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M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense was such a staggering success that is hard for him to surpass it. Therefore The Village, though an excellent film in itself, tends to fall a tad below expectations. But as we all know, comparisons are odious. The Village is about an old-fashioned, even puritanical bunch of folks that inhabits this village and whose lives are dictated by a fear of the unknown, which in their case is what happens "in the woods", bordering the village. So afraid are they of that unknown quantity that they don’t even name it and is referred to "those we do not speak of." What form these creatures, if these are indeed creatures, take, is the initial element of suspense. Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) is a daring young man of a few words but he can think for himself. It is his wish to explore the unknown. But the caucus of elders are not happy about it. "There are secrets in every corner of the village," goes an important line in the screenplay and hints at the existence of a secret society. When signs appear of outside influence, they wonder what form the intruders take. Could it be a coyote or something bigger? Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard), is a blind girl who is in love with Lucius and when an accident befalls Lucius she decides to take a trip into the woods in search of a medicine to cure him. What happens then? This is the second element of suspense. But right from the start director Shyamalan introduces his subject with a touch of a master of suspense that he has undoubtedly become. When the camera pans on the rocking chair of Ivy’s house, one wonders if it is the one Norman Bates mother was seen on in Psycho? Shown in silhouette, it evokes terror. Then, Shyamalan uses sounds to good effect to elicit suspense. And of course Bryce Dallas Howard does her bit to add to the drama/horror. True, being blind gives an edge to the character (Mia Farrow in Blind Terror or Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark) but it takes this bold blind girl to unravel the dark secret. Then there’s Noah (Adrian Broody), the village idiot who has a soft corner for Ivy but is rejected. And Ivy’s sister who also likes Lucius. It’s love in the time of fear and Shyamalan’s treatment of the subject is both sensitive and enigmatic. Layer by layer it peals the onion. There are some earthy, raw scenes to reiterate how primitive and prude that society is. The shocks come in the best Hicthcockian tradition. And then the denouement, all so very right and convincing, even thought provoking. It is easily a director’s film and he draws much from John Newton Howard’s music and Bruce Deakin’s soulful camerawork. The woods, the colours and the simple, unthinking folks are graphically shot and in doing so he has woven that web of fear and suspense. Joaquin Phoenix, so different from his Gladiator part, shows his versatility as he underplays the role but it is Bryce Dallas Howard who steals the show. Adrian Broody is not far behind. But William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver (as Ivy’s father and mother) are merely academic. A must-see for horror-suspense film buffs in general and Shyamalan’s admirers in particular. |
