HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, A CEREBRAL FILM

Rating: Null/10 (3 August 2004)

In spite of varying opinions about the value of the film, there are those of us who wholeheartedly "get it" and, in fact, not only rate it highly but could do an entire master's thesis about the various themes explored in The Village. In other words, come prepared to not only be entertained by M. Night Shyamalan's latest offering, but also prepared to have your brain waving with delight for days after.
On the surface, the talents of William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver are, as usual, impeccable. Newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard is a delight. It is specifically because of these folks that the questionable parts of the film, like the sometimes stilted conversation, become clues rather than distractions. And it is because the the perfectly melded cast that the themes of The Village are both obvious and subtle at the same time.
Questions abound, both answered by the film itself and asked by The Village, left for you to ponder as you relate the story to mankind's history and your own life story. And in the characters, you will find yourself and those you love. Intense personal emotional pain is shown by Hurt in a subtle masterful way, as is the love that finds its way through the protective wall he had built. The courage and love shown by Howard's character is thrilling. Strength, hope, doubts, fear, happiness, sorrow, trust, and more...it's all there. And it's all wonderfully woven in to the story to highlight the social metaphors about the ills of society, how we choose to deal with such, and whether or not we can ever truly be "preserved" from those ills.
Shyamalan has created a gem here for those who go beyond the entertainment value and mine the deeper vein.