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Woodlandelfgirl87
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Post The Village
on: July 31, 2004 01:40
Hey everyone! I just got back from seeing The Village, and it was an awesome movie!! Has anyone read the book or seen it? If so, please tell what you thought of it!
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 31, 2004 03:21
I totally just saw it too! It was a book?!? I didn't know...
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 31, 2004 03:25
Are you sure it's a book, because I don't think it is.
Last time I checked, all of Shyamalan's screenplays (with the exception of Stuart Little) are original ideas of his own.
But if you're open to discussion of the meaning of the movie, I'm totally up to it! I've got a lot to share on my interpretation!
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 31, 2004 03:27
Yeah, I hate posting after myself, I should have just edited my last one, but "The Village" the book is about Vietnam.
StormyBaggins
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 31, 2004 05:56
I saw the movie. I loved it! I can't wait to see it again.
I wish it were a book......
Woodlandelfgirl87
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 07:56
I guess its not a book then, lol. When I saw the previews for it on TV, I just assumed it was because they said it was Shyamalan's The Village .

I loved the movie!! It was quite awesome in my opinion. The ending shocked me, thats for sure.

I would love to hear your interpretation, 2ndBreakfast. Please do tell!

~Woodlandelfgirl87
Aowyn
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 12:41
I was disappointed....I figured out both major plot points well before I should have, I think.
It was a creepy movie...very moody. I think, though, after watching The Sixth Sense and The Others (not his movie), I"m distracted by trying to figure out what's really going on.

***possible spoilers*****



It didn't take me long to figure out the deal with "Those whom we do not speak of" or the time period (you all who have seen the movie will know what I'm talking about), but where they were actually living did suprise me.
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 01:29
Well, I dunno. At first it didn't seem up to Shyamalan standards, because I really look up to him, and as a hopeful student in film (in a year I'll start film classes at my future college!) I pick apart movies for days afterwards (this is why I have no life). But out of all the filmmakers in the world, he's my favourite (don't throw things at me because it's not PJ). He writes 'em, directs 'em, produces 'em, and then puts himself in 'em.
But, anyway, it was surprising because it was soooo slow at first. And happy and uneventful. Minus a few bad things, dead livestock and some monsters, it was kinda bland. But then it struck me that, why did he show us the monster so early into the movie? 'Cuz, think about it, in Signs we didn't see the alien until the end, so we were afraid without a reason. But there it is! A hideous creature! Plus, I've never seen him do anything out of modern day, because the deeper meanings in everything he does connects with today's society. And, if you'll notice, the "Elders" sound really unnatural when they deliver their lines, like they aren't used to speaking in an old-fashioned dialect. At first I thought it was bad acting until the end. So, I guessed the twist in the first half hour, but I had no idea what would happen to Joaquin's character, and I had no idea what would happen to Adrien's character (the necessary death of innocence)! And the monster, while Ivy was in the woods, looked like it went through her when he attacked, so you think it's only in her mind.
Also, I think it's interesting that red is the forbidden colour, because not only does it represent bloodshed, but passion. And the girl they sent out was blind, not only because she wouldn't be able to see the roads or buildings or cars, but because, metaphorically, the Elders were keeping the entire town blind.
I think that most people won't like the movie, a few left the theatre during the movie, to tell the truth. And the rest will probably think that the meaning behind the movie is that you can't escape crime or pain, no matter where you are. But, I think it's a bite at the way some people use other people. I mean, the Elders were afraid to live in "the towns" because of their fear of death, so they moved into the woods and kept the people in through fear of death. And it's about the willingness to believe something so fake, even after it's been explained to you otherwise. I think what gives that away the most is that, did you notice when the police officer went to get the medication, there was a man sitting with his back to the camera, reading a newspaper? That's the director, M. Night, actually. Well, he talked as though he knew everything that was going on, especially when he clearly saw the boy take the antibiotics out of the fridge. Not only did he sound like he knew everything, but how he had been "paid" to keep out airplanes, and telling the kid how dangerous the woods were, it was almost like it was he who planned the whole town in the first place, which doesn't make sense, because he shouldn't even know about it. I think that gave him the upper-hand, and shows that the Elders still weren't in the highest authority.
Plus, there's an open ending. You don't know if they keep the town going, or if they go back, or if the man dies or lives. There's always closure in his other movies, but not this one, and I think it's better that way.
But, that's just my look on it! Sorry this is so long! Garsh, I think I could have condensed it...
Woodlandelfgirl87
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 02:13
***May Contain Spoilers!!!***


Wow, I didn't analyze the movie that much. I enjoyed it, but I do agree that the beginning was a little slow. I always thought that the "ones we do not speak of" were real demons or something like that. It took me awhile to realize that it took place in modern day. Once the one woman said that her sister died before her 23rd birthday because she was raped and thrown into a dumpster I realized.

I thought the movie was very interesting and I'm going again to see it with my friend this Wednesday. She hasn't seen it yet, so I hope she's not too disappointed that the ones in red aren't really what she thinks they are.
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 02:57
What do you think his colour was? I noticed that we were never told. I thought sure she'd scream it when she found him (**SPOILER**) stabbed, but I didn't hear it. She just said, "I cannot see his colour!"
I personally think it was red. Makes sense! But wouldn't it be interesting had it been yellow?
Aowyn
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 04:17
Well, he talked as though he knew everything that was going on, especially when he clearly saw the boy take the antibiotics out of the fridge. Not only did he sound like he knew everything, but how he had been "paid" to keep out airplanes, and telling the kid how dangerous the woods were, it was almost like it was he who planned the whole town in the first place, which doesn't make sense, because he shouldn't even know about it. I think that gave him the upper-hand, and shows that the Elders still weren't in the highest authority.


My husband and I talked about this.....he noticed that Ivy Walker climbed out of Walker Wildlife Reserve...her father told her that her grandfather was a very rich man when he was murdered...makes sense that all that money would go to his son, enough money to set up a wildlife reserve and bribe the state legislation or whoever to keep the airplanes from flying over it....so maybe M. Night's character did know, or maybe he didn't. Maybe he was just collecting a big fat paycheck for some eccentric millionaire he'd never seen and has no idea that there's a secret village in the reserve. I can't decide which is more likely, probably that he doesn't know. What the heck they're going to do for more livestock if no one knows they're in there, I have no idea. One of the many unanswered questions.

His movies are becoming more and more like Alfred Hitchcock's; he must be a big Hitchcock fan.


What do you think his colour was? I noticed that we were never told. I thought sure she'd scream it when she found him (**SPOILER**) stabbed, but I didn't hear it. She just said, "I cannot see his colour!"
I personally think it was red.

Well, he felt passion for her, it could have been red. That thought about red being the color of violence and passion entered my mind too.

When he went into the locked box, my husband nudged me and said "Watch, he'll probably pull out a cell phone or something"

Edit: corrected "Sarah" to "Ivy"

[Edited on 8/3/2004 by Aowyn]
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 01, 2004 04:44
Well, yeah, I realise that he had no real way of knowing what was really going on...
But, see, the thing that struck me was the way that he said it. I know he knows how to act, he was fantastic as the vet in Signs, and what's more, since it's his movie, he knows how to interpret his words the best out of the whole cast. So, though his character should have no way of knowing, the way he said his lines showed that he did. It was like, instead of inserting himself as a character, he inserted himself as himself! I think that's why you didn't really see his face. He wasn't a park ranger, he was the director of everything. Because he said it like it was rehearsed, but looked up knowingly. Even if he had been paid off by an eccentric millionaire, he would have stopped the boy from taking the medicine.
And since red is the colour of passion, I'm positive that it was his colour. But the thing that gets me is that she found him bleeding profusely, and couldn't see his colour, so there's always the possibility that since he never did actually go into the forest, he could have been the "safe" colour yellow, you know? I'm sure it's red, but I think that yellow would be awesome as a different enterpretation.
rhia
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 02, 2004 10:18
I just saw it and I loved it! The cinemetography and music were amazing. Yeah the plot was kind of obvious but I don't think the twist at the end was the point of the movie. I think it was more about how fear is used as a weapon all too often and rules people's lives. I liked it much better than his other movies. I think this one was better done and provoked a lot more thought in me afterwards.
Aowyn
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 02, 2004 01:03
I think it was more about how fear is used as a weapon all too often and rules people's lives

That's a good point...maybe MNS's commentary on our lives today after 9/11?

You're right, MN should have delivered his cameo lines better--at the time I thought he just sounded so bored, I thought he was implying he was bored by his job, but "flat" definitely describes it!

The manner of speech led me to believe that they were some sort of religious sect, maybe living on the frontier--I guess they were trying to emulate a group they had read about--wasn't the father a history professor, I guess he'd know about things like that. When they were burying the young boy at the beginning, the camera showed a close-up with dates in the 1800's...I guess that was to led the viewer to believe that this was in the past. Maybe the tombstone was a "prop" to fool the kids


As far as the creatures go, before I figured out it was a trick, I thought maybe it was some strange situation with local Native Americans (maybe they dressed up to scare the villagers), or maybe demons or something. I even wondered at one point if the villagers that died were joining the creatures (yeah, I know, I was thinking about it too much).


What did you all initially think those "creatures" were?

[Edited on 8/2/2004 by Aowyn]
2ndbreakfast
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 02, 2004 01:48
You're right, MN should have delivered his cameo lines better--at the time I thought he just sounded so bored, I thought he was implying he was bored by his job, but "flat" definitely describes it!

Who said flat? I know for a fact that he knows how to act well, very well, so whatever he did to his cameo he did on purpose. Well, I guess art is subjective. I just think that if it sounded contrived, it was supposed to sound contrived. He wouldn't screw up his entire movie like that... I don't think he would...
At first I thought the creatures were from one of the "towns", and that the "towns" on the other side of the woods were scared of the people in the village, until I realised that the "towns" were modern day towns about a fourth of the movie in. At that point I had no idea who the monsters were, but when the father said to Ivy, "Try your very best not to scream" I knew that at least he was behind it, if not the rest of the old farts... I mean, Elders.
Aowyn
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 03, 2004 03:52
I meant "flat" as in the inflection of his voice, or lack of it, not that his acting is flat. I got the impression you weren't pleased with how he delivered his lines. I must have mis-read your comment.
I personally feel that his cameos have worked into the stories much more smoothly in the past--in The Sixth Sense, Signs, and even Unbreakable. Yes, it made sense this time from a plot point of view, but something about this one bothered me. I can't exactly put my finger on it.
Woodlandelfgirl87
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 03, 2004 07:06
Well, I was reading some of your responses, and I am going to answer some of your questions.

What color do I think he was? I think he was red. Ivy never told him what his color was, and never wanted to. I think it was because it was the forbidden color and she didn't want to scare him I guess.

Before I found out what the creatures in the woods were, I thought that they were some sort of evil people who did something bad that the people of the village wouldn't discuss, or that they were just different from the others, and they wouldn't want to associate with them. Or they were a part of some evil cult. I have to admit I was slightly slow because I didn't figure out the catch until they told us.

Who else felt as though the people of the village were actually from some other world? I don't mean that they were really living in the present day without the audience knowing it, but before you knew they were from the present day, did you think that? The mood made me feel as though they were from some sort of fantasy world.
Aowyn
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 03, 2004 08:54
My husband had the idea at the beginning of the movie that they might be some sort of penal colony and had been sent to live out there because of things the adults had done, and they were trying to hide this from the children by not letting Lucius go to town. The creatures were townspeople dressed up to make sure they stayed put. He quickly abandoned that idea, but I thought it was interesting.
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 03, 2004 03:12
I meant "flat" as in the inflection of his voice, or lack of it, not that his acting is flat. I got the impression you weren't pleased with how he delivered his lines. I must have mis-read your comment.

I hope I didn't sound rude in my response! My diction sometimes gives a different inflection than I meant to give off... It did sound uninspired, I know, but I thought that was kinda cool!
Also, the whole they-got-kicked-outta-town exile thing sounds like a good movie all its own! You should make that into a story, make some cash off of it!
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 21, 2004 03:34
I've seen it 2 weeks ago and I loved it! I didn't really have to think about what might happen next, my sister was sitting next to me and she always told me what she thought and often proved to be right Although I think I was the one who guessed first that outside the village they live in the present. But when I saw those red monsters when they came into the village I suspected that they were not real, they just looked too artificial with those claws and so on. But I am still wondering who was in them. It must have been some of the elders, but why didn't their families notice that they were missing?
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 23, 2004 02:31
I have seen it like 2 or 3 weeks ago. It made me jump because of the music they put and so loud. But nothing really scary. I think it needed more scary scenes but over all it was alright. I just wanted more.

Good question, Sindaeririel. But I have no answer.
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Rudhwethiel
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 23, 2004 11:58
Saw the movie for the second time last night, and it was WAY better the second time around. And I thought it was great the first. Apparently it helps to keep your eyes open . . .


Ok, **SPOILER ALERT**




Regarding Lucius' color, I firmly believe that it was white. My sister and my fiancee back me up on this. White, because his intentions and his heart were pure. He did not seek to go to the towns out of selfishness. One moment in the film that really reinforced this belief was a scene where Ivy was standing outside Lucuis' cabin after he had been stabbed, I *think* it was just before she went into the quiet room and started whaling on Noah. Anyway, as she stood outside the cabin, a white flag was flying over her head, and she lifted her eyes and looked at it like she could see it. So here's my thought- why else would that white flag be there, if not for a hidden clue? Anyone else have any theories on the flag?

Great movie, I loved the sequences where there were no sound effects, just the music. Spooky spooky, but a beautiful work of cinematography and suspense. :heart:
CelticMoon
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 23, 2004 01:25
I loves the Village, and your theory about the flag is interesting, I had never noticed that before. I have to go see it again! I did not like the ending though, for me it didn't tell enough about what happened to everyone. But I guess it leaves room for the imagination. Unfortunetly, the hour before I went to see it I was told a major plot point.
**SPOILER ALERT**
I was told that it was the elders that were the monsters, so the whole time in the theatres that was running through my head, so it wrecked it a little.
k
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 27, 2004 12:54
I thought the flag was there to indicate an illness or impending death in the house. They used to do simelar things in history- marks on the door, symbols, flags etc etc.

Anyway i have to say i was pretty dissapointed in this film. I hoped it would be a bit scary other other worldly, instead it was a film about american culture really... which doesnt interest me a huge amount.

I didnt even consider that the film was historical. For some reason i always thought it was modern day and these people were kind of pretending to be in this simple time and hiding away from everything.

The trailers made it seem like it was going to be much more thrilling...all that stuff about red and the marks on the door and things. Instead it turned out to be dissapointingly bland.


oh and the colour was peach... pale orange. whatever.

[Edited on 27/8/2004 by k]
k
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Post RE: The Village
on: August 27, 2004 01:32
oh i had a thought about what that guy said... you know about not starting up conversations and putting your head down and securing the fences and leaving it at that.

Why cant it be that the guy looking after the boundries was employed by walker when it was all set up... and told that he might see odd things from time to time but to ignore them- a high enough salery can make people suddenly loose their curiousity about alot of things.
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 13, 2005 05:54
It's nice to see that there are other people who like this movie, because almost all of my friends hated it It was different from what I expected, I thought it would be more like a horror movie, but I like it better as the more emotional story that it is. This and the Sixth Sense are my favorite Shyamalan movies (I love all 4, and can't wait for the new one, "Lady in the Water").
Slina
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 21, 2005 11:30
Yeah, I know how you feel. I first watched it with a small group of other students at college, and when it was over, everyone else basically said 'wow, what a stupid ending'. And I'm just like, no, it's not stupid! Well, I didn't actually say that, but I was kinda thinking it. And I got to thinking about the movie, and realized that actually it was a great ending.

I mean, once you think about it, you do know what's going to happen. *SPOILERS ahead* The medicine arrived, so it's pretty much implied that Lucius is going to live. And all the other elders are all gathered in the room, so one of them basically asks the others whether they really want to keep doing this, even considering the risks, and everyone stands up, so it's fairly obvious that they're going to keep going. So everything's resolved that really needs to be resolved, and leaving it open and implied like that does help give the movie some depth.

Probably one of my favorite things about the movie is just how much depth it has. Each time I watch it, I see something new. I can't say that there's any one 'theme' or 'lesson' in the movie, and I'm still not sure that the main theme is. But there are quite a few. Like you have the Elders trying to escape crime and death only to run into it all over again. You have them invent a story about monsters and essentially create a real monster. You have them making this society for protection, only to end up killing people off because of refusal to leave for necessary help. You have them running away from society, only to find themselves in need of that same society. And lots of other themes in there.

Maybe one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was that I'd already read a review about it that warned not to be looking for 'the twist', and that looking for it would only leave you disappointed. That's what all the reviews seemed to be saying, actually, that The Village is pretty much a victim of its own promotion. A lot of people saw it expecting one thing, and were disappointed that it was something else, rather than appreciating it for what it really was.

Anyway, about Lucius' color, I honestly have no idea. I've heard the red idea before, which would explain why Ivy was so reluctant to tell him his color (who in the village would want to hear that their color was red?).
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Post RE: The Village
on: July 23, 2005 01:22
I liked this movie. I thought it was a little slow but I liked the concept of the story. I thought the ending was good because these people were hurt my the "real" world that they have made their own world now. I thought the acting was incredible in the film especially Bryce Dallas Howard and Joaquin Phoenix.
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