Lake - Sleepy Hollow

Tim Burton utilizes Irving’s story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to render a film filled with corruption, greed, and retribution.  Burton doesn’t stay completely true to the story but keeps key concepts and ideas.  The changing of the plot and characters doesn’t bode well for Burton if he was trying to create a perfect representation of the story, but I believe that Burton’s twists are what make his movies so different and interesting. 

            To start, let’s talk about the ending.  The movie’s ending is nowhere remotely close to how Irving’s story closes.  The Headless Horseman technically did not exist and there was no evil witch controlling the undead nightrider.  Also, Katrina did not fall in love with Ichabod; in fact, in the story she didn’t even like Ichabod at all.  Secondly, the movie and story version of Ichabod Crane are very different.  Irving’s Ichabod was an unattractive, slimeball but Burton creates an Ichabod crane that has charm, class, and good looks.  Also, in Irving’s story Ichabod was a professor and choirmaster and in Burton’s film Ichabod is a constable.  This already drastically changes the story and why Ichabod winds up in Sleepy Hollow.  In the story, Ichabod travels to Sleepy Hollow in order to teach and live a very modest lifestyle.  In the film, Ichabod is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate unusual murders.  These differences are very important because it creates two different opinions of the same character.  The movie makes you want to see Ichabod succeed, but the story really leaves the reader undecided on how to feel about Ichabod.  One thing about Ichabod that made it through to the movie is his very superstitious mental state.  The difference is how Ichabod handles his superstitions.  In the movie he attempts to be secretive with his beliefs but in the story he is very open about them and actually loves hearing stories about ghosts, spirits, and the supernatural. 

            Even though Burton changes many parts of Irving’s story, he still succeeds in incorporating many elements of the story that relate to him and his view of the world around him.  Burton is paying homage to Irving because he can relate to him and a creator of art and as a person.  This is very similar to other works that Burton has done.  Whether relating to a key character or the creator of the work, Burton likes to create films that have deep rooted meaning to him.