Dark World of Tim Burton-Sleepy Hollow
With Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton was back again, in his familiar dark, horror territory. Based on the short story by Washington Irving, who created the other famous American character, Rip Van Winkle, Sleepy Hollow, was Burton’s homage to Hammer Movies, who produced those memorable horror flicks during 60’s and 70’s.
Right from it’s basic theme of a mysterious headless horseman, who goes around killing people in a remote village, to its dark, scary style, Sleepy Hollow was vintage Hammer. The movie is set in 1799, when New York police detective Ichabod Crane(Johnny Depp) is asked to investigate a series of mysterious murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow, where all the victims are found to be headless. In reality, this was a way to get rid of Crane, whose methods of scientific investigation and forensics, are anathema to the police dept, which believs in rough and ready tactics.
The elders there inform him that all the murders are done by a Headless Horseman, a kind of supernatural spirit, who rises from the grave every night. Crane who is of a more scientific bent of mind, begins his own investigation, until he encounters the Headless Horseman. Taking the help of Masbeth, a young lad,whose father was one of the victims, Crane is able to discover the gnarled Tree of Dead, from where the Horseman comes. In the meanwhile he develops an attraction for Katrina( Christina Ricci), the daughter of the landlord with whom he is staying.
The village has a host of characters
Katrina’s step mother Lady Van Tassel, who is not what she seems.
Baltus Van Tassel, Katrina’s father, and the richest person in the village, who is one of the horseman’s victims.
Brom Van Brant, a young man, who also loves Katrina. He at first does not trust Ichabod Crane, but later helps him out. He dies in a fight with the Horseman.
Notary Hardenbrook the local banker, Doctor Lancaster, Rev Steenwyck are some of the others.
Throughout the movie Burton, consistently maintains a dark, Gothic sinister tone. In fact in the original story, Sleepy Hollow, was just another sleepy village, with nothing much to it. Burton totally changes it to give a Gothic atmosphere. The way, he uses the light and shade effect, giving that inky blue atmosphere, is just brilliant. In fact Burton establishes the eerie factor, in the look itself. When you sit in the hall, and you see that murky blue atmosphere, you know for well you are in a scare fest. Burton was inspired by the various Hammer Productions, he used to see. In fact people would say, that walking around on the sets of Sleepy Hollow, was like talking a walk in Burton’s mind. And adding to the scare factor, is Danny Elfman’s thunderous music score, especially the way he increases the tempo whenever the Horseman attacks.
In fact one of the most terrifying scenes for me in the movie was when the town’s elders speak of the legend of The Headless Horseman. If you take a good look at the scene, Burton right away establishes, that scare factor, with the low light from the candle, lighting up the elder’s face, and the thunder outside rumbling. Though you don’t actually see the Headless Horseman, Burton puts the fear into the audience then and there itself.
Also one more thing i loved is the way, Burton uses the flashing lightning effect, whenever the Horseman attacks or is in conflict with one of the characters. Check out this scene, where the Horseman kills Brom. The effects and lighting are just brilliant.
Also what works about Sleepy Hollow is the central character of Ichabod Crane itself. Crane is not like a John McLane tough cop, one man army character. He is a cop who believes in scientific investigation and forensics, things which are anathema to his superiors in New York. In fact the reason he is assigned to the Sleepy Hollow case, is that they wanted him out of the way. Also Crane is unlike a standard tough cop, he faints, he cries, he is scared. In fact Katrina proves to be much braver than him. Also we have Crane, going into flashbacks about his mother, who was brutally tortured to death by his father.
In short Ichabod Crane is like a Sherlock Holmes with emotional baggage. Johnny Depp is as usual brilliant, as he mixes up intelligence with sensitivity and vulnerability to give a splendid performance. Christina Ricci also offers able support, while Christopher Walken is suitably evil as the Horseman.
I have not watched Planet of the Apes, but in my next edition, would focus on Big Fish, one of Burton’s best works.
Tags: Christina Ricci, Hammer Movies, Horror Flicks, Johnny Depp, tim burton
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One of my alltime Favourite Film
“SLEEPY HOLLOW” one of my all time favorite film,
To me, it was like Life size stop motion film, with large sets and real people;
Main title is visually marvelous,.
Background score is ultimate,.
(Track 01 – Sleepy Hollow, Introduction)
With dry leaves falling along with the opening credits,
Heavy duty Brass and Organ and melancholic haunting vocal, sets the mood of the film,.
When I was in school;
I saw Disney’s Animation film “Ichabod Crane, Legend of Sleepy Hollow”,
I like the theme instantly,
So; I made short comic strip out of this,
(But with more darker elements, chopping heads and all, he he)
Nowadays I’m searching that kind of folklore, here in India,.
For my short film
Working on it
_______________________
Here it is couple of clips from Disney’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow- Ichabod Crane”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdOA06NQ7Cs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HywQaLI-YU4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHV_4DKHE0E&feature=related
Enjoy
Shekar, GReat clips there, yeah i had checked out some of them before too. Interestingly Burton had used computer animation for Mars Attacks, but was never comfortable with it, so he went back to stop motion.
Dude if ur looking for stories for ur movie, i have some up my sleeve, u can contact me for that.
@Ratnakar
Stories Stories !!!
I prefer Chudail, Rakshas (Monsters, Witches,) Dark woods
send me!
Burton continues! Thanks for the clips, Ratnakar & Shekhar!
Will be checking them out soon. And do include me in your story discussions, hum bhi thodi stories likhte hain. :-)
Can’t wait for Big Fish!
Its one of the masterpieces that Tim Burton has directed…….
Have always wanted to see it..