Rania A
English per. 4th
Sleepy Hollow (Movie vs. Story)
In the 1999 movie, Sleepy Hollow, set in 1799, Ichabad
Crane is sent to the town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate brutal
murders where the victims are beheaded. Invited to stay in the
home of the Van Tassels, Ichabad quickly falls for the mysterious
yet stunning Katrina. Brom Van Brunt a man, who’s somewhat
romantically involved with Katrina, takes an immediate dislike
towards Ichabad upon meeting him. When the townspeople explain
to Crane the legend of the Headless Horsemen, he does not believe
them until he comes face to face with it. The Headless Horseman is
a legacy in this small town. After his own sword cuts off his head
he refuses to go back to Hell until his head is returned. So he
continues to behead the community. With the aid of the orphaned
Young Masbeth, Crane discovers both the Horseman's entry point
between this world and the beyond, the twisted Tree of Death with
the heads of his victims within, and his grave. After the Horsemen
brutally kills a family of it passes Ichabad without killing him.
Brom arrives and attempts to shoot at him, but the Horseman
doesn’t try to kill him or Ichabad. Brom pulls out a sword and
duels with him. That’s when the Horseman finally kills Brom. This
prompts Crane to realize that someone must be using the skull to
control the Horseman rather than the Horseman committing these
murders of his own agreement.
Crane uncovers a dark plot revolved around Katrina's stepmother,
Lady Van Tassel. After her family lost their land once her father
died, it was given to Katrina's father. Promising her soul to the
devil, she hopes would avenge her family by controlling the
Horseman. She sends the Horseman after Katrina but Crane
eventually ruins Lady Van Tassel plan by returning the skull to the
Horseman, who regains his head and goes back to Hell along with
Lady Van Tassel.
A man who Washington Irving describes as lean and lanky
invades the small American town of Sleepy Hollow. Gawky
schoolmaster and singing instructor, Ichabad Crane comes to
Sleepy Hollow and is welcomed as he passes from house to house
eating whatever he can. He is much admired for his intelligence
and charm, but is certainly not admired by Brom Bones. Known
for his Herculean frame, Brom, resolves disputes in the small
town, thank to his size. The hostility between Brom and Ichabad
grows when Ichabad falls for Katrina Van Tassel. The daughter of
a Dutch farmer, the rich and beautiful Katrina, does nothing to stop
the two men fighting after her. Invited for a feast at the Van
Tassels, Ichabad dances with Katrina all night, while Brom is
forced to see the happy, dancing couple. He fails to break them
apart and has to watch them together all night. Once everyone was
tired of dancing, they start listening to fascinating stories about
ghosts and the tale of the Headless Horseman, who haunts the
graveyard at night. Ichabad becomes extremely terrified of the
local legend and leaves to go home. Passing through the graveyard,
Ichabad he sees a large shadowed figure up ahead and realizes it’s
the Headless Horseman. The Horseman chases Ichabad through the
graveyard until he crosses the bridge. Knowing that he cannot pass
the bridge, Ichabad turns around and just then the Horseman
throws his head at him. The next morning, when he was not seen at
school, a search party finds his hat and a smashed pumpkin. With
Ichabad out of the way, Brom marries Katrina and questions are
still unanswered about what happened to Icahabad. Some believe
he married a widow who cooks him a lot of food then there’s some
who believe the Horseman carried him away.
The story of Sleepy Hollow, written by Washington Irving
and the movie directed by Tim Burton has such a difference in
tone. You can instantly tell that by the opening credits. The movie
begins in a dark setting and continues with that throughout the
whole movie. The foggy sky, dark tree, dark clothing. The movie
distinguishes the tone in the beginning until the very end. What
makes the movie much more interesting to me was the imagery it
set. The anticipation and suspense carried all the way through the
movie made it appealing. The story was happy, peaceful,
unchanging. Washington Irving gives you this peaceful feeling in
the beginning of the story. Everything is happy and funny, even the
Headless Horseman. Only for a brief moment, when Ichabad was
being chased, was when the tone was different.
When Ichabad Crane entered the town of Sleepy Hollow,
everyone closes their shutters, whereas in the story he is
welcomed. The streets are deserted while the story people are
smiling and offering food. This difference makes an impact on
which was more engaging because it leaves me wondering why the
streets are empty and the reason no one wants to come outside. The
story shows the people having humorous indulgence of the local
legend, while in the movie people get chills when you talk about it.
With the people more frightened about the Horseman rather than it
only being a good story to tell, continues on with the tone and
makes the movie, not the story, more gripping.
The narrator in the story seems to be talking down to the
characters. Throughout the story, the characters are more
humorous rather than taken seriously, which contributes to the tone
because while the characters are humorous the story was
humorous. While in the movie the characters are serious and
mysterious, which add to the tone because the movie was
suspenseful.
The mood in the story was drowsy and slow and seemed to
be sarcastic at times. The movie to me was much more interesting
to me, then the story written by Washington Irving because of the
difference in tone. From beginning to end the movie had the dark
and omniscient tone. One great example was when a young boy
was cowering beneath the floorboards, while up above him the
Horseman was beheading his parents. After we hear the lice of his
mother’s head coming off, the young boy sees the eyes of his own
mother’s head. The story had no scenes like that since it had a
different kind of tone.
An excellent beginning: has an unfinished feel to it, though:
where’s the conclusion?