Rewatch: "The Sixth Sense"

I recently watched The Sixth Sense again, longing for the days when M. Night Shyamalan wrote good movies. And I must say, what a good movie he wrote!

I hadn't seen the movie in almost ten years (since it first came out) and all I remembered from it was its infamous twist ending so I was in dire need of this rewatch.

The script was amazing. The subtle signs and foreshadowing that are given to the viewer leave one in awe. Structurally, the script is perfect. He gives the right pieces of information at the right time and strings the viewer along this way. Just when the last interesting thing was over, BAM! You're hit with something new. For example, we know something's wrong with Cole right from the start. He's a strange, strange kid and we see this through many events (his episode in the class room: "Stuttering Stanley!", the birthday party, etc.). But just as we are getting tired of seeing all of his weird antics, we're hit with the problem ("I see dead people"). Some writers string the viewer along for too long, losing their interest; and others don't do it for long enough, failing to grasp the interest of the viewer. But Shyamalan gives us just the right dose to keep us in it.

Secondly, the movie could almost be split into 2 separate films. The first half of the film is a character piece about both Cole and Malcolm. We find out Cole's secret, Malcolm abandons him, and the film could have ended right there. Not too satisfying of an ending but I've seen much worse. The second half of the film is Cole dealing with his problem. He starts to help the ghosts that come to him. Notice that from the beginning to the end, the story, and the goal of the protagonist, has changed. This is how you keep an audience's attention. If you spend an hour and a half on one thing (in this case it would be Cole's secret), the audience gets bored. By changing the direction in which the film is going, and throwing unexpected twists at the audience (Malcolm deciding to help Cole, Cole taking Malcom's advice), the writer was able to keep their attention the whole time.

Now let's move on to the twist ending. What amazes me most is that there are signs throughout the whole film that indicate Malcom's fate and the viewer just never catches on. Look closely: whenever there is a ghost around, the color red is present. Everytime Malcolm is onscreen (and I watched for this), something red is in the area. The doorknob to his basement office is red for christ sakes. Once we find out Cole's secret, it is almost obvious Malcolm is dead...if you know what to look for. The only person who looks at Malcolm is Cole. In his many encounters with his wife, never once does she look at him. Sitting in the living room with Cole's mom, they were not speaking and she wasn't looking at him. If you look closely after the shooting, Malcolm doesn't wear his wedding ring. There are many shots of his naked left hand, which is an indication that he is no longer with his wife. The brilliance in the script is that Shyamalan was able to cover this all up with the rest of the film. It's deception. He had the audience's attention on Cole the whole time when the really interesting bit was Malcolm. When you don't know where to look, you wouldn't believe how much you miss.

The acting in this film was excellent. Genuine, to say the least. Little Haley Joel Osment was terrifying and is probably the reason why quiet little kids scare me these days. Bruce Willis delivered probably the best dramatic performance of his career. And even the supporting cast did a great job (Toni Collette as Lynn Sear, Cole's mother, and Olivia Williams as Anna Crowe, Malcolm's wife). One of the cast members said they didn't know the film was a horror until they saw the final product so during shooting, they treated it as a drama. Perhaps that's one of the reasons the performances felt so real. Generally, acting for horror films is very over-the-top and cheesy (see any Horror flick of the 21st century).

The Sixth Sense got six well-deserved Oscar nominations in 1999 including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and Best Writing - Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. It is one of only four horror films to get a nomination for best picture. It didn't win any Oscars, but that could be because it was up against American Beauty that year. No other film had any chance.

And as for you M. Night Shyamalan, you're trying too hard now. I believe after the Sixth Sense, his next attempt at a horror with a twist was The Village and I think the world would be better off if that film hadn't been made. Since then it's just been one bad movie after another. My suggestion? Take a break and stop trying so hard. I find that even with my writing, if I'm trying to write something a certain way, I fail every time. You just have to write what comes out of you and stop trying to tell yourself to write a certain way.

What drives me nuts about this guy is that it feels like he's making movies just for the sake of making them now. There is no meaning to them and they're boring. Make something meaningful to you, who cares if it's not a horror or doesn't have a twist ending. Movies aren't (or shouldn't be..who am I kidding we all know they totally are) about money. And audiences can tell when it's meaningless.

Anywho, great movie. Watch it again if you haven't seen it in ten years and appreciate the writing! I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10.

Alive in Joburg: A Short Film by Neill Blomkamp

Just as a follow up to my District 9 review, I thought I'd post the short film on which it is based. Blomkamp made this in 2005. It is called "Alive in Joburg". Enjoy!

Film Review: District 9

Just when you thought sci-fi has run its course, a film like District 9 hits theaters. Sci-fi thrillers about aliens have been done. And then they were done again. And again. And again. And we've had some real gems through them all (Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, Independance Day, etc.) but for the most part, and especially recently, alien flicks have become cheesy and repetitive.

Up and coming filmmakers must think to themselves: "How can I break this pattern? What can I do that will set my film apart from the rest?"

Neil Blomkamp has answered those questions and the result is a fantastically written, captivating story called District 9.

In the film, a massive alien ship enters Earths atmosphere and hovers calmly over the city of Johannesburg. It sits there for three months before humans decide that something must be done and they force their way in. Inside, they find rotting extraterrestrials. So the humans set up a ghetto-like camp in the city of Johannesburg where these aliens reside for a little over twenty years. Throughout this time, tension rises in the city as the extraterrestrials and humans clash. Riots break out. People die (alien and human). The human population decides that the aliens must be moved outside of the city. MNU (Multi-National United), a private international company, was contracted with the eviction of the aliens to a location outside of the city.

Wikus Van De Merwe, our protagonist, is put in charge of the operation. He is soon thrust into an incredible situation where (without giving too much away) he has to help the aliens escape as MNU is performing terrible experiments on them.

Blomkamp created an amazing universe here. And the most amazing thing about it is that it's so much like our own. Born in South Africa, his inspiration for the film was drawn from his experience growing up through the end of apartheid and the toll it took on the country.

Newcomer Sharlto Coply played the part of Wikus flawlessly. From the comedy to the dramatic, he didn't miss a beat. The confused Wikus often doesn't know which side he's on or who to relate to. Before, he believed what he was told to believe and you really feel the indecision in the character right to the final battle.

The film was told documentary style and just the right amount of information was given to the audience at just the right times. There's some forshadowing to pick up on and there's also a lot of irony which gave the script a lot of depth.

The aliens themselves are completely CGI but Blomkamp does such a great job personifying them that you don't even notice. Through the documentary footage at the beginning of the film, the aliens are portrayed as wild, evil creatures. The humans called them "prawns", a derogatory term that was picked up because of their shellfish look. However, as the film progresses, we see a race much like our own, just trying to get by on what they can. They are confused as to why they are being moved. We become familiar with a father who is looking after his son. He treats his son much like a human father would: with compassion. He is trying to keep him safe at all costs. I've read some reviews where the reviewer says that it is hard to relate to these aliens because of their tentacles and overall disgusting body. This is not true. They have big eyes that portray a lot of emotion. All you have to do is look in there and you can relate.

You will find yourself rooting for the alien species. The film does not portray the humans in a good light, but a true one. Because of their difference, we isolate these beings and take what we can from them. We steal their powerful weapons (which can only be operated by one with the alien DNA), we experiment on their bodies and their technology, and we cage them off from the rest of the world. Sure, one could call it a defense mechanism but I see it as more taking advantage of a weaker species. Selfish, I suppose, would be the best way to describe it.

I told my friend on the way home that if you took out the aliens and replaced them with humans, the film would make just as much sense. It is about accepting difference no matter colour or race. It's about equality and compassion. This movie is packed full of meaning that there is no way it could be analyzed after one viewing. I look forward to seeing it again. And keep an eye out for that Neil Blomkamp. I guarantee that he will make a huge impact on the film industry.

If you haven't seen this movie, I urge you to go to the theatre and see it! It is a unique experience (one that I'm sure won't be recognised by the Academy) and you won't regret it. By far, the best film this summer.

10 out of 10.