More than meets the eye

Rating: 8/10 (7 November 2006)

As previously noted by another viewer, this film was poorly marketed (as a "horror movie"), which in point of fact it is not. It is indeed a multi-layered film.
The film's opening lines (beautifully spoken by Brendan Gleeson) immediately establish the period and setting. The early-American dialog is intentionally stilted, but achieves a rhythm and beauty in its delivery by the members of the cast. The exception that proves the rule is William Hurt, whose off-center style and laissez-faire manner of speech make his lines feel forced and uncomfortable. He seems in general an improbable choice for the role of the patriarch of the Luddite community, unless this inconsistency of speech and style was intended as a clue to the viewer as to the real nature of the Village. Conversely, Bryce Dallas Howard is powerful and moving in the role of the blind girl, Ivy. Her pacing and diction feel natural and convincing. She persuades the audience that through innocence and love impossible things can be achieved. Joaquin Phoenix's restrained portrayal of Lucius is similarly effective, and the viewer believes in his conviction and honesty. Adrien Brody makes wonderful use of his dramatic features to create a vivid and disturbing man-child. Sigourney Weaver, Cherry Jones, and the rest of the cast deliver solid performances.
The Village is a story about the futility of social engineering, a scary bed-time story, and after all, a love story. It can also been seen as an allegory for the upper middle-class retreat from urban post-modernism. Legions of Baby Boomers have spent fortunes in pursuit of the unhurried, simple but elegant life style characterized by Pottery Barn furniture and Martha Stewart's Country Living magazine. The return to traditional furnishings and even menus reflects a yearning for a simpler, more comprehensible, and safer way of life. Some might argue that this represents an exercise in denial, while defenders of this life style might insist that they are attempting to preserve worthwhile values, and/or create a haven of safety, be it ever so limited to the four walls of their homes, or the confines of their neighborhoods. Both of these arguments surface in The Village, and stir some consciousness about the the real world issue. It might even be suggested that The Village represents the United States of America, and that the wild and dangerous Covenington Woods is the rest of the world, as portrayed by Americans to Americans: a safe haven for our culture, surrounded by a dangerous world inhabited by bogeymen.
In any event, a good film is one that invites contemplation, and there is ample food for thought in The Village.