HEADS WILL ROLL.
In 1799, New York constable Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is sent to a hamlet called Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of murders where the victims’ heads have been lopped off; the locals blame a ghost, the Headless Horseman. Published in 1820, Washington Irving’s short story is one of the earliest great stories of the young continent. In Tim Burton’s hands, many details have been changed and there will always be purists who mind. But thanks to the tense direction, vivid score, opulent production design and dark cinematography, one is easily drawn into this eerie world and its phantoms. The cast is also great help, led by Depp as the faint-hearted police officer.
1999-U.S. 105 min. Color. Produced byĀ Scott Rudin, Adam Schroeder. Directed byĀ Tim Burton. Screenplay: Andrew Kevin Walker, Kevin Yagher. Novella: Washington Irving (“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”). Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki. Music: Danny Elfman. Production Design: Rick Heinrichs. Costume Design: Colleen Atwood. Cast: Johnny Depp (Ichabod Crane), Christina Ricci (Katrina Van Tassel), Miranda Richardson (Mary Van Tassel), Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jonesā¦ Christopher Walken, Christopher Lee. Cameo: Martin Landau.
Trivia: Depp allegedly based his performance on that of Richard E. Grantās in Withnail & I (1987). Winona Ryder was reportedly considered for the part of Katrina. The same year as this movie opened in theaters, a TV movie (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) also premiered.
Oscar: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. BAFTA: Best Production Design, Costume Design.
Last word:Ā “Roddy [McDowall] was a great friend of mine. I kept seeing Roddy in the way he had this very ethereal quality. […]Ā Ā And Angela Lansbury, the energy, the sort of righteousness that she had. I haven’t even seen ‘Death on the Nile’ since I was very young, but she was this force, she was this presence. This Ichabod Crane, it’s very, very safe to say he’s in touch with his feminine side. I thought of him as a very fragile young girl. So those are the ingredients and you just sort of mash them all together and see what you come up with.” (Depp, Combustible Celluloid)
