THE SIXTH SENSE USA, 1999 Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan Starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Reviewed by Kent Johnson
Wow!
And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street -- er, at the cineplex!
This is an incredible film, which hit me harder than any film I've seen this year. Definitely not something I expected from Hollywood.
THE SIXTH SENSE is a supernatural variation on the story of the psychiatrist called in to examine a troubled child, who discovers that the child is hiding some terrible knowledge. It's not a horror movie, but rather a suspense film/ghost story on the surface and an emotional tearjerker about personal redemption underneath.
Horror fans won't be disappointed, however, as the mood and atmosphere are great and the moments of shock, though few and brief, have tremendous impact. Unlike some films which are spoiled by ad campaigns that give away too much of the plot, knowing what's going to happen in THE SIXTH SENSE doesn't hurt it at all -- in fact it heightens the suspense.
The film is beautifully, sensitively and subtly made. It achieves the filmic ideal of combining the entertainment value of a Hollywood film with the vision and quality of an art film. Contrary to post-Speilberg filmmaking trends, it assumes its audience is *intelligent* and the entire film, moment by moment, is a sheer pleasure to experience. It does everything right, without a single a false or fumbled step and the end of the film is a huge cathartic release with a cleansing and healing after-effect.
The film has great visuals which rather than being a self-conscious end in themselves are part of the story-telling as a whole and a lot of information is conveyed visually rather than verbally. The dialog is sparse and when used is meaningful and effective.
An example of one of the film's pleasant visual touches (and its belief in the intelligence of its audience) is the lock of bleached hair that denotes supernatural powers, visible on two of the characters in the film. The camera points it out, but it's never mentioned otherwise. If you notice and understand it, it's a little bonus that adds to your enjoyment of the film, but it doesn't hurt it if you don't.
Another example of visual excellence is when a sunrise is viewed in time-lapse photography entirely through the reflection of light on a statue, making the coming of day seem like an unbearably spooky event.
The soundtrack is also very good and is used very effectively as an integral part of the story-telling.
The acting in the film is uniformly excellent. Haley Joel Osment, who plays the boy Cole, is the keystone of the film. Even with all its other virtues, the film wouldn't have worked as well as it does without someone of his ability in this role. I don't know if a child actor has ever won an Academy Award, but Osment definitely deserves one. I was also intrigued by the fact that Olivia Williams, who plays the psychiatrist's wife, bears a slight resemblance to Chinese film actress Joey Wong (Wong Jo Yin).
A wonderfully perfect film. My Highest Recommendation.
[Because of the strong story, the film will still be good on video, but I recommend seeing it in the theatre for maximum impact.]
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Kent Johnson San Francisco kjohnson@slip.net
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