The Village (2004)
"Which one of you called me the Village Idiot?"
Starring: |
Joaquin Phoenix
|
Released By: |
Touchstone Pictures |
Released In: |
2004 |
Rated: |
PG-13 |
Reviewed By: |
Adam Mast |
Grade: |
B- |
The Village is the latest twister from M. Night Shyamalan, and because of The Sixth Sense's grand and unexpected twist ending, he's not only raised the bar for his own films but others as well. Since the release of that dramatic ghost story, it's hard to go into a thriller not expecting some sort of clever twist by the end.
The Village is a period piece and tells the story of a peaceful community that is surrounded by ominous woods where--as legend would have it--mystical creatures dwell. Through the years, the villagers and the creatures have come to an understanding. The townsfolk are prohibited from entering the woods, while the creatures are to respect the boundaries of the village. One dark evening, however, the mystical monsters do cross over prompting the villagers to re-evaluate their long-standing arrangement.
Let me just put you up on one fact right here and now - The Village is not a horror film. It has a few scary moments, but that isn't really what the movie is about, though the trailer would certainly have you expecting thrills and chills. As is the case with most of Shyamalan's pictures, it's all about perception.
For those wondering if there is a twist - yes, as a matter of fact, there are several. Unfortunately, I knew the big one going in, as I made the fatal mistake of reading an article about the film on a fan site. Still, even while aware of part of what was going to happen in this movie, I was mildly engrossed.
Surprisingly, there are only three stand out performances to speak of in The Village, and this is odd given it's a pretty impressive cast. Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of director Ron Howard) is absolutely stunning in this picture. This is a role that was originally intended for Kirsten Dunst, but I'm happy that Howard got the part. She has an angelic beauty about her, and she proves to have quite the dramatic range. While this is her first big part, I suspect we'll be seeing much more of her in the future. Joaquin Phoenix is quietly effective as the soft spoken Lucius, a villager who is willing to venture into the woods in order to provide for the village. Adrien Brody is fantastic as Noah, a mentally challenged man with an unhealthy obsession. And once again, Shyamalan makes an Alfred Hitchcock style appearance, although you only see the back of his head and face through a reflection.
For whatever reason, there is nothing particularly noteworthy about William Hurt or Sigourney Weaver's work here (although it's the first time they've appeared in a film together since Eyewitness, 1981). Surprisingly, as is the case with the majority of the cast, they're just sort of hanging around the village.
This is my least favorite of Shyamalan's projects, but it's certainly his best looking picture. The cinematography is just gorgeous. The setting lends a creepy tone (the woods themselves reminded me of the vast, ominous surroundings in Blair Witch Project). Unfortunately, this is also Shyamalan's clumsiest film. There are sequences that don't flow well, and some of the moments that are meant to frighten the audience come across more silly than scary. I don't want to elaborate on these scenes, because it would only spoil a few of the major plot points.
Shyamalan's writing is sub par. Much of the dialogue is surprisingly goofy, but then I guess this is supposed to be in keeping with the nature of these isolated people. Also the film's core relationship is quite rushed, then again you could argue that these backward people go about alot of things quite differently than we do.
What's most odd about The Village is, it's really the first time that Shyamalan has more or less lied to the audience (to an extent, anyway). In The Sixth Sense, we got ghosts. In Unbreakable, we got a superhero. In Signs, we got aliens. In The Village, Shyamalan once again plays with our perception, but he doesn't exactly give the audience the payoff they showed up for
Certainly, the marketing campaign for this movie is misleading (but then so was Unbreakable's), and this was done, no doubt, to catch us off guard. The Village is (at it's heart) a story about the lengths one is willing to go in the name of love, and it's also about that perfect place--Utopia as it were. The mystical creatures in the woods are merely a device - Shyamalan uses to tell the real story, and it's a device he's used before. In the end, it is perfectly clear that the film maker is drawing inspiration from a post 9/11 world, and a big point he's trying to make is that there really is no perfect place. No matter where you live, bad things can always happen.
As I previously stated, at this point, everyone has come to expect a twist from Shyamalan's movies which means it becomes increasingly difficult for the film maker to top himself. For months now screenplay reviews and various theories have leaked on the internet, and despite the director's strongest efforts, secrecy has been very difficult to maintain.
I don't mind a good twist. Hell, Rod Serling made a career out this sort of thing with The Twilight Zone. And that's what The Village sort of reminded me of. An extended Twilight Zone episode. Of course, audiences are much more sophisticated these days, and the ending of this picture is sure to be met with all kinds of poking and prodding. It's flawed to be sure, (at one point, Shyamalan even tries to cover certain flaws by offering up a couple of half-assed explanations), but it's still interesting nevertheless. In some ways, it reminded me of a certain Peter Weir movie from a few years ago. In fact, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that Shyamalan is a fan of this particular director. Unbreakable certainly had hints of Weir's Fearless.
The Village is going to upset a lot of people, and no doubt, there will be plenty who deem it a major summer letdown. As I stated, it isn't particularly scary and rather than taking the film in a direction that most will probably hope for, Shyamalan takes it somewhere completely different.
Shyamalan tries hard to fool us and as a result, The Village is his most labored and self conscious effort. Still, it offers up some interesting twists and turns, and it sure is beautiful to look at. Just be warned. This is a human drama with only a few good scares. Check your expectations at the door or you're going to be sorely disappointed.
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