Difference between revisions of "The Sixth Sense"

Revision as of 21:20, April 4, 2010

The Sixth Sense is a block-buster film directed by M. Night Shyamalan, about a child psychologist who tries to help a child troubled by his mysterious ability to "see dead people all the time". The film was rated PG-13 for intense thematic material and violent images.

This supernatural thriller begins with Philadelphia psychologist Malcolm Crowe getting tipsy with his wife Anna and making light of an award bestowed upon him by the mayor's office for his outstanding work with children. Upstairs, they discover a break in, and Crowe sees a terribly skinny young man clad only in gray briefs, who complains that the doctor has misdiagnosed him ("possible mood disorder") and forgotten him. Crowe takes a moment and remembers former patient Vincent Gray and his good points, but Vincent rages, "You failed me!" and shoots Crowe with a small pistol. Then he turns his gun on himself.

From this point on in the movie, Crowe has no more conversations with adults; he does speak to a number of people, but it easily escapes the notice of the viewer that they never reply. Looking back, one can see all sorts of moments which hint at the reason for this, but on first viewing they merely seem to reflect things like self-doubt or a relationship inexplicably becoming distant.

Our next view of Dr. Crowe finds him seated on a bench with notes and briefcase, reviewing notes on a 10-year-old boy named Cole Sear, who has a diagnosis similar to that of Vincent Gray. He follows Cole to a church, introduces himself, and apologizes for missing his "appointment".

In the following scene we meet Cole's mother, hastily dressing as she prepares to send Cole off to school. After leaving the kitchen for a moment to fetch a tie for Cole, she is astonished to find most of the cabinet doors and drawers open with Cole still seated at the breakfast table. (This brings to mind the typical reasoning of atheists: if the fossil record appears to show that human beings and animals evolved from other forms of life, then it must be a purely natural process; no supernatural being could have done it (since the supernatural is merely an ignorant myth). Cole must have been looking for something (it couldn't be ghosts, no matter how unlikely it is that a boy could get up, open a dozen doors and drawers, and get back in his seat without even breathing hard or breaking a sweat).

Cole's mother and Dr. Crowe are seated across from each other, not talking, when the apartment door opens and Cole comes home. She tries to get him to talk, by playing a game where she says three things happened to her as if they were true, but are obviously only wishes: winning the lottery, quitting her jobs, eating a picnic and swimming all day in a fountain. Cole's things (wishes) are being picked first for kickball, winning the game, and being carried on his teammate's shoulders. Then Dr. Crowe tries a game with a similar purpose: he must guess something (pretending to "read" Cole's mind), with right or wrong guesses indicated by Cole taking a step forward or back:

1. Your mom's doctor couldn't help her, so you think I can't help you (right)
2. You're worried about secrets your mother told the doctor.
3. You have a secret.

Color is a constant theme of the movie, with trees filled with lush green leavess contrasting with piles of brown leaves on the ground in the fall. Cole barely manages to open the heavy red door of a church (red is used throughout to indicate the supernatural).^[1]

Notes

1. ↑ "Red is an important color in this film. It is used to underscore important links to the supernatural. Red in our culture is a symbol of blood, and hence, death. It is also a bright color that pulls the eye. It underscores. Shyamalan gives it a spiritual connection as well." [1]