How does the director, Tim Burton, build an atmosphere of suspense in the film Sleepy Hollow?
Sleepy Hollow was directed by Tom Burton. The film is about Ichabod Crane, an inspector for New York City has been trying to revolutionize the way how cases are being investigated, Ichabod uses scientific instruments and ways to investigate cases and the court does not agree with his techniques. Ichabod is sent to a village out countryside of New York which has a lot supernatural happenings occurring in the town, Ichabod gets sent there to investigate the ‘Case of The Headless Horseman’ Ichabod at first believes that someone is hiding in the suit and the village is just scared of superstition but finds out later that in fact that the Headless Horseman
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is real and then goes to a witch to get more information. This leads to the end where Katrina’s step mother is the one controlling the horseman but in the end she gets taken to Hell with the Headless Horseman. The director, Tim Burton builds an atmosphere of suspense in the film by using ‘mise en scene’ to his advantage and uses the proper music and actors to make the atmosphere feel scary and really suspenseful. This essay will be focusing on the scenes ‘Which Witch’ and ‘Tree of the Dead’. I will be focusing on the way the actors talk and move in the scene ‘Which Witch’ and will be focusing on the ‘mise en scene’ for ‘The Tree of the Dead’. Which Witch is the scene where Ichabod Crane was talking to the Witch that lives inside the cave, Before Ichabod was entering the cave, Ichabod used Young Masbeth, his ‘trusty sidekick’, as a shield against the witch and was shaking in fear as Ichabod has a lot of fears and would rather not go in there.
In the original story Ichabod Crane was a teacher and was not brave or courageous at all and this is how Burton portrayed the original story. Johnny Depp did a very good job at portraying Ichabod Crane as a fearful yet courageous person as he tried to fight the Horseman. The way Depp talks in to the witch makes him sound nervous and anxious yet puts on a heroic voice to try and make the witch not think he is scared. When he leaves the cave he see’s Katrina riding through the forest and thinks that she is a evil witch trying to follow them, Ichabod again puts his ‘heroic’ voice on to try and show no fear as Katrina puts her hood down and Ichabod lowers his pistol and shows he is now relaxed. This scene is significant in the film because it introduces Lady van Tassels sister who is later killed by Lady van Tassel when she talks to Katrina; it is also very significant because the scenes show that the forest is full of witches and evil things as said by Young Masbeth when entering the forest. Which Witch is one of the scenes that specifically describe Ichabod Crane’s cowardice but he goes in anyway which makes him courageous, this builds an atmosphere of suspense when Ichabod
finally enters the witches cave. Mise en scène means surroundings and environments of films and plays. Tree of the Dead is a great example of mise en scène because the scene highly depends on the surroundings and props of the scene, as the scene itself is based around a prop. The scene starts off as Young Masbeth runs to Ichabod and Katrina who were about to kiss and leads them to a dead tree in the middle of an opening, this signifies the prop that this scene will be about. Ichabod then see’s the horseman’s grave and opens it up to see his skeleton but no head and then buries his hatchet in the stump of the tree and there is blood in it and he opens it up to see the heads of the other people that horseman has killed. The mise en scène in the scene is great because it shows all of the props that are very significant to the story such as the dying trees all around ‘the tree’ and when the heads are falling out of the tree. Burton made Tree of the Dead too make the atmosphere of suspense in the film great and can make anyone on the edge of their seats, Burton done this by using correct props and even better music to accompany the props and look of the film. Sleepy Hollow, builds a suspenseful atmosphere for the viewers by using smart key techniques during the filming of this film. The techniques are most clearly shown in the scenes Which Witch and Tree of the Dead. Which Witch shows the way Johnny Depp acts as Ichabod Crane and how he portrays him, Tree of the Dead shows the mise en scène in the movie and builds an atmosphere of suspense through all of the props and music used in the film. Sleepy Hollow is a film interpretation of the original Legend of the Sleepy Hollow. This is another film of Tim Burton’s which is being studied by students everywhere and is a great book to film remake.
Suspense, something vital filmmakers, and authors need in their stories, but how does someone include suspense in their stories that gets the audience on the edge of their seats and begging for more? In the essay, “Let Em’ Play God” by Alfred Hitchcock, he states that letting the audience know everything while the characters don’t create suspense.
First, a key method used to create suspense is the usage of the setting. When a character is in an unwelcoming or uninviting location, uneasy or tense feelings can be formed. When there is a sense of not knowing what is around the corner or lurking in the shadows, suspense is created. Also, ominous weather, such as threatening thunderstorms, can lead the reader to anticipate an unfortunate event occurring. An example of an uncomfortable setting is the secret passageway, which is dark, dirty, and most often only occupied by a single individual. Under these conditions many people become anxious, and because of these uneasy feelings that one may encounter, when a character is subjected to these conditions, the reader may become apprehensive, which leads to the formation of suspense. When Dan Needham shuts John Wheelwright in the secret passageway while both are in a drunken stupor, a high level of suspense is created. The description of the secret passageway adds to the suspense of the scene, "The passageway was dark; yet I could discern the scurrying of spiders.
Everyone at one point has been captivated and intrigued by the plot of a movie or a book. This captivation is generated by the one tool that authors and directors love the most, suspense. Authors want their audience and readers of their writing to be enthralled by creating tension and thrill in their plot. The usage of style, characterization, point of view, and foreshadowing allows authors and directors to create suspense in their work. Suspense is a very difficult approach to master but with the correct tools it can be as simple as a walk through the park.
The story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was written by Washington Irving, and the story is about a man name Ichabod Crane who was trying to win Katherina Van Tassel’s hand in marriage, but he is failing. The small town named Sleepy Hollow has a folklore about the Headless Horseman, who rides through the town at night to find his head. Irving explains that Sleepy Hollow has many ghost stories, but the Headless Horseman is the most popular in the town. Ichabod Crane was a school master, and he was killed by the town’s ghost. The townspeople believed Crane was taken by the Galloping Hessian, so the story of the Headless Horseman would not be associated with Crane’s disappearance. As the news about Ichabod’s disappearance rummage through the town, the Brom Bones’ reaction to the news made people question the Galloping Hessian’s part
There are many conclusions we can draw from the characters as well the storylines from the book and movie. It is up to each of us to decide what kind of characters we want to see; just as it is our own choice in deciding how the story ends. Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones, and Ichabod Crane will always be central to the story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, just as they are important to the nuances of the story, but it is up to us, the readers and viewers, to draw our own conclusions about the headless horseman.
In the film, “North by Northwest” we see a series of shots that creates suspense and danger. The point of the film is very vague and it ends without a resolution to the main conflict. The incredible camera work and techniques that Alfred Hitchcock did created a feeling of danger and suspense, making the audience want to see more. Also, Hitchcock's film main character Roger O. Thornhill creates suspense with his mistaken identity and fight for his escape. The film uses a handful of shots, for example, medium shots, close ups, long shots and shot-reverse-shots. I found particularly interesting how a handful of shots can create suspense and the feeling of danger can create a misleading plot.
Instead, he made Ichabod Crane a detective who had his own vision on how to solve crimes. In the movie Ichabod is sent to the small village of Sleepy Hollow where a murder of three town’s people has occurred and they want him to solve it. Soon enough, he meets Katrina, whom Ichabod falls in love with, similar to Irving’s original story. Brom once again becomes jealous of this situation. The beginning of the story is very much similar to Washington Irving’s original. However, the main difference is that Ichabod is a detective; he is attempting to resolve a murder mystery. The murder consists of three people who had their heads cut off yet the heads are not being found anywhere. Even though Tim Burton did incorporate Washington Irving’s original story, he chose to include his own version of what happened. Only in the beginning does he chose to show Brom pretending to the cloaked horseman. Burton does include a sudden alteration; he decided to introduce magic and witchcraft. A witch controls an actual demon who was behind the killing who is the horseman. Katrina’s stepmother, who is the true witch, now possesses greed and
Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane were competing for Katrina’s love. Brom Bones is a “village hero” who had scared off many of Katrina’s suitor. Katrina was one of Mr. Crane’s students,
?The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? is a short story by Washington Irving. Based on a well-known legend, this story tells the tale of the disappearance of the main character, Ichabod Crane. An effective ghost story, Irving leaves you guessing what the truth is behind the ending. The movie Sleepy Hollow is Hollywood?s portrayal of Irving?s original story. Although the movie is similar to the story in the beginning, the movie takes a twist that leads in another direction that strays far from the original plot.
Alfred Hitchcock’s films not only permanently scar the brains of his viewers but also addict them to his suspense. Hitchcock’s films lure you in like a trap, he tells the audience what the characters don’t know and tortures them with the anticipation of what’s going to happen.
Hitchcock’s techniques in North by Northwest to create suspense is unquestionable, because we have seen some of the elements of the mise en scene and camera shots he used to keep the audience guessing throughout the film. The film is “the wittiest, most sophisticated thriller ever made” (Ehrenstein par1). The film have “extraordinary technical skill or martini-dry sense of fun” (Ehrenstein par2), therefore, it is clear that North by Northwest is one of the most suspenseful movies of all
been trained by Scotland yard and is sent to Sleepy Hollow to solve the murders of local
This is an allusion to the Revolutionary war because the headless horseman was a hessian soldier. This explains the theme of supernatural because the Headless Horseman haunts their town and the main character, Ichabod Crane, comes across the ghost of him. Another major allusion in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is Ichabod's belief in witches. The author supports this when saying, “He was, moreover, esteemed by the women as a man of great erudition, for he had read several books quite through, and was a perfect master of Cotton Mather's 'History of New England Witchcraft” (Irving 4).
Suspense is a 1913 film that portrays the story of a tramp intruding into a family’s home, where a mother takes care of her child while her husband is away. The plot is a common one that had been used previous times before the film’s release, such as in The Lonely Villa (1909). However, through taking advantage of the single frame shot, the filmmakers were able to create a masterful aesthetic of two separate stories that turn a basic plot into a complex story. The film created an inventive way of illustrating stories within cinema by allowing the audience the chance to consume more narrative in less time within just one take.
Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” was adapted into a movie titled “Sleepy Hollow” directed by Tim Burton nearly two centuries after the original publication. When the story was adapted as a film, several extensive changes were made. A short story easily read in one sitting was turned into a nearly two-hour thriller, mystery, and horror movie by incorporating new details and modifying the original version of the story. The short story relates the failed courtship of Katrina Van Tassel by Ichabod Crane. His courtship is cut short by the classic romance antagonist-the bigger, stronger, and better looking Broom Bones. Ichabod wishes to marry Katrina because of her beauty but also because of the wealthy inheritance she will receive when her father, Baltus Van Tassel and stepmother, Lady Van Tassel die. However, the film tells the story of Ichabod Crane as an investigator who is sent to Sleepy Hollow to investigate the recent decapitations that are occurring. These modifications alter the original story entirely, thus failing to capture the Irving’s true interpretation of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The film and the original story have similarities and differences in the plot, characters, and setting.