Sleepy Hollow (film): Difference between revisions

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''[[Sleepy Hollow]]'' is a 1999 period horror film directed by [[Tim Burton]], interpreting the legend of The Headless Horseman and based loosely upon the Washington Irving story "[[The Legend of Sleepy Hollow]]". The third film collaboration between [[Johnny Depp]] and Burton, the film also features [[Christina Ricci]], Sir Michael Gambon, Miranda Richardson, Casper Van Dien, Jeffrey Jones, Ian McDiarmid, Michael Gough, Richard Griffiths and [[Christopher Walken]].

** {{spoiler|The Hessian ''might'' be an example. He was a vicious soldier when he was alive, but instead of killing the two children who could give him away, he simply shushed them. While he's certainly killing lots of people now, he's only doing it because Lady Van Tassel is controlling him. So it's more Dark is Not ''Completely'' Evil.}}

* [[Dead to Begin With]]: The problem of asking, "Is he dead?"

** Although considering that the movie [[Adaptation Decay|bears little-to-no resemblence to the book]], this is hardly that surprising.

* [[Deliberately Monochrome]]: All the colours are dulled except for the blood.

* [[Eagle-Eye Detection]]: Ichabod's preferred method for solving the streak of murders.

* [[Enforced Method Acting]]: According to the [[DVD Commentary|director's commentary]] on the DVD, during the scene in the church where the doctor is killed by a blow to the head, they accidentally hit Ian McDiarmid so hard that he ended up having to go to hospital.

** It's also mentioned somewhere on the DVD (maybe the 'making of') that Tim Burton specifically asked the special effects guys to make the heads of the victims of the Headless Horseman pop off and spin a few times after being beheaded. Cue demonstration of said special effects.

* [[Fainting]]: Ichabod. A ''lot''. Though he does manage to hold out until the scary thing is over.

* [[Hellish Horse]]: Daredevil.

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Twice.

* [[Horror Struck]]: Ichabod, after seeing the Horseman up-close for the first time.

* [[Hot Mom]]: Ichbod's mom.

* [[Hot Witch]]: Ichabod's mom, although her status as a witch is debatable. {{spoiler|Also Lady Von Tassel can be considered an evil example since she doesn't fit the [[Vain Sorceress]] trope}}

** It's pretty much proven that Katrina is a witch (or just practices witchcraft), since she was seen making a potion and chanting a spell when Icabod fell ill.

* [[Infant Immortality]]: Averted ''twice''. One victim was beheaded whilst in its mother's womb.

* [[In Name Only]]: Pretty much. In the Irving's story, Ichabod Crane was a school teacher who fully believed in ghosts, and the headless horseman never went on a killing spree.

** He then later becomes an [[Action Survivor]].

* [[Oedipus Complex]]: Ichabod falls like a brick for the cute witch Katrina van Tassel. His mother was "[[Closer to Earth|an innocent child of nature]]" {{spoiler|"condemned, murdered to save her soul" by his father - a "Bible-black tyrant behind a mask of righteousness." ''That won't happen again.'' Ichabod is a Man of Reason who rejects the intolerance of the Church and honors the gentle witch for her compassion.}}

* [[Ominous Fog]]: Rolls in and puts out the torches before the Horseman comes riding in.

* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: [[Christopher Walken]] plays a pre-headless horseman, and has no lines other than "Shhh" and "Raaa!!", yet there are many people who consider it to be his greatest performance ever.

*** The fact that Brom disguises himself as the Horseman to freak out Ichabod would count as well.

*** Also, the wooden bridge which the Headless Horseman can't cross in the story ... serves as a [[Hope Spot]] in this particular version.

* [[Sinister Minister]]: {{spoiler|The Reverend has no problem with Lady Van Tassel slicing her hand, smearing him with her blood and ''drinking it'' while they're having a roll in the woods; Ichabod's dad ''hates'' witches and figures the only way to save his wife's soul is to kill her in one of many torture devices he keeps in his church. In his dreams, Ichabod closely associates the murderous Horseman with his "Bible-black tyrant" father.}}

* [[So Much for Stealth]]: Played wonderfully straight when the Hessian who later becomes the Headless Horseman is escaping through the woods from Revolutionary War soldiers. He encounters two children gathering firewood and cautions them to silence with a finger to his lips. Without changing expression one of the girls deliberately snaps the stick she's holding, drawing the soldiers in their direction.

* [[Wicked Witch]]: Subverted with {{spoiler|the Witch of the Western Woods, who looks like wicked but just wants to help}}.

* [[Would Hit a Girl]]: Both Ichabod and Young Masbath fall into this trope. Ichabod by body-tackling {{spoiler|Lady Van Tassel}} off her horse and Young Masbath by smacking her over the head with a heavy tree branch!

** An earlier scene involves an autopsy of one of the female victims. {{spoiler|When examining her abdomen, they notice a strange stab wound. It turns out the Hessian also beheaded her ''fetus''.}}

* [[You Look Like You've Seen a Ghost]]: For very good reason, too...