Lady in the Water

I watched M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water a few nights ago. I know some people who didn't like the movie, didn't think it fit with his "body of work," but I respectfully disagree. In fact, I'd almost say this was his best film.

Part of the problem was that after the absolutely stunning surprise ending to The Sixth Sense he was immediately "typecast" by much of the general public. He filmed thrillers; his movies had a surprise twist. If you examine the films, however, (which I did recently, watching one after the other with very great satisfaction) that's not really true. Unbreakable, which came immediately after The Sixth Sense, had a small twist at the end, but if you hadn't guessed it by then you just weren't paying attention. Both Signs and The Village were the same way: the twist was not hidden, but imbedded throughout the whole film for the discerning eye to see. This masterful technique is what makes watching The Sixth Sense enjoyable every time; if not for the intricately woven texture of the film it would just have a surprise ending which after the first viewing would be just another spook show.

So, Lady in the Water. Some people were surprised; some people were even disappointed. The tale was not a ghost story, not a thriller - except that it was a thriller, because didn't we know by then that things don't always work out in his movies? Maybe Story was not going to get home? Maybe the scrunt was going to kill her after all. And no, it wasn't a ghost story, but it was what all of his movies have been, a fantasy story. Fantasy is the umbrella genre under which horror resides, so to expect all the stories to be ghost stories is sadly limiting. In fact, the story was not only a fantasy, but a classic, epic fantasy: a modern fairy tale, with an amazingly layered and superbly crafted texture. The tale deals all at once with both finding out who you are and remembering who you are; with recognizing others for who they are and not judging too quickly who you think another might be; with doing the right thing, no matter what the cost, in situations big and small, and with stepping out of our comfort zones and coming together when needed to do what must be done. If you haven't seen the movie, see it; if you saw it and didn't enjoy it, try it again; and if you saw it and loved it, watch and enjoy it again, because with this beautifully made film there's always something more to see and appreciate. That's what makes the films of M. Night Shyamalan genius.