Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" is a film with many levels of meaning. The writer explains that, referentially, it is the story of a group of people's attempt to run from their past, while implicitly, it is about the fight to face one's personal demons from the past. It looks at how M. Night Shyamalan uses the symbolism of Those We Don't Speak Of and the function of the secret boxes to represent the monsters of the past and how his choices in lighting and mise-en-scene create an image of a village that wishes to become complacent, but is restricted by its shady past.

From the Paper:

"Another tool Shyamalan uses to present the power of the past is the overall tone created by the mise-en-scene and the lighting. It has already been established that the elders' past means that village is neither miserable nor perfect, and the look of the village reflects this. It is neither dark and gloomy, nor radiant and optimistic. Since this is a world before electricity, all the lighting comes from the sun or candlelight. This means that sunny days are happy and festive occasions. In one scene, the sun shines while children frolic and women stroll merrily through fields. Night, however is a different story. With the only light coming from candles, the world is a dark place when the secrets of the past threaten to make themselves known. Indeed, we only see the monsters at night. As far as the colors in town, the houses are all simple brick designs, often painted white or beige. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Harris, Mark. "The Village." Entertainment Weekly 06 Aug. 2004: 57-58. Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
• Lane, Anthony. "Village People." New Yorker 23 Aug. 2004: 90-91. Web. 06 Dec. 2010.
• Lowery, Brian. "'Village' Mystery Is Lost in the Woods." Variety 02 Aug. 2004: 22-27. Web. 06 Dec. 2010.
• The Village. Dir. M. Night Shyamalan. Perf. Bryce Dallas Howard, John Hurt. Touchstone Pictures, 2004. DVD.

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