Know The Twist Ending and Watch It Anyway
know the twist ending and watch it anyway
by Karenna Umscheid
When I first watched The Sixth Sense, I, like most modern watchers, knew the climactic twist – yes, the kid sees dead people, and that’s why he sees Bruce Willis! Because Bruce Willis is dead! It’s easy to reduce one of M. Night Shyamalan’s thrillers to the one intriguing detail – the beach makes you old, those are not their real grandparents, et cetera! And, as clunky and unnatural as the dialogue in his films is, and as strange and off-putting as they are, I believe he’s a certified genius and I’m exhausted by the slander.
Yes, Shyamalan has failed many, many times. But to me, the mark of a good filmmaker is the willingness to fail. To make something that is bad in whatever sense of the word, whether it be a commercial flop, laughed at by critics, or entirely, universally hated like Shyamalan’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, it is still worth it to take that risk. Reclining into formulaic, drab filmmaking like that of the ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ means that history will forget you. Even if, centuries later (if film still exists in the way we understand it now), then maybe it will vaguely remember the MCU heyday. But, history will not remember the name of a single one of the MCU directors. But it will remember M. Night Shyamalan, and it will remember The Sixth Sense.
The willingness to fail also speaks to the devotion of a director. Wanting to play it safe, aiming for mild success over making something powerful, influential, and truly interesting, is not the mark of a true auteur. You cannot develop a signature, specific style without taking risks. Taking risks is maybe the most important thing any artist can do — to alter the form and the landscape, to change minds, to make something that viscerally and/or emotionally affects people. That is what film is truly about, not awards or commercial success.
The Sixth Sense is brilliant in every scene, and the twist is a gamble that pays off. Even when you know the spoiler, the film is continuously thrilling, exciting, and deeply emotional. It speaks to the power of cinema that a single revelation can immediately alter every detail of a film. Creating a successful twist means taking full advantage of every aspect of the art of filmmaking; every step and hand movement, minuscule colors, and cinematic details, everything changes meaning when you reveal the twist.
And beyond the iconic twist ending, the most effective part of the film is the emotional center between the kid and his mom. Despite all of the flaws in Shyamalan’s filmmaking, the one thing that always impresses me is the genuine emotional nature behind his stories. Behind flashy cinematography (which I still always adore) and thrilling moments, there is always something deeply meaningful behind his films. The Visit is an elegy to family and forgiveness, Old reminds us of what really matters when we consider our mortality, Signs implores us to choose faith in the face of fear and uncertainty. The Sixth Sense is so profound and special, it doesn’t matter that you know the twist ending, it’s a beautiful and truly effective experience regardless.
The Sixth Sense screens at the Coolidge Corner Theater on Monday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Until next time,
Karenna
Photograph: Hollywood Reporter