Revisiting the film 15 years later, The Village is a much more impressive film than it was back in 2004. Unfortunately, time has also made some of the film’s flaws even more apparent.

July 30th marks the 15th anniversary of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village. It was Shyamalan’s fourth film, coming off the critical and box office successes of 1998’s The Sixth Sense, 2000’s Unbreakable, and 2002’s Signs. At that point in his career, Shyamalan’s name was synonymous with high-quality commercial thrillers, making The Village one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2004. However, upon its release, the film was met with bewilderment from both critics, as well as the average moviegoer, with its multiple plot twists leaving audiences angry and cheated. This sparked the decline in Shyamalan’s career, which would continue to plummet until 2015’s The Visit. Revisiting the film 15 years later, The Village is a much more impressive film than it was back in 2004. Unfortunately, time has also made some of the film’s flaws even more apparent. On its anniversary, it is time to revisit the most underrated film in Shyamalan’s filmography. 

The inhabitants of Covington live a peaceful life in 19th century Pennsylvania. They eat dinners together at a communal table that accommodates every member of the town. Their days are spent working to make the best lives for themselves and their fellow neighbors. Their only major sources of concern are the tall and imposing red-cloaked creatures referred to as “Those We Don’t Speak Of,” who dwell in the woods just outside Covington. Although the town’s residents try to appease the beings by entering the woods only to deliver slaughtered animals as a form of payment for safety, the menacing humanoids seem to be getting closer and closer. The people of Covington must decide how to contend with their threatening, imposing visitors, while keeping everyone unharmed.

In the first act, the true star of The Village comes out: cinematographer Roger Deakins. The dark and dreary setting of Covington is captured masterfully by Deakins. Shot from a distance, every scene takes on an almost voyeuristic quality. Characters conversations occur in the distant foreground, with no attempt to move the camera closer. This creates a wonderful tension. Often, filmmakers will push the shot in close, creating a sense of claustrophobic worry. Here, Deakins and Shyamalan choose to show how unprotected the members of Covington are. It is incredibly effective at setting an ominous tone.

Unfortunately, the first act is too rushed. Characters are painted in the most basic and obvious ways. Joaquin Phoenix plays Lucius Hunt, a timid young man who hides behind a piece of paper as he reads to the town’s council all the ways in which he intends to help his fellow neighbors. Adrien Brody plays Noah Percy, another young man in Covington with a nonspecific mental health issue. Percy alternates between playful lucidity and erratic behavior for no clear reasons. Then there is Bryce Dallas Howard as Ivy Elizabeth Walker, a young woman who doesn’t let her blindness keep her from being an outspoken individual in the community. There is no real attempt to make audiences truly connect with the inhabitants of Covington. In its quest to get to the suspense, we don’t connect all that much with anybody except Ivy. It is difficult to worry about ghouls attacking the town if we don’t have a reason to root for them. Not gonna post the full 2k word writeup on the legacy and twist of the films so no one is spoiled but for those who are interested in the full read: A Trip Back to 'The Village" 15 years later.

Submitted July 31, 2019 at 02:20AM by Iceman2913 https://ift.tt/3312bJy