M. Night Shyamalan’s had a prettylong stretch of disappointing moviesbeginning in the mid-2000s. Some argue that 2004’sThe Villagewas the beginning of his slip, butthe film has plenty of defenders, most of whom point toLady in the Wateras the true start of the director’s decline. And it’s not hard to see the qualities that giveThe Villagea potential edge over the next few films that followed. Besides its strong cast, includingJoaquin PhoenixandBryce Dallas Howard,The Villageboasts a strong visual style and a real sense of dread. One of the main plot points is the fear of unnatural creatures living in the woods surrounding the community. Shyamalan creates both an effective practical costume for these creatures and a sense of mystery around them by only showing glimpses, keeping their true appearance hidden from the audience until exactly the right moment, just like whatSteven Spielbergdid withJaws.
The Village
Just the Threat of the Monsters Is Half the Suspense in ‘The Village’
The opening scenes ofThe Villageset a melancholic tone for the rest of the movie. The villagers assemble for the funeral of a child who has died from an illness that Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Lucius, believes could have been prevented with better access to medicine. But he’s denied the opportunity to venture into “the towns” for these medicines, it’s explained,because of “Those We Don’t Speak Of,“the monstrous creatures that lurk in the woodssurrounding the village.
Shyamalan wiselynever shows the creatures in fullfor the first two-thirds of the film. Instead, he lets events in the village paint a picture of its citizens' fears: they panic at the sight of red flowers, and a skinned animal carcass is found and used as a teaching point for the children to follow the elders' rules regarding the creatures. The elders refuse to entertain Lucius' request to retrieve medical supplies, even thoughthe young villager who dies at the start of the filmis a child of one of the elders (Brendan Gleeson).Shyamalan effectively builds up the history of fearin the village before revealing the source.
‘The Village’ Hides Its Monsters Until the End of the Movie
Like Steven Spielberg did withJaws,Shyamalan creates tension with a “less is more” approach to his monsters. He eventually shows glimpses of the creatures but still keeps tensions high by never putting the camera’s full focus on them. When Lucius defies the village’s rules and steps across their boundary into the woods, the camera pans to the left and stops just as the tail end of something that was standing there slips out of frame. That same night,the creatures finally appear fully onscreen multiple times – but each time in a way that still keeps the audience from seeing them fully. First from overhead as one runs beneath a trapdoor, then out of focus behind Lucius as he hides around the corner of a house.
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Finally, and most terrifyingly,Shyamalan uses careful framingto set up one of the most effective scares of the movie. Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howardin her breakthrough role) steps out onto the porch as Those We Don’t Speak Of swarm the village. She reaches out her hand, believing that Lucius will come and protect her and her family. Shyamalan focuses on Ivy’s hand as it reaches out to the right of the frame, into the darkness where the creatures are lurking. As the audience waits for something monstrous to grab her from theright, the shadows behind her shift, and suddenly, a menacing – but still out of focus – figure isrushing towards her from thebackgroundof the shot. Then a hand does reach out for Ivy’s from the right, but it belongs to Lucius, who pulls her inside just before whatever was about to grab her can come into full focus.This scene brilliantly builds tension, creates palpable relief from that tension, and still manages to keepthe mystery of exactly what the creatures areintact for another suspenseful 30 minutes.
Shyamalan Makes the Audience Believe in the Creatures As Much As the Village
Eventually, of course,Shyamalan reveals that the monsters are simplythe village elders wearing handmade costumes.The elders created the myth of the creaturesin order to keep their citizens from venturing outside the village and discovering an even greater lie – that their community is simplya recreation of colonial timesin the modern day. When the secret is revealed,it’s hard not to feel a little silly about believing it. After all, it was just a person in a monster suit the whole time, like at a Halloween attraction. But at the same time, the quality of the elders’ creation – and the fear it causes in the villagers – is what makes the costume so believable. The creatures’ cloaks are a vibrant red that screams danger, especially among the muted colors of the rest of the village. And withtheir long, dangerous claws, sharp quills poking out from the back of the cloak, and strangely hunched frames, they would be terrifying if they started to give chase.
Is the ending ofThe Villagetoo obvious, or even just too ridiculous to enjoy? Maybe. But it’s still an impressively creeping dread that fills the beginning of the film, even if you already know that the creatures, and even the time period, are fake. However audiences and critics may feel aboutM. Night Shyamalan’s infamous twists, there’s no denying that his skills at keeping his audience in suspense were still on point inThe Village.
The Villageis available to rent in the U.S. on Apple TV.
Rent on Apple TV
