M. Night Shyamalan is known for not only creating deliciously creepy movies but for his plot twists as well. The Village was met with incredibly mixed reviews, a lot of people saying that it didn’t live up to the expectations people hold for Shyamalan. Personally, I think this is because they didn’t really understand the movie. While perfectly creepy in its own way, it holds a much deeper and much more important message than other movies he has done – created solely for entertainment and scare-factor.
Plot Overview
The story centers around a 19th-century village called Covington. The town is isolated in the middle of the woods, and this is the way they prefer it. The elders constantly warn about venturing past the perimeter and into the woods themselves. They say that not only are the surrounding Towns evil and wicked, but the woods harbour big, scary monsters that will attack if they are provoked or bothered, or if anyone enters their forest. This is more than enough to keep the villagers safe in the village, especially since once in a while the monsters do venture into town, simply to give a warning. When this happens the village goes into lockdown, and everyone must remain in their houses.
Our main character is Ivy Walker, the blind daughter of one the elders. She and fellow villager Lucius Hunt fall in love and arrange to be married. However, Noah Percy, a mentally and developmentally challenged young boy, is also in love with Ivy and stabs Lucius out of anger.
Ivy then requests to make a trip into the neighbouring towns for medical supplies. A request that is not taken well by the elders.
My Thoughts
This movie is the perfect combination of creepy, intense, and adorable. The village is a lovely little town inhabited by a wonderful group of people who all love each other and get along well, as are essentially one big family. They live simply, with very plain clothing and small houses, and their language is very old-fashioned and always polite. Despite their isolated state brought on by the creatures in the woods, they maintain a pretty happy existence. This joyful overtone is tainted, however, by something very dark.
The knowledge of the monsters is always there. The colour red is banned and outlawed, as it is said to attract and anger the monsters.
The feeling of containment is always lingering. No matter where you are or which direction you look in, the forest is always there; dark and brooding.
A common complaint about this movie is that it was boring. I don’t really understand this. Yes, it’s not action-packed, it’s not terrifying, and sure, it’s not overly exciting. So, I suppose if this is what you were looking for, you may well walk away fairly disappointed. However, I think the reason it lacks these things is that it’s focusing on other elements – the other ways in which this story comes to life and can really leave an impact if you see it for what it is.
The characters in this story are incredibly complex and their development is rich and vast. The elders live in a world filled with internal chaos. They are burdened with the struggle of keeping their village safe, and keeping everyone alive and well, against the threat of the monsters.
We see a lot of relationships bloom and a lot of characters grow as this film progresses. The dynamic nature of the village itself is almost tangible. Their life has been so linear, so consistent for so long, that when sudden tragedy strikes and things take a dangerous and worrisome turn, everyone is forced to adapt. They are forced to accept what’s happening and deal with it – something many characters manage well, and come out a better person for it.
Ivy is an especially intriguing character. Despite being completely blind, she is undeniably bold and brave. She is strong, loyal, and loving. She is also very soft and sensitive. She’s an admirable female lead and a very strong and lovable character. She’s such a pure soul, you root for her the entire way. Your heart breaks for her when her new-found love is dangerously injured.
Conclusion
Many critics have said that the ending here is “bad” because it is anti-climactic and not plausible. While I can understand the arguments for this opinion – I see it differently. It’s not anti-climactic, it’s simply sending a message rather than trying to generate a shock factor; although I was pretty surprised, I’ll admit. As far as being plausible, I don’t think that really matters when you take into account that, like I said, Shyamalan is trying to deliver a message here – and I believe it does so very effectively.
One of the strongest things about this movie, is that it portrays its message in tandem with a unique, creepy, and suspenseful story and atmosphere. Tensions are built and carried through to the end. Questions are raised and many are left unanswered until the ending.
At the end of the day, this movie is a creepy story, a powerful message about society, and a never-saw-that-coming twist ending all in one! I love this movie and I think if you go into it without a specific set of expectations like I think many others have, then you will enjoy it too.
Want To Watch?
It is available for purchase on Amazon:
When most people hear the name Shyamalan they almost instantly assume that the movie will involve some kind of twist and that it will be a bad one. I am not a movie critic but I, personally, do not think his movies are that bad. Regardless, this movie sounds very interesting and seems like something I would be interested in. What other Shyamalan movies would you suggest? Thanks for the information.
Kevin
Honestly, I love Shyamalan, and I’m actually a real fan of most of his plot twists, this one included of course.
My personal favourite of his is The Sixth Sense. Creepy as anything and the twist at the end will blow your mind into next week! And Signs is a classic of course – older, but still really good!
I remember watching ‘The Village’ a long time ago when it was just released on DVD. I was one of those many people who were a bit disappointed with the movie. However I did also have somewhat high expectations after watching ‘Signs’.
After reading this review I definitely want to give this movie another chance and re watch it. I feel like there was probably some things I didn’t quite catch the first time.
I do suggest giving it another chance! I had to watch it a couple of times before fully appreciating all of the really cool symbolism. It’s not quite like other films Shayamalan has done, but it’s really very excellent in it’s own way! Thanks for stopping by 🙂