Sleepy Hollow 10 Ways Why Its Tim Burtons Best Film

Sleepy Hollow: 10 Ways Why It’s Tim Burton’s Best Film

From gory kills to the eery gothic setting, Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow provides a lot of content that makes it a contender for his best movie.

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Tim Burton has made many movies over the years and they all tend to be unique: musicals, fantasy epics, superhero adventures, and even full-blown comedies. But one thing they all tend to have in common is that they are dark, and Sleepy Hollow can definitely be described this way.

Sleepy Hollow is a beloved classic in Tim Burton’s filmography, and some would argue it is Tim Burton’s best movie. But what does this bloody retelling of the classic story have that raises it above his other classics, such as Edward Scissorhands, Batman, or Beetlejuice?

It’s Perfect For Halloween

Not only does Sleepy Hollow embrace the strange and macabre, but it embraces Halloween in multiple ways. The 19th-century American setting is brought to life in a way that heavily emphasizes the autumn aesthetic: from the full moon to the crop fields. Even Sleepy Hollow’s many well-designed costumes are likely to inspire cosplayers for Halloween.

Scarecrows with pumpkin heads appear, and at one point, the Headless Horseman throws a flaming jack-o’-lantern at the camera as a throwback to the classic Disney version of Sleepy Hollow. It’s easy to see why it has become a holiday classic for viewers every year, alongside Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It’s Not Your Typical Tim Burton Film

As a director, Tim Burton is not your average filmmaker, but he also can fall into the trap of having many of his films seeming rather similar in style and execution. For Burton, that either works perfectly to his advantage or not, but with Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton avoids many of his usual tropes.

From a visual perspective, the movie doesn’t feature a lot of spirals or black and white stripes, the cast does not all wear white makeup with sunken eyes, and the overall film goes for a more straightforward horror style. Of course, Tim Burton adds his own signature flair, but the movie never feels like it’s trying to be like Alice In Wonderland or The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It Has A Top-Notch Soundtrack

Tim Burton and Danny Elfman are the perfect collaborators and the composer created the iconic musical numbers for The Nightmare Before Christmas. He returned and put the same level of effort into Sleepy Hollow, giving it a much darker orchestral score.

From mysterious and twisted to bombastic and epic, the score always matches the tone of the scene. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tim Burton collaboration if it didn’t have their signature style of music that mixes whimsical delight with darkly sinister vibes.

It Has A Healthy Amount Of Humor

Like always, Tim Burton pushes for the unusual, and this often results in scenes or moments that are so out of this world that it’s hard to take the movie seriously. Sleepy Hollow is no different, with scenes like the aforementioned jack-o’-lantern scene or Ichabod Crane being terrified by what the town officials tell him.

Fortunately, Tim Burton was wise to add make these moments intentionally humorous, thus providing a much-needed break from the bleak and disturbing story. It’s never enough to ruin the film or turn it into an overt comedy, but just enough that the humor gives Sleepy Hollow more flavor, making it stand out from his other more macabre stories.

It Features The Best Cast

To pull off a strange story like this requires a cast of characters that can work with Tim Burton’s strange direction and make it believable. With talents such as Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Casper Van Dien, and Jeffrey Jones, it’s no surprise that the characters are brought to life so well.

Even the Headless Horseman himself is played by famous character actor Christopher Walken, despite having zero spoken lines besides some growls and roars. The cast all know how to embrace the surreal story and range from perfectly reserved to delightfully over the top, showing an unparalleled collection of talent for a Tim Burton movie.

There’s Plenty Of Gore

Most of Tim Burton’s films often push the limit but remain family-friendly entertainment. Sleepy Hollow was the first movie in Tim Burton’s filmography where he was able to go all out with an R-rating and it shows. From beginning to end, there is an absurd amount of blood and gore, which is something Tim Burton would carry over into his dark and twisted musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.

The Headless Horseman’s decapitation scenes often result in puddles of blood, there is a twisted autopsy scene that covers Ichabod Crane in blood, there is even a tree that has sap made from human blood. If anybody watches Sleepy Hollow for the carnage, they will not be disappointed.

Ichabod Crane

Sleepy Hollow is many things, but it’s not 100 percent loyal to the source material. In The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow book, Ichabod Crane is depicted as a cowardly, greedy, and unpleasant man. He’s even described as ugly in appearance, but the film version of the character is anything but.

In a way, this works to the film’s advantage because Ichabod Crane is the lead and he proves to be a human and grounded hero, whereas a more book-accurate portrayal would not have been so likable. It’s a different role for Johnny Depp too, playing a more reserved but likable character, rather than his usual kooky characters covered head to toe in makeup.

The Headless Horseman

If there is anyone reason to check out Sleepy Hollow around Halloween, it is the Headless Horseman. It is with this character that Tim Burton came the closest to creating a slasher movie, from his creative killing methods to the simple yet effective special effects.

The Headless Horseman is in many ways similar to Jason Voorhees, even down to being an immortal zombie with an unquenchable thirst for killing. Jason Voorhees wields many weapons but tends to rely on his sword and the Headless Horseman is no different. Not to mention, the performance by Christopher Walken is equal parts over-the-top and intimidating, at the same time.

It’s Like A Modern Hammer Horror

While watching Sleepy Hollow, some viewers might see and feel a certain familiarity in Tim Burton’s style, from the grand gothic setting and the bleak monochromatic color palette to the overly saturated red of the blood and it’s graphic use.

Sleepy Hollow is a big tribute to the classic Hammer horror movies from the 1950s to the 1970s. Tim Burton even features a cameo from the late great Christopher Lee, who played Dracula, the Mummy, and Frankenstein’s monster in the Hammer horror collection.

It’s A Unique Twist On The Story

The original Sleepy Hollow story, though a classic piece of literary history, does not feature much of a plot. So, in the adaptation, Tim Burton reimagines the story with his own twists and turns and the result is a dark supernatural mystery thriller.

There is more to the town of Sleepy Hollow than an undead serial killer and the origins of the Headless Horseman tying to a twisted conspiracy. By doing so, Sleepy Hollow is given new life while still adapting direct scenes from the book.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/sleepy-hollow-why-its-tim-burtons-best-movie/

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