The Sixth Sense

We only just saw this on DVD, and somehow had managed not to have the spoiler inflicted on us. (In case you were wondering, people have told me I need to get out more often.) I wish I had seen it earlier. This is a wonderful movie. Having seen Bruce Willis in a number of action films, I couldn't really picture him in what I was thinking was a horror picture. For starters it isn't a horror movie, though at times it tries to fool you into thinking so. The entire movie is a head game.

Willis is cast as a child psychologist and his normal low key performance is the perfect compliment to Haley Joel Osement's tour-de-force. Osement can actually act, and does so better than many adult actors. His astonishing professional abilities bring you into the movie and make it real. This isn't just standing around looking cute or being a typical kid. It's worth renting the movie just to watch his performance. I'm looking forward to seeing whatever projects he works on in the future, and sincerely hope he doesn't fall into the trap so many other child stars have.

There is one "what if", and everything follows naturally. The movie makers were meticulous about maintaining internal consistency, and seem to have succeeded. There are remarkably few goofs listed on the IMDB site. All the clues are right there, but I didn't catch them. The puppet show completely misled me, since I thought it was leading up to an admission of child abuse.

This movie might be uncomfortable for some people to watch, depending on your particular beliefs. Children will almost certainly find it too tense, even though it ends well, if in an odd sort of way. It's certainly an emotional movie, and could well make you think. The audience is treated with respect, which is a rare commodity in Hollywood films. The bonus material is excellent. I'll certainly rent this again, and might well buy it.

 

 

SPOILER WARNING!

 

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Keep on going if you've seen the movie. If you haven't, take my word for it. See the movie first.

 

 

Last chance. "I see dead people" is NOT the spoiler.

 

 

 

 

As I write this review, I'm reading Farther Shores by Yvonne Kason. This talks about how near death experiences and similar "mystical" experiences can change our lives. Many people believe that our physical lives are only one manifestation of "life", and that even though our physical bodies might die, there is something of us that continues. The character Willis plays undergoes exactly such an experience.

All through the movie we think that Willis is helping Osement deal with his ability to see and talk to dead people. Only at the end of the movie do we understand the reverse is true. This is an interesting departure from the idea that people come to live on Earth in a physical body to learn something, or help others learn. It's hard to say who learns the most, Willis or Osement.

Really, we are seeing two movies at once; a remarkable achievement, since each works on it's own merits. During his bonus track comments, the director says they made the movie so you really had to see it twice, and that it would still survive the second viewing. They've succeeded admirably. They talk about some of the technical tricks they used, but they're beyond the scope of this review. Suffice to say that learning about them does not diminish the movie.

Go rent the DVD, and take the time to watch the bonus tracks. This is a superb example of how the bonus tracks can enhance the movie watching experience.