Touching and resonant

Rating: 8/10 (30 March 2012)

The Village, Shyamalan's sixth film, is about people who live in a small, close knit utopian community, which resembles the Amish. They are surrounded by a forest that is inhabited by mysterious creatures. A truce exists between the creatures and the villagers that says that neither one shall enter the other's territory. However, Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) wants to go into the woods, and he asks the Elders if he can do so. He is turned down, but mysterious creatures enter the village, leaving red marks on the doors.
At the end of the day, Shyamalan and the marketing team at Touchstone use this to get asses in the seats (on a side note he is very good at creating stories with a commercial backdrop - not many filmmakers can write intimate stories that offer commercial appeal at the same time), but that's not really what the movie is about. The Village is really a love story that personifies what love truly is, and not just some superficial word people throw around. A love triangle exists in the film, which is very reminiscent of many of Shakespeare's plays.
One of the best and most touching scenes in the movie takes place between Lucius and the divine Bryce Dallas Howard's (daughter of director Ron Howard, who gives a tour de force debut performance by the way) character, Ivy, in a conversation where Lucius confesses his love for her. Another of Night's strengths is creating a very subtle and resonant mood and dialogue without seeming pretentious or melodramatic. Ultimately, this movie explores how love gives us courage and makes us do things we are otherwise afraid to do.