Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs.....

Rating: 8/10 (3 August 2002)

*May contain SPOILERS*
I would have to disagree with the previous posting with regard to M. Night Shyamalan's newest venture starring the wonderful Mel Gibson. I have seen all three of his films and I enjoyed all. A few things I think that deserve to be mentioned are mostly directing and producing techniques that Mr. Shyamalan used this time around. The Sixth Sense was accented with shades of red. When something important was happening (a sweatshirt, a doornob, etc.), an item on screen signaled ever so subtly that this scene was important to the plot of the film. In Unbreakable, Mr. Shyamalan used a lot of colors also, but mostly shades of purple, which has always been related to royalty and essentially, related to good. Whether clothes or wrapping paper or anything else, purple was a significant sign.
I noticed tonight, at the late show viewing of Signs, that our writer, director, producer didn't use color as much in this film. I believe his intentions were to use light as a way of speaking to the viewer. Whether a flashlight, or going between changing a room from dark and light, or through lights shining through windows. The next thing I want to mention is how Shyamalan reflects in his films his obvious respect for Hitchcock. Notice during the credits. Notice the music. It is very apparent and, I thought, very obvious. Another point, Mr. Shyamalan always has himself in his films at least as a small part. Although he has thus far had larger roles than Alfred Hitchcock gave himself, he has include his face in his films. My favorite aspect of signs was that there was a hot and a cold. One is either very intense, on the edge of one's seat; or one is laughing out loud.