Sleepy Hollow (Tim Burton, 1999)

I remember the first time I watched this film I was not really a fan of horror films yet. I hadn’t seen many mostly because I didn’t want to be scared, I wanted a film that would entertain. (Whereas, nowadays I'm really open to everything!) But this film definitely made an impression on me − it was thrilling yet the way the elements of the film were put together really intrigued me. For instance, you have the appropriately haunted-looking Sleepy Hollow hamlet, which is the site of the murdering headless horseman. The place is just filled with fog and everything looks cold, dark and dreary. Have to also commend director Tim Burton, who just excels working with this atmosphere and environment in his films, such as Sweeney Todd, which this film really reminds me of.

Combined with the nature of the landscape, which is a common feature of horror films, Sleepy Hollow also has a lack of warmth in its characters. We have the bumbling, faint-hearted, scientifically-minded Inspector Ichabod Crane, the film’s protagonist (played by the talented Johnny Depp), who is really the only person we can relate to or even trust. Although, unlike a typical “hero” figure, he has a number of obvious flaws which in effect make him more real I suppose. There is also Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci) who becomes his love interest but she is a mysterious and magical character. She keeps the audience guessing as to her intentions − sometimes she seems to be involved in the evil activities that haunt the town and in other instances she is a pure, innocent girl. Then we have her father and various other prominent people in the town, whose behaviour leads the audience to suspect one of them as being involved with the headless horseman’s killings. Satisfyingly, we find out that Katrina’s stepmother is in control of the horseman and behind the decapitations. She sneaks past our suspicious throughout the film, which manages to draw our suspense well. The film is based on a novel by Washington Irving so not surprisingly, there was enough material and mystery in the plot to keep me engaged in what turns out to be a nice gory story essentially about revenge.

4.5/5