Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot.
Since seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl I have become a big fan of Johnny Depp. I had seen and enjoyed some of his earlier movies, like Sleepy Hollow, but I hadn’t really been a fan. That has changed. I’ve seen Sleepy Hollow several times now and I still enjoy it. I usually end up watching it again around Halloween.
In New York City in 1799, Ichabod Crane is working as a constable. He wants to use scientific methods to investigate murders, but his superiors don’t think much of those ideas. The Burgomeister sends Ichabod to Sleepy Hollow, a small town where there have been three murders in a fortnight. The bodies have been decapitated.
Ichabod arrives in Sleepy Hollow to find a party going on. He meets Katrina at the party and her father Baltus and step mother Mary. Ichabod talked to Baltus and other men from town about the murders. All the heads are missing and have never been found. Baltus tells Ichabod about how the murders have been committed by the headless horseman. Baltus shares the legend of the headless horseman. A Hessian had been a brutal killer in the area until he was caught and beheaded. It is believed that the Hessian horseman is rising from his grave to kill people. Ichabod doesn’t believe the legend and is was sure the murderer is a real person. Ichabod continues his investigation into the murders, determined to figure out what is going on.
I really enjoyed Sleepy Hollow. The movie is very interesting to me and I wasn’t bored by anything that happened. I have seen the movie a few times now and I still enjoy it. I didn’t have any idea what would happen the first time I saw the movie. It wasn’t predictable to me, but it could be to some people who have read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, depending on how different the movie was from that.
Sleepy Hollow is a violent movie. It tells the story of the headless horseman, who rides around decapitating people. The headless horseman killes several people throughout the movie. Most of the killings are shown and heads do roll. One character is cut in half instead of beheaded. Bodies missing their heads are shown several times and there is a lot of blood. This is not a movie for the squeamish. The violence is graphic at times. Ichabod is very interested in new scientific methods for investigations, like examining dead bodies. Some things related to his exams of some victims are shown, but most of that is left to the viewer’s imagination. Some scenes are fairly gory. The movie could be too violent and gory for some people. People who don’t like gory things in movies shouldn’t bother with this one. Special effects are used for certain things in the movie. Most of the effects have something to do with the horseman. The effects are well done and didn’t really jump out as obviously being effects like has happened in some movies. Casts of some of the actor’s faces and bodies were used to create models that were used in some scenes. Those things look very good.
Sleepy Hollow has a spooky atmosphere for most of the movie. The town of Sleepy Hollow is creepy looking, even when nothing related to the horesman is happening. The town was built specifically for the movie. The woods around the town look scary, especially at night. It is over cast and usually foggy all the time, which makes things scarier. Things look washed out, including the people without everyone looking very pale. There isn’t a lot of color anywhere in the movie. When red turns up, either in the form of blood or some other item, it seems to be very bright and vibrant in contrast to the other muted colors. The entire movie is in color, but some of the sets and backgrounds look very drab in different shades of grey. The characters really stand out in those scenes. Even though it is dark in many scenes, I was still able to tell what was going on. The movie does have a unique look, which is something that director Tim Burton is known for. The visuals in the movie are very impressive. Some creepy sounding music plays throughout the movie. The music isn’t overbearing and it fits the mood of the movie perfectly.
Supernatural things play a part in Sleepy Hollow. The people in the town believe that a headless horseman is leaving his grave and brutally murdering people. Everyone in town knows about the legend of the horseman, so when the murders start he is blamed. The legend hasn’t made it to New York City, so Ichabod doesn’t know about it until after he arrives in Sleepy Hollow. He is a logical man and believes that answers could be found in science. He dismisses the legend when he first hears it, but as he continues to investigate, he sees that there is something very strange going on in the town that science may not be able to explain. Witchcraft is hinted at few times and even brought up directly a few other times. Ichabod actually talks to the white witch in the western woods about the horseman. She lives alone in the woods where she can practice magic away from the people in the town. Late in the movie one character mentiones that their mother had been shunned because it was believed she practiced witchcraft. The fact that people in the movie did shun anyone they thought was involved in witchcraft did make the movie more believable because things like that did happen. No one is burned at the stake or hung, but something else did happen to one woman because someone thought she was a witch. Something else that goes on in does involve witchcraft, but I don’t want to say specifically what that is because that could spoil things for some viewers. I really enjoyed the movie and the parts dealing with magic and witchcraft. People who don’t like movies dealing with those things should probably avoid this movie.
Sleepy Hollow is a dark, scary movie overall, but there are few moments of humor in the movie that lighten the mood. Those things usually have something to do with Ichabod. He has a few strange gadgets that he uses in his investigation that look funny. He does some funny things and has some funny expressions. He reactes to some situations in ways that I thought are funny. Ichabod is terrified of spiders. I thought it was really funny when he spotted one in his room. I’m scared of spiders too, but it didn’t bother me seeing it in the movie. Spiders don’t bother me in movies, only in real life. I would have been screaming and climbing the furniture right along with Ichabod if I had been there. Since I wasn’t, I am able to laugh at Ichabod screaming like a girl over a spider. He does act a bit like a wimp at times. Ichabod is a quirky character, but that makes him more likeable.
I think that the acting is very good in Sleepy Hollow. Johnny Depp is wonderful as Ichabod. He is very believable in the role. Icabod is a unique character. He is interested in using scientific methods to investigate murders, but he does seem to have a problem with blood. He doesn’t let that stop him from working on the case. He is very determined to solve the case. He is scared at times, but he keeps going. He does seem to be a bit of a coward at times. Johnny Depp is perfect as Ichabod. He has just the right amount of fear in certain scenes. His face is very expressive. The expressions he used added a lot to his performance. Depp is very good at playing unique, quirky characters, which Ichabod is. Depp shines in the role.
Christina Ricci is good at Katrina. She looks different in the role because her hair is light blonde instead of its natural darker color. When I first saw previews for the movie, I had no idea she was the one playing Katrina. It was a more mature part than she had played in The Addams Family, The Addams Family Values or Casper.
Christopher Lee has a small role as the Burgomeister in Sleepy Hollow. I didn’t recognize him at first. I think it was the hair that made him look different. I’ve seen him in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Richard Griffiths has a few scenes as the magistrate. The part was very different from his role as Uncle Vernon in the Harry Potter movies. I only realized that he was the actor who played Uncle Vernon when I watched Sleepy Hollow again recently.
Christopher Walken is perfect as the horseman. He only turns up a few times, mainly in a flashback when the legend of the horseman is shown. He is very creepy looking. Walken always looks a bit creepy to me in any movie even when he is playing a normal character. He is very good at creepy roles like this. His characters in America's Sweethearts and The Stepford Wives were a bit odd, but there were nothing like the horseman.
Michael Gambon, the man who took over the role of Professor Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, plays Baltus. When I watched the movie again this last time, I recognized him right away because of that. He was good as Baltus. He also had a small part in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow earlier this year. Michael Gough plays the notary. He only has a few scenes, but he is good in them. He played Alfred in four of the Batman movies.
Miranda Richardson is very good as Mary, though she doesn’t have too many scenes. She also plays the part of the witch in the woods. Jeffrey Jones is fine as the reverend. Casper Van Dien turns up briefly as the young man that is interested in Katrina. He seems a little stiff in the part. Ian McDiarmid, the man who plays the Emperor in the Star Wars movie, plays the doctor. His part is another small one, but he is good. Martin Landau appears uncredited in the opening scenes as Peter Van Garrett, the first victim of the horseman.
Main CAST
Johnny Depp - Constable Ichabod Crane Michael Gambon - Baltus Michael Gough - Notary James Hardenbrook Richard Griffiths - Magistrate Samuel Philipse Jeffrey Jones - Reverend Steenwyck Martin Landau - Peter Van Garrett - uncredited Christopher Lee - The Burgomeister Ian McDiarmid - Dr. Thomas Lancaster Marc Pickering - Young Masbath Christina Ricci - Katrina Van Tassel Miranda Richardson - Lady Mary Van Tassel/witch Casper Van Dien - Brom Van Brunt Christopher Walken - Hessian Horseman
Tim Burton - Director
Sleepy Hollow was made in 1999 and rated R. The movie was 105 minutes long. This not a movie that children should see. I have the movie on DVD. It is also available on VHS. The movie was based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving. I have never read that, so I don’t know how close the movie remains to it.
DVD INFORMATION
Sleepy Hollow is available on VHS and DVD. The DVD comes in full and wide screen versions. I have the wide screen DVD. The picture is wonderful throughout the movie. The DVD has surround sound, which sounds very good. The special features for the movie include two trailers for the movie, interviews with the cast and crew, cast biographies, photo gallery, a commentary by Tim Burton and Behind the Legend, a featurette. Behind the Legend features Tim Burton and several of the cast members talking about different aspects of making the movie. Some scenes are shown being filmed. Many things about the movie and how certain things were done are discussed or explained. I thought it was very interesting. If someone would watch Behind the Legend before the actual movie, there could be some spoilers in it.
I really like Sleepy Hollow. It is creepy and scary at times, but not too scary for me. Other people may feel differently though. There is violence and gore in the movie, so people should take that into consideration when deciding if they want to watch it. Fans of Johnny Depp should see this movie. I still enjoy this movie after watching it several times.
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