Horror classic - The Sixth Sense Reviews

"I see dead people," frightened ten year-old Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) whispers to dedicated child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis). Whenever young Cole says anything disturbing, he whispers it -- making it more disturbing. Cole's power -- THE SIXTH SENSE -- allows him to see dead people at every turn, still caught in the limbo between the end of life and eternal rest, unable to accept their own demise. Their gaping wounds and other signs give away the manner by which death apprehended them. At first, the psychologist is skeptical of the kid's alleged powers, and he treats the case like every other abnormal-psychology profile. He figures that the divorce of Cole's parents has probably short-circuited some impish synapse in the child's imagination. But, the therapist and patient gravitate toward one another as irresistible partners in a world that has become a void of isolation -- for both. At key moments, it is difficult to discern who is the therapist, and who is the patient. If at this point, you do not already suspect that this movie inspires more pathos than chills, let it be clearly stated: THE SIXTH SENSE is not a schlock shocker. Its sparse thrills are made that much more satisfying because, in the context of the human story behind them, they appear that much more tenable. In its construct of a ghost story told through the medium of a child, THE SIXTH SENSE is a post-modern thriller along the lines of THE EXORCIST (1973) or THE SHINING (1980). This same construct allows the film to be more effective by tapping the reservoir of our memories of being afraid, as children. But, in its blend of quasi-tragic melodrama with terror, THE SIXTH SENSE is a throwback to classic horror movies of the thirties and forties. Contributing to that impression is director Shyamalan's form, and cinematographer Fujimoto's technique, both of which styles evoke a bygone era. Aside from the presence of Mr. Willis and Olivia Williams in the first scene, the beginning of the film, stylishly shot as a reflection on a plaque, might well be mistaken for a classic movie outtake. Even the color tint of the sequence evokes an earlier age (or, color filters). Mr. Shyamalan's use of elegant establishing shots, and prolonged fade-ins are also distinctive. The symbiotic relationship between the two major characters in this movie reminded me of the melancholy friendship between the Monster and the Hermit in THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) -- although, here, the relationship is developed further. The climax of that development adeptly provides a bombshell revelation at the end of this film that may give THE SIXTH SENSE the most talked about twist since THE CRYING GAME (1992), and Bruce Willis, his best movie since PULP FICTION (1994). (Carlos Colorado)