Sleepy Hollow
Looking at literature through a director's critical camera lens is an effective way to view a piece of literature as well as history. Through a visual adaptation of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Tim Burton takes on the challenging task of effectively entertaining an audience as well as retelling a part of history. Burton tries to recapture Irving's story by combining the physical surroundings of the 18th century with the element of Hollywood. Burton's interpretation works adequately in various parts of the movie but eventually takes on a life of its own by the grandiose scene of Hollywood. This portrayal of literature neglects the literary but does attempt to situate the audience historically. Icabod Crane, characterized by Irving as a "tall, but exceedingly lank, with narrow arms and legs, hands that dangled a mile out of his sleeves" (950) dramatically changes in Burton's representation. Burton utilizes the popular young handsome face of Johnny Depp. The identity of Crane drastically changes as this element of Hollywood inserts itself, creating a barrier in portraying Irving's story accurately. The lead male, Depp, enters the town of Sleepy Hollow, not like the lanky man Irving portrays, but exudin
Throughout the movie the viewer gets a glimpse of the harsh reality of the late 1700's, sometimes even extending reality by depicting the manner in which small and large governments assemble. As viewers we watch the scenes as a means not to be educated, but entertained. In reading the story and viewing the movie, one can see that Burton did not ignore the humor in Irving's short story. There are several instances where the viewer is fully aware of the sarcasticness of Crane and the townspeople. This kind of humor also displays Crane's presence as a foreigner, who did not understand small towns and how they functioned. Along with the character of Katrina Van Tassel, the environment in which Burton chooses to set the film does represent a true depiction of a small town. The greenery, the houses, the music, the parties, and the government all display interesting parts of a small community. An addition Burton makes that contributes immensely to the story is the small town government. Irving story briefly introduces us to the Van Tassels, but Burton extends the written word and formulates a believable system that incorporates al the necessary functions to govern. Burton's attempt to recreate Irving's story hits several speed bumps alo
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 840
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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