The Sixth Sense – Shyamalan Success

Wait, do I have to see the first five to appreciate this one? Yes, you do.

The Sixth Sense tells the story of child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) as he helps out the young and troubled Cole Sears (Haley Joel Osment). Weird things are happening to Cole, and Crowe quickly realizes that the young boy can see ghosts.

The film was nominated for six Oscars and was the 2nd highest grossing film of 1999, beat out only by freaking Jar-Jar Binks. It was the number one earner at the box office for five (5) weeks in a row, a statistic that only 20 films can say they beat.

This opens up a can of worms in my head. What would I do if I could see ghosts? What kind of tomfoolery or mischief could I achieve? In today’s modern world… probably less than expected. Anything cool you could learn from a ghost 25 years ago, I could probably google now. In a modern version of this film, Cole’s mother probably takes his iPad away and makes him go outside more. That said, between this and Wide Awake, Shyamalan has a thing about death.

I’m going to put a theory out there that I’ll try to track as I cover the rest of Shyamalan’s films. I think he does his best work as a director when working with child actors. He got an amazing performance from Osment and I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I know his next three films have children in important roles as well, so I’m going to see if this holds up.

This movie has one of the strongest openings – in any movie – I’ve ever seen. It sets up the characters, the tone, and the entire film brilliantly. I won’t go into detail, but if nothing else watch the beginning and I promise you’ll be hooked.

Even more so here than Praying With Anger, Shyamalan uses heavy shadows to convey the feeling that there are others in the room, watching. It really works well in this movie.

The film does a great job of getting the audience invested in the relationship between Crowe and his wife Anna, played by Olivia Williams. Their scenes are full of subtext and intrigue, whether this is your first time viewing or fifth.

Something I noticed on this watch was the color red. Few times does it appear in the film, but you bet that when it does, it has something to do with ghosts or the spirit world.

Probably the most emotionally devastating scene for me was when Cole goes to the young girl’s wake and finds the videotape to give to her father. That reveal made my stomach drop and broke my heart.

What a picture. This is only my second time seeing this film, and although I knew the ending the first time, I found it infinitely more rewarding on this watch. There is so much going on in every scene, giving each line of dialogue at least two meanings. It’s incredible filmmaking. Bravo, Mr. Shyamalan. Bravo.

Shyamalan Rankings

1. The Sixth Sense
2. Wide Awake
3. Praying With Anger

I think it’d be hard to argue anything else at this point, but you’d be welcome to try.

Next week: Unbreakable – stay tuned.