Film Review - The Sixth Sense (1999)

Fig 1 - The Sixth Sense - Film Still

The Sixth Sense by N. Night Shyamalan is considered a ghost story from years back, it has been likened more to a psychological thriller than to horror in genre. Bruce Willis as Dr. Malcolm Crowe and Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear play the main characters, and it is their lives from which the narrative unfurls. It is subtly designed in a way in which to build suspense throughout the film, using its notable sound design and clever visual writing in which to suspend an audience in disbelief. Roger Ebert remarks in his review that "The solution to many of the film's puzzlements is right there in plain view, and the movie hasn't cheated, but the very boldness of the storytelling carried me right past the crucial hints and right through to the end of the film, where everything takes on an intriguing new dimension." (Ebert, 1999), in this we could argue that the way in which Shyamalan puppets the minds of the audience works because it is believed we hold privileged knowledge through out the film creating suspense and giving us the feeling of superior knowledge, when suddenly all we knew was in fact thwarted by sudden information which changes our understanding drastically in the form of a 'plot twist'. It is possible in the form of narrative that The Sixth Sense works so well is because of techniques such as this.

Figure 2 - The Sixth Sense - Silm Still

   

Shyamalan employs verious other techniques to control the mind of his audience is ways suggested by Desson Howe in a review for the washington post as follows "Perhaps it's the deliberate pacing, the almost contemplative timbre to the whole thing. And the chilliness, the sheer coldness in the air! It uses stillness, implication and silence in ways that reminded me of "Seven." (Howe, 1999), pacing works well in The Sixth Sense because it allows a time of contemplation of what we see, and allows us to process information to a higher degree, Shyamalan plays on the constant force of driving for humankind in which we desire to understand and apply meaning to all things. He sets the atmosphere cold, and takes the time to use longer camera shots motionless in an effort to create a disembodiment to the characters and mise en scen.    

Fig 3 - The Sixth Sense - Film Still

The sound design within The Sixth Sense is the icing on the cake to the narrative, sound has always been an aid to setting emotional tone and mood to stimulate a reaction from the audience, Sain Cain suggests "The sporadic yelp of violins create a tangible sense of dread that makes watching it an overwhelmingly freaky experience." (Cain, 2014), it is arguable that the sound design aids the narrative in setting its timing and mood subtly in a way with allows us to become completely engrossed in it. It is noted that "Another important sound effect used in The Sixth Sense is the aural shock" (Baratieri, 2018), whilst we know that sudden shock isn't accompanied by a noise of a violin, in film it adds to the effect, especially during the scene right before Cole is locked in the Attic, the sound of the balloon can be heard bouncing up the stairs and eventually resting on the ceiling, the sound of the balloon popping is timed well with the scream of Cole creating shock to an audiences aural system with two very loud sounds in unison. 

Shyamalan demonstrates quality techniques throughout The Sixth Sense which announce his aptitude as an auteur and a professional in the film industry. A clear understanding of timing and pacing of narrative, the mood set with colour and composition of camera shot, and the diegetic and non-diegetic sound accompanying the narrative allows the audience to be completely absorbed in the world which is in front of them.

Bibligraphy:

Baratieri, J. (2018). The Power of Sound in the Film 'The Sixth Sense'. [online] Baratieri.tripod.com. Available at: http://baratieri.tripod.com/id26.html [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].

Howe, D. (1999). 'The Sixth Sense' (PG-13). [online] Washingtonpost.com. Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/sixthsensehowe.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].

Ebert, R. (1999). The Sixth Sense Movie Review & Film Summary (1999) | Roger Ebert. [online] Rogerebert.com. Available at: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sixth-sense-1999 [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].

Cain, S. (2014). The Sixth Sense: the film that frightened me most. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/oct/22/the-sixth-sense-film-frightened-me-most-sian-cain [Accessed 11 Apr. 2018].

Ilustrations:

Figure 1 - The Sixth Sense (1999) [film] - N. Night Shyamalan: Hollywood Picture: Spyglass Entertainment 

Figure 2 - The Sixth Sense (1999) [film] - N. Night Shyamalan: Hollywood Picture: Spyglass Entertainment 

Figure 3 - The Sixth Sense (1999) [film] - N. Night Shyamalan: Hollywood Picture: Spyglass Entertainment