The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Review

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow By Washington Irving

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Review

This is a great classic short story that is true to the gothic tradition of supernatural fiction. It follows poor Ichabod Crane as he eats and lusts his way through the town of Sleepy Hollow on his quest to capture the attention and affection of the young and beautiful Katrina VanTassel. As you’re reading you come to recognize that Ichabod is really not the hero of the tale, although at times you may feel sorry for him, you really are not meant to like this character. His motivation in life is to eat as much free food as he can and ogle all of the young and pretty maidens in the town. He has a critical eye that is unjustified and he is quite self absorbed and delusional about his own merits. Does he deserve what he gets in the end? I think so, after all, it doesn’t kill him, just maybe makes him pee his pants a little.

The story itself is full of classic gothic motifs and provides a commentary on the role and purpose behind superstition and supernatural belief. For the times, it was a great use of literature to criticize those of us who are simple minded enough to fall prey to silly superstitions, especially us daft women.

The short story is a little wordy here and there, over description you might say, as was common for the times, but all in all, an enjoyable read with some hair rising incidents to keep you turning the pages.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Movie 1999

Hallmark Entertainment

Rachelle Lefevre and Brent Carver

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Review

This movie version of the short story is the truest version that I have found at this time. Although it adds an element of reminiscing and tale telling to start the movie it does follow the original story quite well. The actors are well chosen and play the characters accurately. More specifically, they stay true to the unlikable characteristics of Ichabod, making him seem self-absorbed and arrogant. Katrina VanTassel comes across as a cruel temptress, a spoiled brat of sorts which is more fitting to her role in the short story.

It’s a good little film and stays true enough to the story that you could probably get away with not reading it…only joking, I would never recommend not reading, that’s blasphemy. But seriously, if you are the type of person who really likes it when a film is true to its roots then this is the version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for you.

Sleepy Hollow Movie

Tim Burton

Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci

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Review

Of course this movie version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is so far from the original tale that it takes the term adaptation to its most general meaning. I think the only consistent things between the story and the movie, other than the use of the character names, is the scene with the practical joke of knocking Ichabod off of his horse with the burning pumpkin and the tale of there being a hessian trooper who was killed in battle who is haunting the forest. Otherwise everything is different.

I love Tim Burton and I love this version of the short story but don’t make the mistake of watching it and thinking that it resembles the original closely. It’s a fun movie, almost campy in its over the top blood and gore.  Depp adds an element of humor that fits well and the romantic as well as diabolical sub-plots add more excitement for us the attention deficient audience of today’s time.

It’s one I’ve watched over and over, and not just because of Depp. I think it’s a great movie worth viewing at least once.