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 The Village Production NotesRun. The truce is ending.
“There are secrets in every corner of this village. Do you not feel it? Do you not see it?” -Joaquin Phoenix as Lucius Hunt in “The Village”
At first glance this late nineteenth century village seems picture perfect. Villagers live harmoniously in an idyllic setting. However, this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that a race of creatures resides in the woods around them.
The innocence of “The Village” is threatened by the creatures referred to by the townspeople as “Those We Don’t Speak Of.” The villagers share the fear of the evil and foreboding force that lurks outside. So frightening that one dare not venture beyond “The Village” and into the woods.
Despite the advice of his elders, a curious and determined Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix) has a burning desire to step beyond the boundaries of the town into the unknown.
Town leader, Edward Walker (William Hurt) warns Lucius of the danger amongst the town’s outskirts, and Lucius’ mother, Alice Hunt (Sigourney Weaver) advises him to stay at home and spare himself of the greed and desires that exist in the outside world.
Lucius’ strength is matched only by Ivy Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard), a beautiful and mesmerizing young blind woman with an unusual wisdom beyond her years. Her fearless nature and gift-like perception are beyond anything Lucius has ever known.
Both Lucius and the mischievous Noah Percy (Adrien Brody) admire Ivy passionately, though her heart only has room for one of them. Her devotion eventually leads her down a forbidden path where terrifying truths are revealed.
The ominous presence of the unknown boils over into chaos for the town, with one’s bravery being the only thing that can save them. The truce between “The Village” and the creatures is ending.
About the Film
Groundbreaking director-writer-producer M. Night Shyamalan’s talents return to the big screen with Touchstone Pictures’ “The Village” following the successes of such critically acclaimed blockbusters as “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and “Signs.”
Heralded as one of the most innovative and original filmmakers of our time, M. Night Shyamalan’s films have touched hearts and minds of all ages with universal themes such as “ghosts and family” in “The Sixth Sense,” the world of comic books and mortality in “Unbreakable,” and aliens and faith in “Signs.” Now, with “The Village,” Shyamalan continues to connect with audiences, taking them on a journey to explore how fear can affect a community.
Philosopher Bertrand Russell said, “To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” With Touchstone Pictures’ this type of thinking, even in times of fear, daily life can continue. Fathers talk with their daughters. Sons fall in love. Friendships grow closer. The exceptional Oscar-winning/ nominated ensemble cast of “The Village,” which stars Joaquin Phoenix, Bryce Dallas Howard, Adrien Brody, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, and Brendan Gleeson, embrace M. Night Shyamalan’s storytelling, and thus “The Village” is his most intimate and emotional film accomplishment to date.
How many times have we heard a parent reassure a child that “there is nothing to be afraid of?” But do these parents speak the truth? In M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” the fear of the creatures in the woods, or as they are referred to as “Those We Don’t Speak Of,” threaten their community and the safety of the children.
In “The Village” the elders of the town have made a choice to co-exist with their community inside an isolated village. Cutting themselves off from the rest of the world, their fear of the creatures, and what other evils may exist beyond their town borders, gives them motivation to stay in tact and safe with their loved ones.
We can’t ignore fear. We live with fear every day. Whether it be creatures in the woods, or in our modern society, the uncertainty of the safety of our own children the moment they leave the house to go to school. Fear surrounds us daily as we watch the network news and hear of child abductions, enemies of war, or terrorism. In the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt, is it true that “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”? Or does society show us otherwise?
What do we do to maintain our sense of community in times of fear? The people of “The Village” bonded together and went to great lengths to keep their community safe and protect themselves from their fears. Says M. Night Shyamalan, “In our contemporary world I often ask myself how far would I go to protect my children? Would I move to a farm in the middle of nowhere and live like the people of ‘The Village?’ We like to believe we would, but how many of us have? What sacrifices are we truly making to better our situation?”
In times of crisis, community can be what helps us to survive against fear. Says producer Sam Mercer, ‘The Village’ isn’t that different from neighborhoods of today. When fear begins to threaten and take hold, people reach out and turn to one another for support. It is that sense of community that builds strength.”
Shyamalan continues, “Fear doesn’t necessarily need to be something we are afraid of. Sometimes it just lets our imaginations run wild. I hope through ‘The Village,’ audiences are able to explore a world of fear and how, even in the midst of chaos, you can find a way to cope.”
The process of storytelling has always been the most important thing about filmmaking for M. Night Shyamalan. Shyamalan credits cinema audiences as starved for a challenge, and enjoys giving them what they want through uncomfortable suspense. Shyamalan captures the attention of the filmgoer by holding back information until just the right moment.
Says Shyamalan, “When I write I gravitate toward having a streamline of suspense. I like to surprise people and that just feels natural. At the same time I try and give humanity to my stories. Hopefully audiences leave with something to think about that is worthwhile.
“‘The Village’ is different from my previous films. I think it is me growing up and evolving as a filmmaker. I wanted to write about innocence. ‘The Village’ is set in the late 19th century, after the civil war and before industrialization when it was a simpler life. When it wasn’t about money or greed. People spoke without sarcasm and you could hear the truth and sincerity in their voices,” says Shyamalan.
Shyamalan continues making films in and around his home in a Philadelphia suburb. “I’ve kind of fallen in love with the simple life and slowing things down. Life can get so crazy. You forget what is important and you begin to fixate.”
Writing “The Village” was a long process for Shyamalan. Continues Shyamalan, “I keep this book of story ideas that I am constantly adding to. Details of ‘The Village’ characters kept presenting themselves and before I knew it, organically, one sentence turned into two, three, four pages, and over time grew into a full length screenplay.
“It was new for me to include elements of romance in my writing along with the unknown supernatural elements that audiences have enjoyed in my past films. This movie is ultimately about the power of what love can do to create things, and what it can overcome,” says Shyamalan.
Producer Sam Mercer, a collaborator with Shyamalan previously on “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” and “Signs,” comments, “One of the amazing things about Night as a filmmaker is he writes and directs very visually. When you read a Shyamalan script you can picture every detail of the story. His imagery and dialogue enable audiences to instantly become part of his imaginary world in the most intelligent way.”
Before the cameras roll, Shyamalan prepares his well-thought-out imagery by working with storyboard artist, Brick Mason. The pair typically spend a few months framing each scene through illustrations. Much of their brainstorming for “The Village” was done at Shyamalan’s office in Pennsylvania.
Associate producer Jose Rodriguez, who is part of Shyamalan’s company Blinding Edge Pictures, adds, “When you look at Night’s framing in his films, everything means something. He doesn’t shoot coverage on a set just to have it. He knows what he wants ahead of time and uses minimalism to achieve it.”
Audiences worldwide have embraced Shyamalan’s storytelling. Perhaps it is because he is a fan of films himself and speaks often of seeing films for the first time and getting excited. With “The Village,” Shyamalan continues his tradition of telling stories that make a difference and resonate in audience’s memories long after the lights come up in the cinema.
Continues Mercer, “People can look at themselves in Night’s films, and that is what makes them so accessible. Though ‘The Village’ is set in 1897, it very much deals with universal themes of today like love or fear.”
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Bryce Dallas Howard in The Village.