the sixth sense
REVIEW
There is something so calming about “The Sixth Sense” that I often times find myself putting it on, in the fall and winter months, as I go to sleep. You may think that putting a horror movie on before I drift off into dreamland is a strange thing to do but not with this movie. M. Night Shyamalan has a very unique way of having his characters deliver their dialogue. Most of them never speak above a whisper, one character will deliver a line, there will be a short pause and then the next character will say their line and this continues through every scene. The flow of each interaction falls into rhythm and there is something very soothing in listening to it. It is almost hypnotic. James Newton Howards score for the film is also very subdued and somber and it creates a sense of ease while the tensions of the plot start to rise.
“The Sixth Sense” has a timeless quality to it. I feel, this could easily be apart of Hitchcock’s filmography. It would slide in nicely around the same time he made “Vertigo” or “The Birds.” I could easily see Jimmy Stewart playing the part of Dr. Malcom (If Hitchcock would have ever worked with Stewart again). It is a classic thriller with a great story that I rank among the greats and it is not easy for a horror movie to gain prestige.
Horror is probably my favorite genre of movie but also where some of the worst movies ever made are part of. Horror attracts a lot of campy movies, which I can appreciate in their own way but it seems the more cheesy the movie sometimes the bigger the cult following. Horror audiences are the most forgiving and always come out in droves to see the latest horror film. That is why studios rush so many out when they need to make some money.They make them for cheap knowing they will see some profit. So, when a horror movie stands the test of time and is brought to the level of a classic it has truly earned its place there. The film has to be something truly special to gain any credibility. In fact, when I think of horror maybe only a handful have made it to a serious level of prestige: Kubrick’s “The Shinning,” Johnathan Demme’s “Silence of the Lambs,” William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist” Hitchcock’s “Physco” and Spielberg’s “Jaws.”I believe “The Sixth Sense” absolutely fits on that list.
Since the release of “The Sixth Sense,” M. Night Shyamalan has had series of ups and downs. With the high being “The Sixth Sense” and steady downward progression since then and nearly hitting rock bottom with “The Happening,” “The Last Airbender” and “After Earth.” Finally he seems to be getting back in his grove with “The Visit” and the real return to form with “Split.” I have always rooted for M. Night because as bad as some of his movies may be he is always putting out original content. He has fresh ideas and he takes risks. Some of them may be half baked and could have used some guidance but when Hollywood keeps churning out sequel after sequel and remake after remake, original ideas seem to be hard to come by. M. Night has the potential to do some really great work and I will keep paying my money to purchase a ticket to his movies because he is an artist and I am not just there for his hits.
