The ‘90s often get a bad rap with horror fans. After the numerous successful slashers and creature effects films of the ’80s, the ‘90s offered a different variety of horror fare. Though there were plenty of hits, hidden gems, and misunderstood classics, the ‘90s usually don’t get the kind of love that other decades get when it comes to horror. It’s time to change that.
One director that we don’t often include in the larger horror discussion is Tim Burton. He’s got plenty of fans thanks to his long and storied career, but even though many of his films feature horror elements, they aren’t often viewed as straight-up horror movies by the community. Whether that has to do with their comedy, fantasy, musical, or animation trappings, I don’t know. Still, it’s odd to see such a horror-loving director not be recognized as one of the horror greats.
However, Burton has dipped his toes into unquestionable and outright horror at least once in his career. In 1999, he attached himself to direct a brand new take on Washington Irving’s iconic short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” And the result is one of the most gorgeous horror films of the ‘90s. Heck, Sleepy Hollow might be one of the most gorgeous horror films of any decade.
The script by Andrew Kevin Walker (with a story credit from Kevin Yagher) takes the basic premise of Irving’s tale – a nebbish man named Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) comes to the quiet little village of Sleepy Hollow and learns of a terrifying legend centered around a ghostly figure known as the Headless Horseman – and remixes it into a murder mystery with conspiracies, conundrums, and witchcraft informing the plot.
If you’re a diehard Irving fan, this take is not going to be your jam. Burton’s film removes Ichabod Crane of his schoolteacher status and instead makes him a police constable. Crane tries to use more progressive methods in his detective work – this includes a variety of goofy steampunk gizmos and a more forensic approach to homicide investigations – but is met with disdain from his superiors and the rural inhabitants of Sleepy Hollow. Crane is squeamish at the sight of violence (often to comedic degrees) but is determined to discover who is chopping off heads in Sleepy Hollow…and why.
Before I start gushing about the production side of this movie, let’s talk about casting. Johnny Depp’s star isn’t as bright as it used to be, but he might be at his apex as the squirrelly Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow. I’ve heard it said that Depp is a character actor at heart, but his good looks forced him into leading man status. His best roles often find a delicate balance between these two opposite mindsets, and his work in Sleepy Hollow taps into both parts of his skillset to glorious results. It may sound unbelievable but I’d argue that Sleepy Hollow features some of Depp’s best performance work.
The surrounding cast is a cavalcade of talent. Christina Ricci taps into her naturally ethereal allure as Katrina Von Tassel while also proving herself to be an incredibly strong and resourceful character. Miranda Richardson threatens to steal the movie as Lady Van Tassel, though I can’t say why in case you’re seeing Sleepy Hollow for the first time. And the rest of the ensemble is stacked with classically trained actors like Michael Gambon, Richard Griffiths, Michael Gough, Ian McDiarmid, and Christopher Lee. Not to mention a nifty appearance from Christopher Walken as a pre-headless Headless Horseman. My God, this is the only movie I can think of other than Starship Troopers that correctly utilizes Casper Van Dien! Suffice to say, the actors in this are A+.
But, let’s talk about the real star of Sleepy Hollow: the production. The reported budget is $70 million but other outlets have the budget listed as high as $100 million. Whatever the actual figure, every cent is up there on the screen. Sleepy Hollow is dripping with texture and atmosphere thanks to the phenomenal work done by production designer Rick Heinrichs and the many others involved in the movie’s technical aspects like costume designer Colleen Atwood. Seeing the extravagant and enormous sets is a reminder that doing things practically does create a very different effect for the viewer and the actors.
Ian McDiarmid was just coming off of filming Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and he remarked, “Having come from the blue-screen world of Star Wars it was wonderful to see gigantic, beautifully made perspective sets and wonderful clothes, and also people recreating a world. It’s like the way movies used to be done.”
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t point out that Sleepy Hollow is an effects showcase film. Though a handful of digital effects now show their age, the majority of the film’s effects work is impressive. There are a number of good gore gags – my favorite might be when Richard Griffiths is decapitated and his head spins around before falling off – and it’s great to see this kind of R-rated horror be played for a broad audience.
It’s not just the visual components that make Sleepy Hollow feel grandiose. Burton’s longtime musical collaborator Danny Elfman delivers one of his best scores. If you think Elfman’s music for Burton’s movies all sounds very similar and leans on repetitive styles, Sleepy Hollow will offer you something very different. There is a deeper sense of dread in a lot of the tracks, as well as a more knowing theatricality to Elfman’s work on Sleepy Hollow that sets it apart from his usual Burton tunes.
We often lament that horror movies don’t get the recognition they deserve from the filmmaking establishment, so it’s important to note that Sleepy Hollow is an Oscar-winning movie. It took home the 1999 award for Best Art Direction and it damn sure deserved it. Sleepy Hollow is a stunning visual achievement that looked great when it was released but looks even better today. And with the film celebrating its twentieth anniversary just last year, I think it’s time we acknowledge it as Tim Burton’s biggest and boldest contribution to the horror genre.
