The Beauty and the Ecstasy

Rating: Null/10 (8 August 2004)

It may not be said that this is M. Night's greatest film. People will look at it and compare it to the height of his twist ending in the Sixth Sense; people will assume he's following the same old, same old song and dance, and conclude that it's not as good because the twist was not as unforeseen, not as viscerally chilling. These people are missing the point entirely. This is a vastly more appealing film than any I've seen in a long time because it works on more intellectual levels than most films do. The horror in this film, the scary things in this film are not the creatures in the forest, as you are led to believe. The scary thing is the machinations that are in place perpetuating seemingly sane and intelligent people to create a utopian society that is held together by an all abiding fear of something false. Indeed, what drives us to perpetuate lies and fear in the pursuit of peace and happiness?
After all, the realistic suspension of belief is not so hard to swallow. One has only to consider the Amish in reference to the cherished adherence to an antiquated way of life. One has only further to consider the array of cults that have risen and fallen within the past few centuries to realize the lengths we intelligent creatures will go to create our own bubbles of order and harmony. If you had more money than God, were fed up with the violent tendencies of such a vast and volatile society, and were traumatized by the brutal death of a loved one, would you not consider creating your own paradise; your own utopia. And so our committee of the Village, an apparent group of traumatized therapy patients, decides it can create a Utopia under the leadership of Hurt's Walker. A modified Amish village where love, community, equality and justice are admonished above all else. A community that thrives on peace. And it seems as though they are successful for a time in their experiments; their children are the beneficiaries of this slightly twisted grip on the truth. These children are pure of intent and of good character. They may be altogether stunted in their relational skills when compared to our own modern context, but within the context of the reality that these committee members have created, they are pure. They are honest and forthright. They are loved and supported. Men and women receive equal standing in the eyes of all. The committee is comprised of an equal amount of men and women, none above the rest. Those crippled, either of mind or body, do not receive unfair treatment. All are special, all are wonderful.
The inherent problem of any utopia is the abiding construct that is holding the society in place. The safety and security of the Village is not merely kept by a fence and security watch, it's kept by controlling the minds of the innocent. By creating and enriching a palpable fear to challenge the utopia, so that its benefits are not soiled by divisive perspectives of the world. So the question is posed, and the true conundrum revealed: Is it acceptable? Just as in Huxley's "Brave New World", do the lies and fears of this utopian bubble justify the bliss and purity and happiness that are enjoyed by the oblivious trapped within it? In the end, is this not what any idealogy is; a group of people perpetuating lies, partial-truths, and conclusions about the unknown to ensure peace of mind, social stability, and happiness in the lives of those idealogical adherents?
Take this one step further, which I have no doubt the intellectual aptitude of M. Night was intending, and again, as in "Brave New World", we have an allegorical tale that is creating a simplified mirror of ourselves. M. Night has not simply told this story to entertain us. He is trying to show us who we are and how we work, whether you see it from a religious standpoint, or a political, even an economic one. Whatever ideals you cling to, whatever faiths you have, the question is posed; is it better to blindly believe those and accept the benefits of it, or is it better to know the truth, even though it can be cruel and violent? We are the village, in whatever capacity our lives are filled with ideals and faith. Whatever irrational, brave, or loving things we decide to believe, and whatever counterparts we choose to ignore, we are all of us constantly creating a utopia for ourselves within our own perceptions; we are all of us trying to attain happiness by organizing our perspective. Some by striving for happiness today; some by looking for happiness tomorrow; and some by waiting for happiness until some unknown time and place. I know some will find these espousals far-fetched. Its only a movie, perhaps a silly one at that. But I think M. Night is offering you so much more than just a movie this time. He makes no final judgement on the morality of the experiment; indeed might I present the question again: Should this be allowed? Is it morally acceptable to allow lies and fear to produce peace and happiness in your life? We are Ivy, blind and unaware of our own blind faith, and we have for a moment realized ourselves outside of the bubble and are unsure what to make of it. What will we now do?