The Village [DVD] [2004]

The Village is a dark and intense film about a remote, islolated 19th century village terrorised by strange creatures in the woods, who are attracted by the colour red and fear the colour yellow. The village boundaries are marked by flaming torches and patrolled every night. The woods are strictly forbidden and the towns, which are somewhere beyond the woods, are also evil. This is a terrified and utterly isolated community menaced by fear.

There is a young man, Lucius and a young blind woman, Ivy who fall in love but in a terrible crime Lucius is gravely injured and Ivy takes it upon herself to travel beyond the woods, to the towns, for medicine.

This is not a straightfoward horror/spooky film. Its much more psychological than The Sixth Sense, there are no dead people, no supernatural happenings of that kind. This is much more about people and fear. Its about a group of people and their fear of the real world. Its also about their inability to escape. Excellent film! in my opinion, more interesting than his other films. Leaves you thinking about it for ages afterwards.

A lot of people have commented on this film as being poor or bad or worse. I think from my point of view they've missed the point or they're upset they were duped into believing its a typical horror yarn. To be fair the trailer and some of the marketing that I saw when the film was at the cinema suggested it was a horror. But I think that was the idea.....M. Night Shyamalan wanted people to believe the premise that it was a horror, so there'd be little or no initial focus on the twists within the story, which as you know if you've seen the film, fundamentally change the aspect of the genre.

As I say, it is a twist-dependant film, which you may come to expect from Shyamalan, and to be fair, which I did. I expected there to be a twist or twists in the film, but what I never saw coming was what actually happened. The real test with a twist-dependant film is whether you can enjoy it as much watching it repeatedly. On this note, I have to say I have watched it a number of times and I'm not sick of it yet. Even that I know whats coming I find I can still engage with the human stories involved within this film. If its one thing Shyamalan does well is to build suspense and tension, which he does here to great effect. Enhancing the eerie-ness of the woods surrounding the village with haunting effects and music. Theres an almost palpable sense of fear among the villagers, even as they go about their daily routines, destroying or burying anything of the colour red, constantly vigilant against the ominous threat of 'those we dont speak of'.

Despite the horror/thriller premise of the film, its emotion that drives the story. In fact the story is moved foward solely by three characters; Lucius, Ivy and Noah. Lucius, a quiet, socially-awkward young man who 'is not fond of speaking'. Ivy, a cheerful, tom-boy who likes to play games, and is in fact, blind. Noah, a mentally disabled young man who likes to play games with Ivy, and seems blissfully unaware of the potential danger surrounding the village. Its the interactions between these characters that move the story onwards an eventually towards its conclusion. It is emotion that motivates the characters throughout the story.

The acting is superb for the most-part Bryce Dallas Howard is amazing as Ivy, in a very difficult debut role. Joaquin Phoenix and Adrien Brody are strong as Lucis and Noah. Also good turns from William Hurt, Brendan Gleeson and Sigourney Weaver hold the story up.

The music from James Newton Howard is simply beautiful and really adds something to the atmosphere and makes the emotions of the characters almost tangible. Hillary Hahn also does a lot of solo work throughout the work, with great skill and to great effect.

This will no doubt dissapoint those expecting an typical horror movie or a gore-fest. Although thats not to say the film is without moments of suspense, there are many, and they are handled very well. If you're like me and are much more afraid of what you don't see or see only glimpses of, then this may be a film for you. Well-written, well-acted, brilliant emotive music. Shyamalan spoils us with this film.

If you were expecting a film that will scare you then you will probably be disappointed! If you watch this film with a eye to our modern chaotic world and apply a deeper philosophical question to your viewing you'll probably enjoy the cryptic messages and metaphors. All in all I enjoyed this film purely because I didn't want to watch another Sixth Sense . . . .