Mel Gibson plays an ex-minister? For millions of swooning female fans, this apocalyptic revelation could indeed spell the end of the world. However, ladies, take heart. We find out in his latest film, the enthralling Signs, that he was previously married and is now a widower. (Cue a collective sigh of relief.)
The movie is set in Pennsylvania, where a farmer named Graham Hess (Gibson) raises his two children Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin). His younger brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) stays in the guest house and helps out too. One day, Graham's family discovers giant circle patterns crushed into his cornfields. At first, it's dismissed as the kind of cosmic hype that's been around before; maybe it's the next door neighbours playing a practical joke. Before long, the family begins to notice other strange occurrences around the farm, and soon they learn that there are reports of similar circles appearing in other parts of the world. Is it a giant hoax, or are aliens about to visit the planet?
Signs is written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, whose breakthrough hit The Sixth Sense relied heavily on atmosphere and factual gimmickry to pull off its surprise ending. The suspense here is more palpable and more real because he takes such care to introduce fine character details while adding layers to the paranormal parts. One plot point pays homage to Night of the Living Dead. I particularly admired the cinematography, as in a scene when the camera sits squarely on the ground from inside the cornfield while Graham tentatively walks towards it. There's also a fine moment when a scuffle occurs in the dark and the only illumination -- a flashlight -- falls to the ground. The camera, however, stays on the flashlight, which incites nail-biting results. In general, we are always wanting to see more, yet also afraid that something will jump out from the shadows.
One effective decision Shyamalan makes is to present all of the film's events from the point of view of the Hess family. There isn't an abrupt cut to another smalltown or city, or even to any of the other supporting characters in the film (Cherry Jones plays a local police officer and Shyamalan has a small part as one of the town's pariahs). The entire screenplay unfolds so that at every step we are experiencing the filtration of what they understand -- the potential threat of aliens and what is happening elsewhere in the world is only relayed to the audience when a member of the Hess family watches it on TV or hears it on the radio. This technique allows us to sympathize with their plight, because we feel that we know only as much as they know. All of the cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Gibson in a soft-spoken, passive role that belies much trauma and grief.
Since it opened a few weeks ago, Signs has gone on to become yet another box office hit for M. Night Shyamalan and Mel Gibson. The real accomplishment, however, is that they have made a suspenseful, thoughtful, character-driven piece without sacrificing it to the almighty Special Effects juggernaut that would normally mandate the release of a movie in August. The absence of big budget graphics and effects only heightens the tension. More than its accomplished atmosphere, however, the film has deep, spiritual undercurrents and an intriguing third act. Most of the trailers indicate that the Signs come from visitors from above, but the most unexpectedly poignant signs come from an even more mysterious and mystical place, a realm which is rarely depicted in today's movies.
