Twist again

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2004)

I don't care what other reviews of this movie have said (or will say) but I'm determined to reveal only the barest details of its plot.
Like director M Night Shyamalan's other movies (The Sixth Sense, for instance) it's as twisty and turny as a run-for-you-life through the seriously creepy woods that play a large part in The Village.
At the risk of joking about a clever and suspenseful atmospheric thriller such as this, I have to tell you it's like Little House on the Prairie meets The Blair Witch Project.
A tough one to pitch you might think, but M Night has already proven his bankability again and again (see IMDb trivia).
He's written and directed all of his films (indeed, made a cameo appearance in each) and the same is the case here.
The movie starts in 1897 wilderness America with the death of a child in the eponymous "Village". The name of the place is never revealed and it soon becomes clear that it doesn't really need one as none of its residents ever leaves and no-one ever visits. It is entirely self-sufficient.
Anyone outside the village is "those we do not speak of" from "the towns". And Covington Woods, which surround the community, are just too darn scary to even step one foot into. Eerie howling sounds emit from the woods, day and night, and there are dozens of rules and legends about the creatures that roam among the trees.
Even colours are part of the myth. Red is very bad and essentially banned from the village, while yellow is "safe".
The men take turns manning a watchtower to warn of any incursions by the creatures and the whole place is ringed by yellow flags (and flaming torches at night). Yellow is the colour of cowardice and everyone in the community is in a constant state of fear.
Everyone that is except Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix), a young man who asks the village elders, led by Edward Walker (William Hurt) for permission to cross the woods to get medicine from "the towns".
Lucius (whose mother, Alice, is played by Sigourney Weaver) believes the child who died could have been saved. And, it seems, Walker's own daughter Ivy (the excellent Bryce Dallas Howard, daughter of director/actor Ron Howard) went blind for lack of medical treatment.
Soon there is indeed a terrifying visit from one of the creatures and eventually it's not just Lucius who wants to cross the woods. And that's all I'm saying. I think M Night (and IMDb) would be sorely displeased if I blabbed any more.
Suffice to say, he puts the whole thing together beautifully. The pacing is almost perfect and he draws out the suspense in the manner of Alfred Hitchcock, one of his favourite directors.
A lot of the movie has a cold, stark, disconcerted feeling  even during its lighter moments (there is some humour). There is much use of hand-held cameras and the barely-engineered sound gives the whole thing an almost documentary feeling.
Indian-born, Philadelphia-raised Shyamalan became the highest-paid movie scriptwriter for Signs ($5 million) and he earns his cash here too. This movie is a thriller but the dialogue is impressive: pared-down, unsentimental and hugely effective.
At one point, Lucius says to Ivy: "You run like a boy". She sees this as a compliment and simply replies: "Thank you." And later, during the scene in which they declare their love for each other, she asks if he dislikes her "tomboyish ways" (he doesn't).
Love angles are so often tacked on to thrillers in a desperate attempt to give the characters some depth, and, as such, have the audience yawning. This one however, is actually quite moving in its uncomfortable simplicity.
And, as usual, M Night drops clues around the movie to give hints at what's coming next or to cleverly make the events fit together. Go see him do the twist for yourself.