an alien movie with an underlying theme

Rating: Null/10 (14 July 2003)

Signs, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and staring Mel Gibson as Graham Hess and Joaquin Phoenix as Merrill Hess (Graham's younger brother who came to live with him after the death of Graham's wife), was an alien movie with an underlying theme. The theme of Signs is that most people at some point in his or her life questions the belief in god or a higher power. This theme is generally present through out the movie.

In one scene, Graham is called to the scene of the accident that will take his wife's life. He is dressed in his priest attire when he arrives. But as his wife is dying you can see it in him that he is questioning why god would let this happen to his wife and to his family. This is the point at which he has started to question the existence of a higher being.

In another scene that presents the theme, Merrill and Graham are sitting on the sofa in the living room watching the television report on the fourteen lights from alien ships that were surrounding Mexico City. Merrill asked Graham, "People probably think that this is the end of the world." Graham replies with a simple, "yes". Merrill gets upset and says, "Can't you pretend to be the way that you used to be and give me some comfort." Graham then goes onto explain that there are two groups of people. One group that has something lucky happen to them sees it as more than just luck, but as a miracle and that someone is looking after them. The second group sees it just as luck. He then explains, "There are those people that see these fourteen lights and it fills them with fear. And then there are those that see those fourteen lights and feel that it is a miracle and they believe that someone is their to help them and that fills them with hope" Graham then looks at Merrill and says that he must decide within which group he belongs. This scene shows how we all as individuals have to face this same question. We either choose to believe or not to believe in a higher being.
And in another scene towards the end of the movie, Graham is holding his son who is having an asthma attach and they can not get to his medication. During this scene, Graham thinks that his son is going to die. And again, this represents his questioning of a higher being. Why would god take two members of his family away from him?
Shyamalan used many elements in his movie to contribute to the theme. Lighting was one element that was used through out the movie. Most of the scenes that were shot were dark and dreary. For instance, the scene described above when Graham and Merrill were watching the alien report on the television. In addition, most of the other scenes shot in the house were kept dark. This could have represented how Graham felt distanced from god. It could also show that he felt isolated and alone in this time of trouble and need.
Another example of the element of lighting, is in the scene where they are coming out of the basement after his son has survived the asthma attack without his medication. At the top of the stairs is a window that has a curtain with cut outs of stars and moons. The whole shot is dark except for the light coming through the curtain in the shape of those stars and moons. This could have represented were Graham was regaining his belief.

Another element was in the use of angles. For example, towards the middle of the movie when Graham decides to get his family out of the house and away from the television that was constantly reporting on the alien invasion, Shyamalan uses a birds eye angle. It shows their car traveling into town where they will run into the man that killed Graham's wife. This angle could represent that even though he was going through a time of questioning and disbelief that god was still looking over him and was there with him during this troubling time in his life.
The theme of Signs is that most people at some point in his or her life questions the belief in god or a higher power. This theme is generally present through out the movie. The theme is very important in this film. It makes it more that just another alien film. It adds emotion to this movie. And it addresses the fact that things happen in every person's life that make them question whether or not there is a higher power.