Elfman's music score is most suitable while the set direction is superb. Much of the movie was shot with a blue filter, and the Gothic village of Sleepy Hollow has the feel of the period (as does the city of New York). There is a nice, almost surreal touch when Ichabod arrives late. The hamlet appears almost deserted, with hardly a person or horse visible. But when Ichabod enters the mansion of prosperous farmer Van Tassel, a bustling Halloween party is in progress with perhaps most of the village in attendance. Another nice scene occurs just after the Halloween party (presumably 31 October) when the November mist extinguishes the exterior village torches. Its nicely signifies the end of the last bit of warmth and the dreariness of the incoming coldness.
The negatives are probably not enough to detract one from watching "Sleepy Hollow," but the movie should have been greater. Naming this movie something like "The Horror of Goblin Hollow" would have avoided the unfortunate comparison with Irving. But the director obviously wanted to capitalize on the famed author's story. A plot focusing on reason and with a conspiracy involving those awful-looking town honchos with a costumed headless horseman may have been a better option. Then again, one cannot deny the uniqueness of the story-line.