Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow Essay - 3225 Words

Comparing Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow with Washington Irving’s â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow† In examining Washington Irving’s â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow† alongside Tim Burton’s film adaption of the story, titled â€Å"Sleepy Hollow,† a number of fascinating similarities and differences emerge. Though elements of the characters and settings of Burton’s film borrow heavily from Irving’s text, the overall structuring of the film is significantly different, and representations of various elements are crucially re-imagined. Tim Burton’s â€Å"Sleepy Hollow† was released on November 19, 1999, a few months before the new millennium. Set in 1799, Burton’s film modifies the 1790 date that Irving’s text is set in, showing an acute concern with†¦show more content†¦There is no narrator at all in Burton’s film, and the action that the characters experience is firsthand, not retrospective or omniscient. Such a move takes away from the â€Å"folk legend† element of the story, trans forming it into a supernatural spectacle for on the screen instead of a possibly-supernatural tale for around the fireplace. The ways in which Irving and Burton code the city and the country in their respective productions is similarly impacted by the periods in which each man was working. Irving’s â€Å"Sleepy Hollow† emphasizes local culture and the power of myth making within these cultures. In Irving’s town of Sleepy Hollow, the tale of the headless horseman reigns, but does not extend outside of the local realm, and does not necessarily physically manifest: when Ichabod leaves for the city at the end of the narrative, the horseman does not follow him. However, in Burton’s adaption, the tale of the headless horseman is not merely local folklore, but becomes elevated to the level of metropolitan ‘news’ through the literal act of murder instead of the mere legend of murder. Crime, then, elevates the cultural status of the horseman from loca l legend to state-wide murder suspect. Irving’s story, noted by scholars such as Daniel Hoffmann for its powerful interpretation of local myth and mythic tropes, is transported into the realm of the metropolitan through the re-characterization of New York asShow MoreRelatedThe History of Sleepy Hollow1224 Words   |  5 PagesTim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow recounts the unfortunate events of the rise of a ghoulish horseman from the grave reeking havoc on the small town of Sleepy Hollow. Icahbod Crane must find the so-called â€Å"ghost† in order to prove his investigational methods worry to the city of New York. Though this tale does not come from any certain historical truth but Burton’s rendition of the story comes from many years ago. Though he does make several artistic decisions that may differ somewhat from the original accountRead MoreEssay on Sleepy Hollow Book vs Movie667 Words   |  3 Pagesenchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of a ll the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback without a head.† Although the movie Sleepy Hollow is based upon the book The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, there are also distinctions which allow each to tell their own tale. Washington Irving’s short story inspired Tim Burton’s film but did not limit it. The foundations of the two are much the same but their story lines unfold diversely. Some of the similarities include the settingRead MoreGothic Genre Explored in Tim Burtons Films Essay3011 Words   |  13 PagesGothic Genre explored in Tim Burtons films Essay Tim Burton is successful in creating horror films such as Edward Scissor Hands (1990), Nightmare before Christmas (1993) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), through his incorporation of Gothic Elements within the setting, flawed hero and the manifestation of the sense of dread and terror. A horror film can be defined as a motion picture that seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from the audience by playing on the viewer’s most primal fears. This isRead MoreSleepy Hollow: The Film and The Story Essay1473 Words   |  6 PagesWashington Irving’s short story, â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,† was adapted into a movie titled â€Å"Sleepy Hollow† directed by Tim Burton nearly two centuries after the original publication. When the story was adapted as a film, several extensive changes were made. A short story easily read in one sitting was turned into a nearly two-hour thriller, mystery, and horror movie by incorporating new details and modifying the original version of the story. The short story relates the failed courtship of KatrinaRead MoreA Common Story Told Around Halloween1301 Words   |  6 Pagespast century, both Disney and Hollywood have given their views on the classic tale. Disney holds most of the original concept of Irving s tale than the Tim Burton’s movie. However, the changes in the bridge scene, the concept of the characters, and the horseman takes valuabl e meaning away from Irving s timeless classic â€Å"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.† In Irving’s original and Walt Disney view of the bridge scene was the same. The legend according to Brom Bones, after a person that is chase crossesRead MoreTim Burton Essay737 Words   |  3 Pagesrooms of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory, Tim Burton is a master of suspense and directing. 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Introduction †¢ Information about Tim Burton and his unique style Famous forRead MoreWashington Irving Essay665 Words   |  3 PagesThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, and The Devil and Tom Walker. Each of these works left a mark on American fictional literature. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, from The Sketch Book by (pen name) Geoffrey Crayon. This story was turned into an operetta by Douglas Moore, entitled The Headless Horseman. Also, it was revived as a Disney animated film The Adventures of Ichabold and Mr. Toad, as well as the 1999 version of the short story, Tim Burtons Sleepy Hollow (starring ChristinaRead MoreAnalysis Of Tim Burton s The Nightmare Before Christmas 1431 Words   |  6 PagesWhether it was through childhood or as an adult, Tim burton has been in everyone’s lives. He has produced, directed, and written the greatest movies of all time. A couple favorites would be, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Sleepy hallow, to just name a few. He was won 20 awards and has been nomi nated 56 times (IMDb). Everyone loves his dark, gothic, eerie, horror and fantasy films. Ever since he was in high school, he was recognized for his great talents, andRead MoreTheme of Horror in the Sleepy Hollow Essay2188 Words   |  9 PagesTheme of Horror in the Sleepy Hollow The film Sleepy Hollow is a fantasy/gothic horror film; the rating 15 tells us it probably has some gore in it. As we watch the film, some parts could also be described as thriller. The director Tim Burton is known for his love of Hammer horror films and before starting work on this film he encouraged his team to watch Hammer horror films like Black Sunday and The Fearless Vampire Killers, as this was the effect he wanted to