The Village
Aug. 1st, 2004 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brigdhI saw The Village last night, and like... wow. It is far and away the best movie of Shyamalan's, and it's the best movie I've seen in months. SO. GOOD.
But nearly every single review or comment about it I've seen didn't like it. I think the issue is that it's not a horror movie, and it shouldn't have been marketed as such. If you're looking at it only by the standards of a horror movie, and judging it that way, then yeah, it does fail. But ultimately, it's not a horror movie, so who cares if it fails on that aspect?
I'm not saying that it wasn't scary- it did have some jumpy parts, and there was lots of tension and mystery- but it's no more a horror movie than Moulin Rouge was a comedy. That had funny moments, and lots of crazy, zany scenes, but if you came out of it complaining that the whole ending really ruined the humor for you, you've missed the point.
What I think the movie is about is people. It's about how people are horrible and cruel and selfish and worthless. And, at the exact same time, in the exact same ways, they're beautiful and courageous and intelligent and amazing and lovely and wonderful. The Village is a celebration of humanity, in all its stupidity and gloriousness. This is what it means to love humanity.
This is what I mean: The Elders retreated from modern society because they saw it as a place of evil and temptation. But that isolation was doomed to fail from the very start, because of nature of people. Modern society is not fucked up because we have guns or drugs or too much money or violent video games, modern society is fucked up because people are fucked up. And they have always been fucked up, and they will always be fucked up. Society today is really not much worse off than society has ever been.
You can't escape murder and crime, because every single human is capable of those things. How can you isolate yourself from yourself? The village was doomed to failure in that sense- there was no way it would have lasted any amount of time without there being some crimes.
And much of the horror of the movie is the fault of the Elders. In their increasing attempts to protect 'innocence', they do worse and worse things, things very much like what drove them for society in the first place. They kill and skin animals, terrorize children, lie to their families, keep horrible secrets. Ivy's blindness likely could have been cured or prevented in a hospital. As Lucius pointed out, there are medicines that could have helped or calmed Noah, possibly preventing the attack on Lucius. And, most obviously of all, Noah would never have died if Ivy hadn't been told tales of the creatures for her entire life.
But it's in that moment that the meaning of the movie is most clear: Noah is killed, in the most worthless and pointless way possible. But that exact same scene is such a celebration of humanity's worth: as Ivy stands there, waiting to trap the monster, waiting to win out over the ultimate adversary. Her courage! Her cunning! Her strength! God, what it would have taken to stand there and wait as the thing you've most feared your entire life comes straight at you. What is that, but praise for all that's good in people, their true worth and beauty?
You can see that same love for humanity throughout the movie- the kind voice of the security guard, the sweet, homey scenes at the very beginning, the wedding dance, the close-up, slow-motion focus on Ivy and Lucius's hands when they run from the monster in Ivy's house- what is that but the very best of trust and love and courage?
(And, as a side-note, the relationship between Ivy and Lucius was amazing. Usually I get bored with romances in movies, because they never seem true. There's no chemistry between the actors, there's no reason for them to fall in love- besides the plot. But this romance really seemed to flow from who the characters were, to be an essential and true part of them.)
To me, the movie was about people. Because people, yes, are awful. They really are. But if you isolate yourself from them, you lose out so many things: beauty and knowledge and strength and bravery and love. And this movie is aware of that. It's not sugary-sweet; it faces up quite clearly to the horrible things people do. But it still loves them, in spite of it, because of it. When the credits started rolling, I was sitting there with a huge grin on my face,just thinking: Yes, this is it. This is humanity, and this is how I love them.
So, yeah, I adored it. Such a good movie.
But nearly every single review or comment about it I've seen didn't like it. I think the issue is that it's not a horror movie, and it shouldn't have been marketed as such. If you're looking at it only by the standards of a horror movie, and judging it that way, then yeah, it does fail. But ultimately, it's not a horror movie, so who cares if it fails on that aspect?
I'm not saying that it wasn't scary- it did have some jumpy parts, and there was lots of tension and mystery- but it's no more a horror movie than Moulin Rouge was a comedy. That had funny moments, and lots of crazy, zany scenes, but if you came out of it complaining that the whole ending really ruined the humor for you, you've missed the point.
What I think the movie is about is people. It's about how people are horrible and cruel and selfish and worthless. And, at the exact same time, in the exact same ways, they're beautiful and courageous and intelligent and amazing and lovely and wonderful. The Village is a celebration of humanity, in all its stupidity and gloriousness. This is what it means to love humanity.
This is what I mean: The Elders retreated from modern society because they saw it as a place of evil and temptation. But that isolation was doomed to fail from the very start, because of nature of people. Modern society is not fucked up because we have guns or drugs or too much money or violent video games, modern society is fucked up because people are fucked up. And they have always been fucked up, and they will always be fucked up. Society today is really not much worse off than society has ever been.
You can't escape murder and crime, because every single human is capable of those things. How can you isolate yourself from yourself? The village was doomed to failure in that sense- there was no way it would have lasted any amount of time without there being some crimes.
And much of the horror of the movie is the fault of the Elders. In their increasing attempts to protect 'innocence', they do worse and worse things, things very much like what drove them for society in the first place. They kill and skin animals, terrorize children, lie to their families, keep horrible secrets. Ivy's blindness likely could have been cured or prevented in a hospital. As Lucius pointed out, there are medicines that could have helped or calmed Noah, possibly preventing the attack on Lucius. And, most obviously of all, Noah would never have died if Ivy hadn't been told tales of the creatures for her entire life.
But it's in that moment that the meaning of the movie is most clear: Noah is killed, in the most worthless and pointless way possible. But that exact same scene is such a celebration of humanity's worth: as Ivy stands there, waiting to trap the monster, waiting to win out over the ultimate adversary. Her courage! Her cunning! Her strength! God, what it would have taken to stand there and wait as the thing you've most feared your entire life comes straight at you. What is that, but praise for all that's good in people, their true worth and beauty?
You can see that same love for humanity throughout the movie- the kind voice of the security guard, the sweet, homey scenes at the very beginning, the wedding dance, the close-up, slow-motion focus on Ivy and Lucius's hands when they run from the monster in Ivy's house- what is that but the very best of trust and love and courage?
(And, as a side-note, the relationship between Ivy and Lucius was amazing. Usually I get bored with romances in movies, because they never seem true. There's no chemistry between the actors, there's no reason for them to fall in love- besides the plot. But this romance really seemed to flow from who the characters were, to be an essential and true part of them.)
To me, the movie was about people. Because people, yes, are awful. They really are. But if you isolate yourself from them, you lose out so many things: beauty and knowledge and strength and bravery and love. And this movie is aware of that. It's not sugary-sweet; it faces up quite clearly to the horrible things people do. But it still loves them, in spite of it, because of it. When the credits started rolling, I was sitting there with a huge grin on my face,just thinking: Yes, this is it. This is humanity, and this is how I love them.
So, yeah, I adored it. Such a good movie.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-01 11:02 pm (UTC)The dialogue was flat and unbelievable. Several times during the movie, my friend and I just looked at each other as if to say, "...wtf?? Okay, you did NOT just say that." Some of the actors, too, were painful to watch -- the head Elder had no inflection in his voice; his lines were virtually all monotone and Kitty's first scene with dialogue was horrendous. She sounded like she was doing a school play, reciting right off the script.
The mystery surrounding the killings of the animals was briefly glazed over -- "some Elder in the village, not sure who," and the fact that it wasn't rectified in the end made for a bad taste in the mouth. M.N. makes all these illusive comments blah blah blah and then suddenly bam! not important at all. (The importance being that these were clearly first-time incidents and in a village built on such peaceful values the need to discover the culprit would be much greater, no?)
That's not to say I hated the movie, b/c I didn't. Bryce Dallas Howard was incredible; her acting brilliant, particularly in light of the shabby script. Joaquin Phoenix, too, was excellent, and for me personally the most poignant scene was the two of them discussing their future. <3 <3 <3
Anyway. There were other bits I didn't like, plothole-esque things, but I'm mostly waiting to see what others have to say. Most ppl seem split 50/50.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 02:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 08:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 01:45 pm (UTC)Heh, I liked that too. Because he always does cameos in his movies, I was waiting for him to show up, and then when he finally did- since the camera only showed the back of his head for the longest time- I was stuck going 'Is that him? Maybe? I can't tell!'
no subject
Date: 2004-08-02 01:44 pm (UTC)See, the thing about the dead animals didn't bother me too much because I figured they only have so much time in a movie, they can't spend hours going into every detail. Although it probably would have worked much better (and been just as quick) to simply say something like, "Yep, we did that too. We needed something to distract Lucius from going to the towns." So I do agree with you there.
And dude, yes! I *loved* that scene. It was so sweet and true.
*nods* I'm really impatient for more of my friends to see it so I can see what they have to say, too. *grins* I guess that's the downside of seeing a movie the week it opens- you have to wait around for everyone to catch up before you can talk about it.
Mutual fanning! Or, uh, something.
Date: 2004-08-02 12:20 am (UTC)But I have to stop and ask, after I got out of the theater, what haunted me more - a freakish leg edging out of view, a hulking Lovecraftian thing that should not be, clad in tattered garments and amulets? Or Noah?
*shudder*
I just about cheered when I realised what Ivy was pulling in front of the pit in the forest. I was expecting at the beginning of the movie for Lucius to be the hero - when she left, I was stunned in the best way possible. It was so brave and beautiful that I could have wept. (The entire scene seems like a loving homage to Wait Until Dark, I think, which just adds another delicious layer to a wonderful movie cake.)
I've seen some people in reviews reprimanding the fact that Shyamalan didn't villify the Elders 'like he should have'. I think the way you put it makes it damnedly clear why he didn't. People are... *people*.
Re: Mutual fanning! Or, uh, something.
Date: 2004-08-02 01:49 pm (UTC)Oh, me too. I thought the creatures were just *terrifying* looking. And I think it worked really, to keep the viewer nervous and scared when Noah comes after Ivy. I couldn't decide all through that scene if the creatures were real or not, and I think it really shows how well directed the movie was that the tension was there even after the twist had been revealed.
Yeah, I was really surprised that Ivy ended up being the one to go into the woods too. Although I must admit that I loved it- talk about a girl power move! And hmm, Wait Until Dark? I've never seen that movie. I'll have to check it out.
Re: Mutual fanning! Or, uh, something.
Date: 2004-08-03 02:57 pm (UTC)Wait Until Dark is, unless I am mistaken, an Alfred Hitchcock film (starring Audrey Hepburn). Also something of a girl-power movie, perhaps. I will say little about it, except that Shyamalan has echoed the feeling of its most climactic scene it in at least two of his films that I've noticed - thematically as well as situationally. Not to say he's ripping him off, not at all, but there's an obvious love he has for it that's present in much of his work.