Shortly after
starting Sleepy Hollow, we can see that Washington Irving's story has been
altered significantly. The “dreamy” wives’
tale that Irving created has been twisted into a dark, gory horror film that
feels completely different and yet still very familiar to the short story.
One way
that Tim Burton changes the story is in the movie’s atmosphere. In the short story, Sleepy Hollow is a
prosperous, beautiful place full of food and happy people. The residents in Irving’s story aren’t in a
state of constant fear, but are generally very marry. The only place that the townspeople are
fearful is the forest, and of course, the Hollow. This overall tranquility is good because it
gives the story a fairy-tale feeling that helps make the legend associated with
the hollow more ambiguous, much like the tales that the women tell.
Tim
Burton changes the hollow into a dreary gray world, always dark, and shrouded
in fog. This grave atmospheric change creates
a feeling of dread throughout the movie.
Everyone seems suspicious. The
buildings are falling apart. Even before
anything is said, we can tell that the town isn’t very safe. Burton uses this alteration to his advantage
because it makes the horseman more believable than if Tarry Town were dreamy
and peaceful. One piece of common ground
is the fact that the forest is seriously dangerous here. Both stories share a wariness of the forest
and what lurks inside.
In both
the story and the movie, Crane carries many similarities. They both share high levels of education,
making them smarter than the townsfolk. They are both awkward; Irving’s Ichabod is a
gangly glutton, and Burton’s is jittery and unsettled. Burton digresses at one truly major point—their
pasts. The short story doesn’t give much
detail to Ichabod’s past, but Burton gives his Ichabod one hell of a history to
deal with. The his father’s cold-blooded
murder of his mother shapes him as a person.
He has to deal with this for the rest of his life. This is mostly seen in an inner clash between
his scientific and supernatural beliefs.
I think Burton did this in order to create a depth in the character. It is just more exciting. This dark past also compliments the dark
world that he is trying to create. Plus,
what is a Burton story without a mentally disfigured orphan man.
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