The Happening as a pro-life film?
October 22, 2008
Several months ago, when it was out in theaters, I saw M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent film, The Happening. To be honest, I was disappointed. The movie did having one of the best suspense devices I’ve ever seen (the first stage of death in the movie is that everyone stops and stands still, this is a device that legitimately warrants the term “Hitchcockian”). The intentionally wooden acting, however, didn’t do it for me. Neither did the unbelievably horrible science.
Matthew Mehan (a friend of a friend of a friend), however, has an interesting take on the film that might make me give it another chance. His article at mercatornet.com argues that Shyamalan intended his film to decry a shift in America away from a “culture of life.” Mehan’s case on some comments about bees by one of the main characters and the manner in which the three most gruesome deaths occur (analogous to three main types of abortion).
I’m not sure I agree with Mehan, but the article is definitely worth a look if you’ve seen the movie. Thoughts anyone?
I haven’t seen it. Now I might. Except for “Signs,” I tend to see Shayamalan movies after quite some time. Only just a few months ago did I end up watching The Sixth Sense.
If The Happening was really intended to be a “B” movie, that makes it interesting. An enormous factor in a film’s acceptance or rejection by the audience depends upon their expectations or preconceived notions going into the film.
I don’t know if I buy the “B” movie thing, and I’m not really sure why Shyamalan said it. The happening is about something (whether or not it’s what Mehan thinks it is), “B” movies aren’t about anything.
Have you seen “Lady in the Water” yet? If you like fairytales (like me) then I think you’d dig it.
To be fair, “B” movies are about something . . . some of the time. They just do strikingly bad job at it. If Shyamalan made the claim after the movie was out, then that destroys my interest for that aspect.
Haven’t seen Lady in the Water. Jordan also recommends it.