Bruce Willis plays Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a child psychiatrist who, in the opening moments of the film, has received a plaque of recognition for his outstanding work and dedication. That dedication is known to us because his wife says that he has put his work even before her. The couple has no children (perhaps because Malcolm has dealt with so many) and, from the looks of things, a quiet lifestyle. But you really can�t judge anything by �the looks of things� in this film because nothing is quite what is seems.
Crowe suffers a tragic event, but is seen three months later apparently recuperated and starting over. His first child after the accident (of which I�ll let you see) is Cole Sear, a disturbed youth whose eccentricities attract Malcolm to him. Why? Because Malcolm had a child just like him years ago that he failed to help. He hopes to right that wrong with Cole.
Cole is played by newcomer Haley Joel Osment, who gives the best performance of any child actor I have ever seen. He handles himself perfectly � even around Willis, which is a remarkable feat of talent. Willis doesn�t get a chance to really show his true self with the kind of films that he�s done lately (�Armageddon�), but this is proof that he is one of the most versatile actors around. He�s able to not take over around Osment; always aware of Cole�s importance to the film.
Shymalan, who has made only one other film, acts like Hitchcock in the way he presents the film. He�s passionate in his direction and excruciatingly observant to every detail imaginable, making sure we are misdirected into thinking that the film is taking a turn somewhere. One of Hitchcock�s quotes was, �I like to play the audience like piano�. So does Shymalan. His style is original and fresh, but never, ever distracting. In fact, he makes the mood so believable � able to summon suspense out of pure silence. The film as a whole never gets loud to an extreme.
I found a lot of references to Tobe Hooper�s �Poltergeist�, and they fit very well. He never exploits them, but instead uses them to his advantage � not for us to catch, but for us to understand. Such is the case with the scene in which Cole�s mother shuts all the cabinets in the kitchen. The camera follows her into the laundry room and back into the kitchen without cutting, where we find every single one of the cabinet doors wide open. That took no more than seven or eight seconds. For those of you who remember, that reminds me of a scene directly out of �Poltergeist�.
Now I could go on and on about the film�s technical details until boredom sets in. That�s all fine and dandy, but this isn�t a film that has anything to do with that. Yes, it relies heavily on editing and timing and score to payoff, but take all that away, and you still have the story. And with �The Sixth Sense�, the story is all you need. This ending is incredible, and yet the film never once cheats the audience. Shymalan takes us here, and then makes us realize that we should have gone there. I did no see this ending coming.
�The Sixth Sense� is a thriller � some may even call it a horror film � but forget about all of that. The point of watching this has nothing to do with scares, but with connection. The more the audience connects to the film, the more taken aback the audience will be when the end is revealed. I don�t really think this is a film about a kid afraid of ghosts. Maybe a better description is that it�s about communication. ****