Film Review: The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense (1999) 107min

(Figure 1: The Sixth Sense Film Poster)

The Sixth Sense is an American supernatural thriller film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film tells a story of a Child Psychiatrist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, who had been confronted by a former patient, Vincent Grey, whom he treated as a child for hallucinations. Vincent shoots Crowe in the stomach before turning the gun on himself. This leads to a young boy named Cole Sear, an isolated and troubled young boy who can see and communicate with the dead. Crowe becomes dedicated to the boy but is haunted by the fear of failing him due to his former patient that Cole reminds him off as a child.

(Figure 2: Cole Arriving Home)

The cinematography within the film is very engaging when it comes to the story's narrative. “Shyamalan’s careful use of specific production techniques lends maximum impact to his own finely crafted story, wrenching out every fright for all they are worth." (Vikileaks, 2012) At a particular part of the film we join Crowe and Lynn Sear (Cole's Mother) after what seemed to have been a conversation about Cole. It appears this way as both chairs are facing and leaning into one and other, and how both characters are met with quietness before Cole arrives home. This effect is seen throughout the film and can disguise what is really happening.

(Figure 3: The Colour Red)

Part of the Sixth Sense's 'trademark' is the colour red. This colour symbolises a lot of 'bad' things such as blood, danger and violence. It is almost always used when Cole is about to encounter the supernatural. Andrew Collins states in his review that "M Night Shyamalan has fashioned a modern classic here, a chilly, intelligent, emotional ghost story that relies not on the obligatory gore and knifeplay for its many shocks but on colourful glimpses of an afterlife that's anything but angels and harps." (A. Collins, s.d) This effect is also used in the film 'The Shining'. It is a colour that plays out to set the ball rolling in the audiences mind before any scene reaches its ultimate 'climax'.

(Figure 4: Cole in Fear)

To conclude, The Sixth Sense leaves you with heartache after the journey of both Crowe and Sear after realising their lives are no longer haunted by their fears, and go their separate ways. "An effectively understated and moodily engrossing ghost film with a surprisingly satisfying jolt at the end." (A. Sarris, s.d) It is ultimately the third act that leaves you with realisation of Shyamalan's work that leaves you seeing more and more every time you watch it.

Bibliography:

Vikileaks (2012) The Sixth Sense Film Review URL At: http://vikileak.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/the-sixth-sense-a-key-scene-analysis/ (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Sarris, Andrew (s.d) The Sixth Sense Film Review URL At: http://observer.com/2014/04/the-lost-film-of-truman-capote-murder-by-death/ (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Collins, Andrew (s.d) The Sixth Sense Film Review URL At: http://www.radiotimes.com/film/ccrzg/the-sixth-sense (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Illustration List:

Fig. 1. The Sixth Sense film Poster (1999) From: The Sixth Sense Directed by:  M. Night Shyamalan [Poster] United States. Buena Vista Pictures. URL: http://www.moviegoods.com/Assets/product_images/1010/104345.1010.A.jpg (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Fig. 2. Cole Arriving Home (1999) From: The Sixth Sense Directed by:  M. Night Shyamalan [Film Still] United States. Buena Vista Pictures. URL: http://horror-club.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/o-sexto-sentido.html (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Fig. 3. The Colour Red (1999) From: The Sixth Sense Directed by:  M. Night Shyamalan [Film Still] United States. Buena Vista Pictures. URL: http://screenmuse.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/colour-symbolism-red-in-the-sixth-sense/ (Accessed 14.04.2014)

Fig. 2. Cole in Fear (1999) From: The Sixth Sense Directed by:  M. Night Shyamalan [Film Still] United States. Buena Vista Pictures. URL: http://images1.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/The-Sixth-Sense-haley-joel-osment-846538_640_352.jpg (Accessed 14.04.2014)