” THE VILLAGE “…Film Review

PEDRO’S WORLD OF CINEMA

” THE VILLAGE”

by M.Night Shyamalan 2002

yeah the second most well-known indian behind APU from the simpsons quickie-mart, delivers another slice of off-kilter suspense…

set in the pennsylvanian countryside in autumn,all luminous brown-gold leaves,low skies+naked poplars,a small village of quiet,quaker-like people work,clean+cook+go about their business,long communal lunches outside on tressle tables,candle-lit rooms+polite,quaint language…a small isolated community,self-sufficient+happy….or are they? why can’t the colour red be seen?(flowers are pulled up+buried)why can’t they venture out in the woods?
why can’t they speak of “the things we cannot speak of”?

for as well as being polite+quaint,these people are repressed+scared,the elders mostly…longing,curiousity,wanderlust are all forbidden,there are many secrets+shyamalan ,who also wrote the piece, has great fun with the release of information…no plot spoilers here like in premiere magazine,thanks,spoiled it yesindeedy for me-tho there is still many things to like…

ronnie’s little girl bryce dallas howard is luminous as the blind girl love interest,all large watery eyes + strong jawed determination+playfulness,the girl is a fine actress…william hurt+sigourney weaver both deliver restrained puritan performances,a touching “non-touching” relationship,joaquin phoenix is a tight ball of fist,sensing the secrets+lies…adrien brody brilliant as the mad noah,the catalyst for action+change…

of course the editting is masterful,like the movie “alien”*,we only see flashes,the music by james newton howard requisite with screeching violins…tempo is mixed up with joyful weddings,games+soft romance…suspense builds with every revelation…

*not a hint,sigourney doesn’t save the day

5 ***** out of 5

so what do you think?