Manoj Shyamalan's film "The Village" was a film that I, contrary to popular opinion, found quite interesting and rich on first viewing. I cannot say the same about the DVD. The Buena Vista product is lame, worse than any other big-budget film's DVD I can recall, and weakens my original perceptions of the film as a 'post-9/11, post-urban, proto-fascist' film.
The extras on the DVD feature a few deleted scenes, that apart from one, deserved to find their way on the cutting room floor. In addition to these scenes, there is a promisingly-named vignette 'Deconstructing The Village". This turned out to be merely a behind-the-scenes look at the various departments who made the film - from editing to sound to casting. There is no commentary, apart from introductions to the deleted scenes and an early home movie by Manoj, which is weak, and hints at his later ego-centrism. A few production photo shoots, et c'est tout - that's all.
Turning to the film itself, one is more satisfied. The audio track is a Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, as well as a French track, and vividly conveys the aural terrors of the jungle scenes. Visually, the colors are strong and effectively convey the moods intended by the director.
The film has a superlative cast, most from the theater, who enact their roles with realism and conviction. Bryce Howard is a promising talent. Adrian Brody's character, to me, bespeaks an innocent populace swept away by states of fear. The need for the leader to exert control through creating this state of fear is a key element of the film.
Semiotically, the film uses elements of color, sound and peripheral symbols to create an atmosphere of fear just outside our ken. Although the boogeyman is unmasked, and the village revealed a sham, the film is nevertheless able to say, watch out, the monster within our hearts is more scary than any outsider, and in the end, the outsider is we, ourselves, alone. The village-folk retreated from the terrors of the world outside, only to create their own, and be consumed by them.
Article comments
1 - MrPC
It's a shame the DVD doesn't have the requisite features to discuss the film. This is a good example of the influence of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone in present day films.
2 - Dave Nalle
It's the best Twilight Zone pilot since Rod Serling died. Oh wait, it had a multi-million dollar budget and was in theatres not on TV. In that case it was a trivial film hung entirely on a trick ending.
Dave
3 - Aaman
Genius or village idiot?
4 - MrPC
"It's the best Twilight Zone pilot since Rod Serling died. Oh wait, it had a multi-million dollar budget and was in theatres not on TV. In that case it was a trivial film hung entirely on a trick ending."
Just because it was a multi-million dollar movie, doesn't change the fact that it is very influenced from the Twilight Zone.
In fact, it should invoke the same reaction as you would get watching a typical Rod Serling TZ episode. I don't know why the SAME people who love Rod Serling's TZ (And love those "trick endings" in the classic eps that force you think about everything else you just watched) all of a sudden find the Village to be a "trivial film with a trick ending."
5 - MrPC
My suspicion is that people get so hellbent about this movie because they expected a feature-length horror film and got a feature-length episode of the Twilight Zone.
That, however, just shows the stupidity of the audience, including pundits like Roger Ebert, who put this film on his 10 worst films of 04 list.
I'm sorry you were "duped" by trailers, but if you can't handle the fact that the film didn't turn the way you wanted it to, just stick to mindless PIXAR and Dreamworks Animation films and other horrid movies like Christmas with the Kranks. They won't "disappoint" as much as The Village.
6 - MrPC
To prove my point, check out reviews of the film on IMDB.COM
Many of the good reviews reference this movie as a feature-length TZ episode, BUT I have yet to see a bad review that says this is influenced from the TZ. Many of the bad reviews keep saying this is a bad horror flick (when in fact, it's not a horror flick at all)
It's very clear the people angry about this film are simply pissed because the film was promoted as a horror flick (and this promotion is the brainchild of the studios to make cash, not Manoj).
It's too bad mainstream idiot audiences cannot go into a film and forget about any promos they saw for the film.
7 - D.B. Cooper
Nice post Aaman and I couldn't agree with you more. It seems like the majority of moviegoers these days, especially horror film fans, are greatly disappointed by The Village. I was fascinated throughout and never felt cheated - though many obviously do.
MrPC had a great point in reference to The Twilight Zone television series. For those of us who loved his incredible work, there is a connection. Unless the budget of a film bankrupts a studio or skyrockets out of control (it did not on The Village) then it is completely irrelevant. Movies need not always be about special effects and explosions....