7 Great Things About M. Night Shyamalan Films

It sadly appears that The Happening was not the glorious return to form all we Shyamalan fans had been waiting for; apparently it was far and away his worst film yet. I can't speak from personal experience - after the onslaught of negative reviews I decided to wait until it showed up at the $1.50 theater. There was the sparse critic (like Roger Ebert) who did enjoy The Happening, but I'm not sure I can trust him and here's why: he hated The Village. That film had it's problems, but didn't deserve the fairly brutal bashing it got at the hands of critics. So on the Shyamalan front I'm listening to Jason Bellamy, the critic at The Cooler. Not only did he like The Village, but he thinks Unbreakable is better than The Sixth Sense, which is odd, but at least shows independent thought. And what did he think of The Happening? HATED IT! So I too have stayed away.

So in the wake of this most recent failure, let's revisit the moments of Shyamalan's greatest success (i.e. from The Sixth Sense to The Village). Beware of SPOILERS ye neophytes of M. Night Shyamalan films!

• 1 - Use of Seasoned Actors: Bruce Willis is a very talented actor, but how often is that overshadowed by the macho brilliance of the Die Hard series and a campaign of other tough-guy roles? Yet in The Sixth Sense, Willis toned it down in a carefully modulated and nuanced performance - Haley Joel Osment got most of the acclaim, but Willis grounded that film and gave it a center. Who knew he was so capable? Samuel L. Jackson also has a tough guy rep that precedes his performances, but Shymalan cast him as Mr. Glass, the most physically vulnerable character in Unbreakable. Jackson was able to explore a fresh physicality and used his menacing presence to more original effect. Mel Gibson has always been great at emotional depth, but it is usually combined with the persona of a crazy cop or wounded warrior: his roles are tinged with violence. In Signs that emotional vulnerability is touchingly demonstrated as a grieving father grappling with a loss of faith. Before Signs, Joaquin Phoenix was mostly known for his disturbing villain in Gladiator, but in Shyamalan films, Phoenix was Merrill, the little brother with great comedic timing, then Lucius Hunt, the rigid, quiet, moral leading man of The Village. And don't get me started on the brilliant casting of then-unknown Bryce Dallas Howard as true-blue tomboy Ivy, or his use of stars like Toni Collette, Robin Wright-Penn, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt. The man (and his casting director) know how to draw great, unexpected and fitting performances from familiar faces.

• 2 - Master of Mood and Suspense: His legacy is no where near approaching Hitchcock's, but the tone of his films is definitely reminiscent of the mystery master. In a market that values cheap thrills and slasher non-tension, Shyamalan's films know how to carefully and subtly build tension. There isn't much violence and we are continually on the edge of our seats waiting for the next ominous development. He also creates genuine atmosphere; the locations in his films feel real and unsafe and each film generates a specific mood. His films often succeed because of these technical details.
• 3 - Injects Humor into Tense Situations: Perhaps this isn't a general rule, but I just rewatched Signs and was struck with how much humor is present. The situation and tone of the film is rather sad and gloomy, yet I was frequently laughing. The tin foil hats, Gibson's former minister attempting to swear, Bo's water obsession, Merrill's reaction to seeing the alien on TV - all were wonderfully funny breaks in the tension that also felt real to life. Things are still funny even when aliens are attacking, maybe even more so. I'll have to rewatch The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable to try and glean the well-written humor in those films.
• 4 - Subtext Prevails: Many times in film, characters have to explain the situation to us, the viewer. How else are we to know the history of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman unless she spells it out for us? I know that in the more recent Shyamalan films he has undertaken ponderous scenes of exposition so he's sure we get it. But in his earlier films, he knew how to let the subtext tell the story, to not have characters blatantly explain things only for our benefit. Joel knows that Bruce Willis is a ghost from first sight, but why would he say that? His reactions to the Willis character are subtext, they enrich the experience of the film, and only after knowing the final twist can we go back and see how his reactions have all fit. My favorite example is from Signs. The family are having lunch at a pizza parlor when they see a man on the street. They all stare at him. Someone asks "Is that him?" The man sees them staring, looks chagrined, gets in his car and drives away. The family is still sitting, staring, not eating. What just happened? They don't stop and explain it to us with some clumsy dialogue. That was the man who killed their mother/wife in a car accident. They already know this. There is no need for them to explain it. We as the audience don't yet know. But Shyamalan lets the subtext stand and the film is all the stronger for keeping that authentic reaction.
• 5 - Child Actors Have Real Parts: There isn't a prominent child role in all of his films, but when it's there, it is a vital part of the story. Shyamalan doesn't just write in children to be the vulnerable things that need saving; their roles are much more complex. Joel's life, reactions, and feelings are every bit as important to The Sixth Sense as those of Bruce Willis. The kids in Signs are not there only to complete the family unit; they offer advice, have a vote, have complexities that tie the story together. I love that. And for each of these parts, Shyamalan has found brilliant child actors. Haley Joel Osment is forever cemented into pop culture history as the boy who "see[s] dead people." He even got an Oscar nomination. Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin were simply amazing in Signs. Culkin proves that his family has acting talent in abundance and his characterization of Morgan is really the antagonist to Gibson's father. Breslin has continued to impress, but in that film offered us a cutely charming glimpse into the reserves at her disposal.
• 6 - Explores Larger Concepts: These films may be labeled "Suspense/Thriller" and they stay true to that concept, but also delve into more complicated issues. The Sixth Sense is a ghost story, but the emotional truth of the film is relationships. Bruce Willis spends the entire film trying to get closer to his wife, to bridge the gap that exists between them. It is only with his comprehension of the truth that he understands the status of their relationship and can let go. His real accomplishment is helping Joel reforge a relationship with his mother and with his life. By helping him learn how to deal with his ability, Joel is able to stop being afraid, and to tell his mother about it. The relationships between Willis and his wife and Joel and his mother are the heart of the film. Unbreakable uses comic book mythology transplanted to the real world to discuss issues of strength, the yin/yang of good and evil, and even the dynamics of familial relationships. Signs is about faith and The Village is about innocence. When the films end, what the aliens did or whether or not there are really "Creatures We Do Not Speak Of" is of little importance. In the course of these films, Gibson's character has regained his faith (whether it is faith in God or faith in general is of little importance to me), relearned how to be a good father to his children, and broken out of his grief. The Elders of the Village have recommitted themselves to the preservation of innocence. We understand the devastating effects of violence and grief and see a world which has attempted to expunge their existence. We also have seen a love story that inspires. These are the real stories that Shyamalan is telling; he just happens to tell them in the mode of a thriller.
• 7 - Score: I am continually amazed by the effectiveness of these scores. Shyamalan works with composer James Newton Howard to create hauntingly beautiful and melodic pieces of music that enhance the stories of his films. While the score of The Sixth Sense definitely sustains the tension and causes jumps at the "A-Ha!" moments, it also serves the emotional plot of the film. I was especially impressed with the scores for both Signs and The Village. Signs presents itself like an old-fashioned thriller and the score is eerily evocative to something Bernard Herrmann might have written for Hitchcock's Vertigo or Psycho. There is a magical, dizzy quality to the music that is so scary, but in the climax of the film, that same music is effectively used to express triumph and joy. The score of The Village is a huge part of the atmosphere. It helps the film feel like it's taking place in the 1800's, builds the tension around the creatures, and uses violins to express the love story and the beautiful fragility of the innocence of that time and place. I was so glad it was recognized for an Oscar nomination after the film failed critically.

I hope you have enjoyed this and perhaps found some new ways of enjoying and appreciating Shyamalan's films. I don't think that these qualities are limited to only Shyamalan films, but they are characteristics of his style that I find enjoyable, and often rare in typical Hollywood filmmaking. Before The Happening came out I read this really great blog at The Cooler where two friends discuss the pros and cons of Shyamalan's previous 5 films, and found it fascinating, succint, and clearly thought-out. Great insight! Check it out here if you want to think about Shyamalan some more. Also, if you've been keeping track of how many times I've written "Shyamalan" I feel for you. Maybe you should turn it into a drinking game...