In the beginning of the 6thSense the music is very eerie and mysterious. The music itself gives the audience an idea that the film is going to be a ghost story or at least have spooky moments. The credits are presented with a black background and white text, I think that this could symbolise that later on in the film there are going to be a lot more dark and evil things than there are good, hence the black (evil) white (good). You then see a flickering light in the pitch black. After the flickering light you see Anna Crowe wearing a thin jumper over her evening dress shivering as if she is cold. She then looks behind her as if she thinks that someone is watching over her, what is also extremely important in this film is how supposedly whenever a ghost is present you get extremely cold and start to breathe out condensation. Anna turns to leave. Stops and starts to stare at the shadowy basement. She stands still and watches her breath form a tiny cloud in the cold air She’s visibly uncomfortable. And then all of a sudden you see the reflection of Anna and Malcolm Crowe. The object that is reflecting their faces is an award that Malcolm was awarded for his outstanding efforts in child psychiatry. He then asks his wife how much the frame would cost and that he thinks he should hang it up in the bathroom. When you see the award reflecting both Anna and Malcolm’s faces, it relates to later on in the film where you see Malcolm walk past the award and it does not show his reflection. This scene also reflects how close Malcolm and Anna are at this time but it also reflects how Malcolm’s job can get in the way of things e.g. their relationship. This is evident in the following: You then have Anna’s expression become very serious so Malcolm looks at her and says “What?” she just keeps staring “Don’t do that quiet thing you know I hate that!”
She replies “This is an important night for us, finally someone recognises the sacrifices you have made. That you put everything second including me!”
After this touching moment Malcolm manages to char his way into convincing Anna to go upstairs with him to have sex: Anna giggles as Malcolm’s shadow stumbles across the bedroom. Malcolm turns on the bathroom light. A shaft of light shines upon Anna as she stands in the corner of the room with a smile on her face and pulls of her jumper as she sways to a pretend striptease song. Malcolm then joins in with this playing until he realises that Anna is no longer playing along with Malcolm but that her smile has completely gone and is no longer even facing Malcolm. He walks down toward her and realises that their bedroom window has been completely smashed and that their phone and vase have been knocked off the table. All of a sudden a shadow floats over the both of them from the bathroom and Anna screams!
As Malcolm slowly approaches the bathroom the camera angle goes close up on a clearly disturbed man wearing nothing but a pair of white y-fronts of what could only be described as the type of underwear that would be worn by a 5 year old. This moment reflects upon what Cole says later on in the film “Sometimes you look at someone… and you feel like you could tell their whole life story. You can’t explain why…” I thin an important aspect of the film is how everything in the beginning of the film can be related or explained later on. Malcolm then reassures the man that he is in the wrong house and that there are no drugs or needles of any kind. The man then replies, “You don’t know so many things!” The stranger stumbles forwards, lays eyes upon Anna for the first time, and says “Do you know why you’re afraid when you’re alone I know!” The camera goes mid angled shot so it can show both Anna and Malcolm. Anna then replies to the stranger in a stuttering weeping voice “What do you want?” The stranger then comes out with a mighty and unexpected roar! “I want what he promised me!!!!” he then repeats his statement in a weeping voice.
The camera goes extreme close up on Malcolm; Malcolm looks completely bedazzled and replies to the stranger “Do I know you?”
The stranger gets angry once again and shouts, “ He receives an award form the mayor and he doesn’t even know my name! I was ten when you worked with me!” Malcolm’s eyes immediately race for answers as they flick through his mind.
“Downtown clinic? Single parent family, possible mood disorder… no friends, you said I was socially isolated… I was afraid and you called it acute anxiety… You were wrong… YOU WERE WRONG!!!!!” Shouts the stranger. The strangers body in this scene is very skinny with hardly any muscle, which reflects how vulnerable he, was. “ I’m still afraid… I still have no friends and I have drugs in my system 24hours a day!” Malcolm then starts to recite some of his past client’s names, at the same time the stranger’s tears start to drip down his cheek as he proclaims that he is a freak.
Malcolm’s face lights up a tiny bit as he says “Vincent? Vincent Gray? I do remember you! You were compassionate, unusually compassionate, you were a good kid, and smart, very smart.”
Vincent replies, “You forgot cursed!”
“Vincent I’m sorry I didn’t help you” Malcolm whispers, he also begins to have tears in his eyes. Vincent turns to the sink and picks up a gun! The camera goes into a long shot as he points the gun at Malcolm. He shoots Malcolm in the stomach, a well-known lethal area. The camera then zooms in on Malcolm as he falls onto the bed in terrible pain. The camera becomes a moving shot as you see Vincent pick up the gun and point it at his head and shoots himself!
Anna screams and rushes over to Malcolm as she reassures him that he will be fine. All of a sudden she realises to her horror that the bullet has gone right through Malcolm and is losing a large amount of blood and is leaking all over their bed. The camera zooms into Malcolm’s obviously full of pain face and goes all-dark.
The screen goes very white which I believe signifies a new beginning (Malcolm’s death) Now although they do not show to the viewer that Malcolm has died you later on find out that he is now also dead and is one of the many ghosts that haunts Cole however he is the one ghost that has ever attempted to help or to have a civil conversation without frightening Cole
I think the first fifteen minutes of the film were outstanding! I think that it kept the audience intrigued and interested to what would happen next. I also believe that if anyone ever walked out of the film, it was not because they did dislike the film but that it scared them too much! Shyamalan is a very talented writer and he chose his cast very wisely. I think the main aspect that kept the audience intrigued was the acting done by Vincent Grey (Donnie Vahlberg) he was able to throw something more than out of the ordinary in both acting terms but also viewing terms! The camera angles and shots were very well done and all credit goes to Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) for his acting was above the best standard!
