Signs (2002)

Signs (2002) is a science fiction thriller movie directed by M. Night Syamalan.Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin. The film was nominated for Online Film Critics Society and The Empire Award. It also won an award from the American Society of Composer, Authors and Publishers.

Plot

The story focus on former priest Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) who lost his faith and leave his duty when his wife died in a car accident cause by Rey Reddy (Shyamalan). He live in a wooden house in front of cropfield with his younger brother, Merrill and his children, Morgan(Rory Culkin) and Bo(Abigail Breslin). The event begin with they discovered a huge geometric shape, crop circle on their cornfield.It follows with more strange event such as more crop circle appearing around the world, animals turn violent, the strong, dark creature appeared around their house and the weird conversation they received through an old baby monitor. They soon realized those signs was related to an upcoming alien invasion.

Analysis

Although Signs is actually about alien invasion, the theme of the movie is also about how Graham gain back his faith. He was in great depression after his wife death, he believe god abandoned him for letting his love to die, especially when he been serving god for so many years. He shows reluctant when people still calling him "Father" and asking him to hear their confession, he even refuse to pray on their "last dinner". However when Morgan is in risk to lose his life when he breath in the toxic gas from alien, he pray and miracle happened as his son asthma save his life.

Religious metaphors featured in the movie is also deliver a different way for audience to interprete the meaning of the movie. People believed "aliens" in the movie is actually symbolize demons or evil. The aliens in the movie do not have technology or weaponary, they are merely clawed, naked beast and can be defeat using water, much like vampire or any other dark creatures that can be defeat by holy water. Except for that, the radio reports about the method killing the aliens has been found "in three small cities in the MIddle East", it could be symbolize the religious hub of the three Abrahamic traditions.

The first thing that catch my attention throughout the film will be the effective used of sound track in the movie. As we know sound track can be use as an effective way to create and enhance thrilling atmosphere of the scene such as when Morgan receive a weird noise using an old baby monitor, the soundtrack of this scene is very intense and we can hear the creepy crackling noise from the baby monitor, it sure brings a lot of tension through the music. I believe many people will like the jump scare from the scene when Graham first encounter the alien in his crop field and the scene when alien walk by on a birthday party, these scene won't be so effective if without the brilliant soundtrack.

I personally feel dissapointed when the movie reveal the aliens as they show up in the living room and and being defeated by a baseball bat and water. I enjoy how Syamalan build up the thrill and mysterioud admosphere without really showing how the aliens look like throughout the movie. The crackle noise from the baby monitor, the legs that walk across the cropfield, the low quality video that give us a glimps of the strange creature and claws that reach out beneath the door, these are the moments that exites me the most, but the thrill falls apart when the aliens stood in front of the Huss family. The design of the aliens looks old fashion and the special effect is also seem very unrealistic compare to today's technology.I would rather the mysterious invators stay mysterious till the end of the film.

However, Signs is still considered a very suscessful hybrid genre. The director is trying to tell us more than an alien invasion, it is a story about how a man regaining his faith and family, how he realize the signs was given when he lost someone he loves and finally belief there will be someone watch over them no matter what happens.

Reference

1. Theory will make you rethink M. Night Shyamalan's SIGNS. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.quietearth.us/articles/2012/08/This-theory-will-make-you-rethink-everything-about-M-Night-Shyamalans-SIGNS 
2. Scott, A. O. (2002, August 2). FILM REVIEW; Finding Faith, or Something, in a Cornfield. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D05E4DA113BF931A3575BC0A9649C8B63