| The Signs of Suspense - words by Michael Lengyel Suspense: 1. A state of usually anxious uncertainty, as in awaiting a decision. 2. The growing interest and excitement felt while awaiting a climax or resolution, as of a novel, play, series of events. Campfire stories, tales of killers with hooks for hands, alligators in sewers, haunted houses, and not so benevolent aliens from distant planets. As children, such stories kept us in suspense and filled our hearts with spine-tingling, blankets-over-the-head fear. We carry those fears with us into adulthood, where the unknown can still send a chill down our spine and make us afraid of the dark. Today, that tradition of creating fear that slowly builds to a nail biting climax flourishes in the work of screenwriters who craft new and exciting tales of suspense... To grasp the proper use of suspense, you must first have a thorough understanding of the obstacles and jeopardy that you will subject your characters to throughout the story. First, the writer must create a structure on which to strategically layer events and situations for the characters to experience. The writer governs this world, playing a god of sorts by carefully manipulating the characters. If clever enough, the writer may even be so bold as to cautiously position clues within the story that will culminate in a believable and satisfying "twist" ending. As intriguing as his characters were in Unbreakable, the script seemed to lack the same sensational punch of The Sixth Sense. So it's no real surprise that Shyamalan has gone back to the well and crafted yet another supernatural thriller. This time leaving ghosts, superheroes and villains behind, Shyamalan opts for aliens and crop circles as the backdrop for a family in peril with his latest offering, Signs. Increasing the Scare Factor Does he still have lightning in a bottle? Is that same M. Night magic present in Signs that was so clearly evident in his script for the Sixth Sense? The trust is that Shyamalan not only equaled what he did in The Sixth Sense, but surpassed it with his screenplay for Signs. Here he showcases his growth as a writer, choosing to focus more on the characters and the craft of storytelling than attempting to cleverly devise yet another "twist" ending. In Signs, he uses some of his best storytelling techniques to create suspense and fear both on and off camera. He also adds a touch of warmth and humor in his characters to help offset some of the terrifying drama that plays out on the page. Bu using humor, he eases the reader into a safe place then hits 'em with a surprise one-two punch. Shyamalan himself has made it clear that Signs is not Unbreakable but more like The Birds, Night of the Living Dead and War of the Worlds all rolled into one. It's obvious that his love for these films influenced him while writing the script. Using the well-known phenomenon of crop circles as his inspiration of Signs, Shyamalan sets out to answer the questions of who or what put them there and why. He creates terror by tapping the psychological elements of fear more than the physical elements, and here is where his writing proves most effective. The terror of what is unknown and of what can't be seen becomes more disturbing and unsettling. Signs: The Story Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), is a recently-widowed father of two, living on a small rural farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. When we're introduced to Graham, we quickly learn that he has never fully accepted the death of his beloved wife who was killed in an auto accident just six months earlier. This pain torments him and causes his to question his beliefs, so much that he resigns his titles as Holy Father of his local church. Graham's younger brother, Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix), soon moves into the family's farmhouse to help Graham cope with his loss and raise his son Morgan and daughter Bo. Merrill makes a generous offer of self-sacrifice. He gives up his dream career as a record-holding minor-league baseball player to help fill the void in Graham's life. With this careful character construction established early on, Shyamalan has created two main characters who are both likeable and wounded. The reader is now emotionally engaged and anything that threatens this family also threatens the reader's emotional investment. In the first act, Graham's two children discover a mysterious 500-foot crop circle just yards outside their doorstep. Confused, Graham is convinces that the circle is some bizarre prank or hoax, possibly perpetrated by the neighbor's son and his friends. The mystery now established, the plot moves into high gear, carefully laying out the clues that the reader will follow to discover the source of these ominous crop circles. The theories of pranks and hoaxes are soon dismissed when abnormal and unexplainable things occur with regularity around the Hess family. Their two dogs suddenly become more aggressive and hostile. Bo complains that the tap water is contaminated and Morgan begins to pick up strange transmissions from a baby monitor. The children develop a fascination for reading books about aliens and alien invasions. While these events may seem incidental at first, they are actually the catalysts that develop the story further and create the suspense leading to the third act. Building the Suspense Graham is reluctant to believe that the crop circles are anything other than a prank. Eager to prove his theory, Graham ventures out to his corn fields. Shadows, sounds, and darkness work to escalate the tension and build suspense in this scene. What creates the fear is not what we see but what we anticipate. The scene ends with the reader, like Graham, still questioning the source of the terror, still fearing the unknown. Shyamalan unravels the mystery slowly for the reader. He doesn't just tease, he offers a glimpse of the answer that will be fully revealed at the end. After the cornstalk scene, the reader is so involved in the characters and the thought of looming danger that he/she is compelled to turn the page to learn the answers. Shyamalan employs deceptive visuals and sounds to heighten the suspense throughout the story. He uses a knife to reflect the image of a creature trapped behind a door, the sounds of these figures moving among the shadows in and around the Hess home, and videotaped images of these creatures invading and walking among us in the daylight. These are all haunting devices that get under our skin but keep the answers just out of reach. Little by little, never graphically or gratuitously, the combination of these visuals and sounds begin to play upon our most primal fears. These devices of suspense almost become actual characters, playing an all-important role for the reader. Characters in Conflict Once the danger has been identified, Shyamalan uses new devices to heighten the suspense and increase the danger for the Hess family. But while the physical threat comes ever closer, the focus is shifted from the action and redirected to the reader's emotional involvement with the family. Graham continues to grapple with his faith and his fear for the family's safety. Merrill acts as the strong physical presence, the protector of the two younger children. At one moment when Morgan catches Graham at his weakest, the boy defiantly remarks to Merrill, "I wish you were my dad," meaning he wishes that his father had the strength to be the brave protector. Merrill quickly fires back at Morgan in his brother's defense, "Don't you ever say that! I don't want to hear you ever say that again! Your father's a great man." Merrill has great respect for his bother. In a fatherly way he scolds Morgan into understanding all that Graham has been and is going through. The action also slows down for a moment when amidst the chaos, the family gathers for what could possibly be their last meal together. The touching scene switches gears when Graham emotionally breaks down at the diner table. His unanswered prayers have taken their toll on him. He's not sure where to place his faith anymore but he believes there must be a reason behind these recent cataclysmic "signs". The reader sees Graham's weaknesses and knows that before he can expect to help his family get through this ordeal, he must first help himself and reconnect with his faith. The balance of characters and action are key in creating a suspenseful script. Shyamalan gives equal attention to structuring characters and packing action. He knows that the reader's investment in the characters is crucial device for escalating the story's suspense. Signs is an excellent film to study for devices that involve the reader and create intense psychological fear. If you want your script to be a suspenseful as possible, you must create compelling characters and incorporate the three "S's"into your story's structure. What makes Shyamalan's scripts so effective is his proper use of balanced structure. By writing convincing characters and situations, Shyamalan brings readers into a world where he pulls their emotional strings. With Signs, Shyamalan makes brilliant use of these writing techniques to create a tight and cohesive screenplay that allows the reader to conjure up their worst fears. By blending all the necessary ingredients for a wicked cocktail of suspense, M. Night Shyamalan's Signs takes the reader and the audience on a spiritual journey while offering an entertaining roller-coaster ride of thrills and chills along the way. |
 |
 |