To Sleezy:
A plot twist doesn't have to be bizarre to be a twist. And as strange as you may think The Sixth Sense revelation is, it is presented in a way possible to figure it out before it's revealed. I didn't figure it, but some people did. The problem for a writer focusing too much on a whammy plot twist is it has to be both surprising and perfectly logical and fitting the story and the characters once it is revealed. The Sixth Sense does that. Psycho does that. A mediocre William Castle movie, poorly directed, called Mr. Sardonicus did it, and the brilliance of the ending almost redeemed the mediocrity of the rest of the picture. But when the twist ending doesn't work, no matter how effective the movie was up to that point, it makes the viewer feel cheated because everything is leading up to the revelation that reveals what the story really was about.
I think I agree, in principle, but I see movie twists like sleight of hand in magic. You present the audience with one truth, but reveal later that the truth is actually something else. You're right, a twist ending has got to follow logically from what's established, and
The Sixth Sense does that...
WARNING: "The Sixth Sense" spoilers below
...since Bruce Willis' character is never seen interacting with anyone other than Cole.
...since Bruce Willis' character is never seen interacting with anyone other than Cole.
I think the twist in
Unbreakable works too, although it's a little odd that...
WARNING: "Unbreakable" spoilers below
...Elijah is able to cause all these horrible tragedies and is never discovered by authorities. These days, that's extremely rare. But hey, every writer uses a convenience now and then.
...Elijah is able to cause all these horrible tragedies and is never discovered by authorities. These days, that's extremely rare. But hey, every writer uses a convenience now and then.
A good example of twists that don't work are
Identity, and similarly,
The Ring. Both films work hard to establish everything
except what turns out to be the truth, leaving the reveal horribly and unrealistically unfounded.
In
The Village, you learn over the course of the film that (a) every senior member of the village has experienced great loss, and (b) they're hiding truths about their past. It's easy to see that these two ideas are somehow connected, and it clears the way for something to be revealed.
Now, that reveal does come somewhat out of left-field, I'll give you that. Realistically, it's very unlikely, but still far more likely than the truth established early on: that monsters roam the forest. And come on, by watching a Shyamalan film, we're already allowing some measure of fantasy anyway.
WARNING: "The Village" spoilers below
I think what's more jarring is that there's an abrupt shift in time period. And I think most people probably liked the more provocative idea of monsters in the woods better. My only complaint is the scene in which Ivy encounters one of them, which by that point you already know that it isn't real (and can surmise that it's Noah in the suit). So the terror of the scene has no teeth.
I think what's more jarring is that there's an abrupt shift in time period. And I think most people probably liked the more provocative idea of monsters in the woods better. My only complaint is the scene in which Ivy encounters one of them, which by that point you already know that it isn't real (and can surmise that it's Noah in the suit). So the terror of the scene has no teeth.
Either way, I don't think the reveal is terribly unfounded, and it's far more unique and insightful than I thought Shyamalan capable of. I like that the twist isn't intended to be just some cheap shock. It's designed to get at the heart of the story: the psychology of the human condition, and how our own (often damaged) sensibilities are what shape the foundation of our societies.
Maybe it's not the twist you wanted, or the one you thought appropriate to the story. But I'm always looking for something different, engaging, and relatable, and
The Village has all of them. It's a fantastical movie, reveal and all, but I don't feel like it ever crosses the line into idiocy. If I did, I'd be crying foul too. But for me, it works.