I chose to looks at Sleepy Hollow, because the film is classed as a horror with elements of dark, dark black humour, but it is also a particular favourite of mine, as the style and soundtrack of the film are what I find specifically interesting.
Directed by one of my favourite directors, Tim Burton, the film follows the traditional story of Ichabod Crane, who has been sent to Sleepy Hollow in order to unravel the mysteries and murders that occur in this small village. The locals believe that the murderer is the 'Headless Horseman,' and old myth/legend, whom takes the heads of his victims. However, Crane believes that the murderer is a being of flesh and blood, and along with Katrina, they try to solve the horror that haunts the village of Sleepy Hollow. Although the film is described as a horror, there is a little love interest between Ichabod and Katrina, which provides a more in depth plot but also targets a wider audience.
The style in this film is incredible. It resembles classic horror, such as House on Haunted Hill, which stars Vincent Price of which Tim Burton is a fan. The environment is very dark, featuring lots of black, grey and blue, and there is constant mist and fog to create the terrifying atmosphere. The film is also period, which fits the story but also adds to the horror, and in my opinion helps create the illusion of another world, where events like these could actually happen. This makes the horror even more frightening. The film was released in theatres mid November, which I think suits the season of the film.
Apart from the style and design of the film, including the way it was shot, the soundtrack is one of my favourite aspects of the film. Composed by Danny Elfman, the music creates the atmosphere of a haunted village and a mythological creature, using low strings and haunting voices. I think the soundtrack is seriously underrated! The use of the organ is particularly haunting, and fits in with the storyline, as some scenes are set in the village church, and Ichabod's father is overly religious, but evil. The audio also ranges in pace, with fast, tense music accompanying scenes such as the Headless Horseman chasing Crane, but also features slower music, some with a solo of a young boy's voice, which creates another, almost sub-genre of horror, as it experiments with different ways to haunt the audience. Elfman frequently collaborates with Burton, and has composed the soundtracks for most of his films, including Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice and Alice in Wonderland. To experience the horror of the soundtrack, I recommend that one listens to at least the first four minutes of the video (approximately).
I specifically found the flashback scenes of Ichabod's mother beautiful. The mise en scene that is constructed in the shots, such as the wide shots above, are actually the most colourful in the entire film, but really emphasise the idea of beauty and nature. I love the lavender pink petals of the trees, and the way that the shots are edited to create works of art.
This is a video that I found whilst researching scenes from the film. Unfortunately I could not find the specific scene of Ichabod's Mother, however this compilation video features snippets from the film, as well as scenes from other Burton filmography. I find this video particularly inspiring, because I believe that it includes some of the best cinematography in film, and recognises the stylistic imagination and design behind Burton's films.
There are a vast range of angles used in the films, from wide establishing shots, to point of view shots, however below I have listed some of my favourite shots (not including the previous imagery of Ichabod's Mother).
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