Diet deficiency?

Rating: 8/10 (15 January 2006)

People either love or hate movies by M. Night Shymalan. Herb and I loved The Village. I had read two Associated Press reviews, in the local paper and in the St. Louis paper. One hated it and the other gave it four stars out of four. Gene Shalit and Roger Ebert hated it. Richard Roper loved it. It seems there is no middle ground.
It is difficult to try to explain The Village without giving away the famous "Shymalan Twist" at the end. A tiny community of people lives serenely in a secluded valley, far away from the violence of "the towns." Creatures known only as "those we don't speak of" exist in the forbidden woods nearby. Villagers placate the creatures with ritual offerings of meat, and keep watch just in case of attack.
Joaquin Phoenix has a leading role as Lucius Hunt, but Bryce Dallas Howard is the real star of this movie. It is hard to believe that her role as blind Ivy Walker is a debut performance. Oscar winner Adrien Brody has a pivotal role, and Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt also star. Of course, Night has a speaking role in the movie, as always, but you won't see him until near the end, and then really only the back of his head.
The lack of "the bad color" in the daily life of the villagers lends almost a sepia-tone feel to the film, although they use plenty of golds, light blues and greens. I wondered on the ride home if the illnesses that killed a child and caused Ivy's blindness could be due to a dietary deficiency. After all, they have no tomatoes, cherries, strawberries, or any other red foods.
I feel that the film raised issues about the lengths to which people will go for protection. Who hasn't daydreamed about a peaceful existence in lush countryside, far away from the noise, dirt and violence of the cities we really live in? On the other hand, Sherlock Holmes pointed out that secluded places have higher levels of dark, secret deeds. That is also true of The Village. To find out more, go see the film. You'll either love it or hate it.