Sleepy Hollow

(1999) ****

Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is a late 1700's New York constable who believes in science!

The New York magistrates, however, don't like his rebellious analytical approach to justice and as punishment they send him off to Sleepy Hollow to investigate a recent rash of murders. Ichabod learns that these murders are dreadful decapitations where the head is "not found severed, but never found at all."

spoiler alert: decapitated heads are found later in the movie

The town elders inform Ichabod that the only suspect is the Headless Horseman. The Headless Horseman is a former Hessian mercenary famous for beheading his enemies who was beheaded by his own sword and buried creating a haunted area of a nearby wood. Crane rejects the elder's ghost stories and begins his investigation.

The numbers of disappearances, deaths and decapitations rise and Crane determines the murders are not random. He follows his logic into a web of mysterious intrigue, romance, witchcraft, and evil that challenges his choice rationale and scientific approach.

The opening of this film was just beautiful. Absolutely beautiful to watch. I fell in love with it. I loved the smokey fogginess, the title lettering, the blood red dripping wax, and the handwriting style of the last will and testament. I loved the horse and carriage ride through the dark scary woods, the frightening pumpkin scarecrow, the execution of the first beheading, etc. Unfortunately that got my hopes way up for rest of the film, which didn't live up to my expectations, and how could it? The movie is pretty throughout, but there was just something about the beginning.... That said, I almost always enjoy the Burton/Elfman/Depp combos.

There's something about the aesthetic that I just dig. The cinematography, set design, special effects, lighting, and both the subtle and not so subtle qualities that say "I'm Tim Burton" tend to be pretty and pretty makes me happy. The cast ain't to shabby neither: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christoher Walken, Michael Gambon, Jeffery Jones Miranda Richardson, Christopher Lee, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Gough.