The Sixth Sense Review

   The Sixth Sense is a psychological thriller film by M. Night Shyamalan, where the main character Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a child psychologist who is enlisted to help Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), overcome his fears and inhibitions, specifically his ability to see and communicate with the dead. This film has a clear theme persistent throughout the movie: Coming to terms with reality. This is most clearly evident through its ending twist, where Malcolm realizes he is dead. Using all his previous encounters after he was shot, he is able to piece together the fact that he was dead, coming to terms with his harsh, but very real reality. This film also has a hidden, lesser theme: The importance of communicating one's fears and ask for help in order to forward in life. Once Cole is able to talk to and for the dead who seek him out, whether to his psychologist or his mother at the very end of the film, he is able to take control of his fears and embrace his unique ability to help those who he was once scared to acknowledge. 

   The film is very successful in portraying these messages. Each shot type and camera movements perfectly match the desired scene in each shot; the close up on Cole as he delivers the iconic "I see dead people" line. 

   The close-up shot of Anna Crowe (Olivia Williams) with Sean (Played by Glenn Fitzgerald) as the jewelry store window breaks before wide panning to Malcolm walking down an alleyway, revealing that he was the force of the break. 

   What makes these scenes even better is the music accompanying each scene, or lack thereof. In the first scene mentioned, the music present is left to be in the background, building in intensity matching the conversation, going from the normal conversation and increasing in crescendo up until the reveal of Cole's big secret to Malcolm. In the second scene, where Malcolm breaks the glass, no music is present. Rather, it is accompanied by a voiceover of a conversation that Cole and Malcolm had said earlier in the film, which questions what Malcolm wants. Following the voiceover is the breaking of the window, symbolizing his intervention between Anna and Sean's"relationship" for his own sake.

   Through the plethora of close-ups, delicately produced detailed shots, and incredibly tense musical score, the viewer is held hostage throughout the movie, following along unable to detect the many twists and turns that ultimately turn the movie on its head, leaving viewers to sit in awe at the masterful storytelling they just witnessed. Where once they didn't understand a plot point, the twist nicely ties up all loose ends in the film. This critically acclaimed movie blew my expectation up, despite me knowing just how amazing this movie was. I would 100% recommend this movie to anyone who is physically able to watch it.