Lady in the Water Essay

Lady in the Water Lives up to Shyamalan’s Legend

The Sixth Sense shot him into fame, Unbreakable was cleverly unique; Signs set him apart as one of the most brilliant storytellers in Hollywood. M. Night Shyamalan's films are distinctive and disturbing, enticing and eccentric, impressive and intriguing. Sadly, his genius is often wasted on the public mind.

Since the devastating debut of The Village previously loyal fans have faltered in their faith of Night's ability to take a potentially disastrous idea and make it into a truly unique and beautiful tale, one that can not only dazzle the mind but touch the heart. His most recent film, Lady in the Water, was a total failure in the box office because many fans disappointed with The Village did not give it a chance, for one, and those who did were not expecting what they got, and told everyone prematurely that the film was terrible. On the contrary, Lady in the Water is a perfect example of how brilliant, creative, and caring Night is, and how remarkable a storyteller he can be.

Night first came up with the story of Lady as a bedtime story for his daughters. As time passed it grew into a deep and lovely story about a man lost in his grief and doubt of the world, and how he found salvation in the least likely place: the bottom of a swimming pool. The man, Cleveland Heep, discovers there is a mystical woman named Story, a Narf (sea nymph), living in the pool. Her task is to be seen by one person in the apartment complex, for legend states that such a person, also known as a vessel, will have their soul awakened, will be inspired by their meeting, and will do great things to change the world for the better. Cleveland is not the vessel, but he has his own pivotal role in the tale: as he helps Story complete her task and return to her home safe, she heals his heart and soul, and changes the lives of every human who comes to know her in her short stay at the apartment.

The story has even more a fantastical feel to it than Night's previous films and is more of a fairy tale than a thriller, and that had much to do with its failure to please audiences. In total, Lady has three moments that make the audience flinch, and they are far less gruesome than The Sixth Sense’ numerous mutilated ghosts and Signs’ blink-of-an-eye alien sightings. Marketed as a horror film, and targeted at Night's fan base, Lady was expected to be more terrifying and less inspiring, despite the tag "A Bedtime Story by M. Night Shyamalan" that followed every trailer and was placed on every poster. People who would have appreciated the movie never saw it because they did not know it was truly to their taste, and those who saw it did not get what they wanted. They complained to their friends, and stopped others, including those who would have enjoyed it, from seeing it. That, combined with his previous disappointing Village, with its anticlimactic, not-so-surprising twist and sudden ending, doomed the film before it stood a chance.

If I had expected anything from Lady, it was not to come out of the theatre trembling with inspiration and joy. Night's previous films had given me shivers, but never cut me to the core. His films had touched in on the best and worst of humanity, but none had ever attempted to counter it and certainly they had never painted such a portrait of pain, love, humor, and soul. Lady left out the excessive special effects so common in today's films, and created a stronger, more believable atmosphere with the use of simple puppets and architecture. The characters were also very genuine. They were all different culturally, personally, and physically from each other, and from the Hollywood poster people. And above all, every one of them developed greatly throughout the film, from Cleveland finding faith, to Vick Ran, a role portrayed by Night himself, forgetting his fear and embracing his destiny. The inclusion of symbolic archetypes and mythology combined with a truly original concept and back-story gave the film a heart and a depth long since lost in the entertainment industry.

The film frankly would have been more widely accepted had it been written as a novel before there was ever a film made from it. Unfortunately, the fantasy-story-turned-film fad has long since started to run thin. The magical and spiritual impact Lady had would have been lost on many had it been published as a novel first, for anyone who went to see it would already know what to expect, and anyone who had not read it previously would probably understand it even less than they already do.

The truth is most people who saw the movie did not have enough imagination or faith of their own to be touched by it. It was not a scary story by a stretch, though it had its moments, and that disappointed many Night fans, since he is known for his freaky films that are easier to digest for the squeamish than the Saw films are, but still get the adrenaline pumping. There was also not a giant twist in the story, another characteristic of Night's earlier films. Rather, Night told a more straightforward, heartfelt plot that could have been just as enrapturing if audiences would allow him to depart from his previous work and show them something new. The tragedy is in their refusal to adapt to the new environment, and they miss out on something amazing.

Nearly two years later Lady in the Water remains my favorite film. Every time I watch it even to this day, I come away feeling as if my own soul has been awakened, and I am shaken with inspiration and excitement even talking-or writing-about it. Such an effect on a person is rare, and any film that can do such for any person deserves respect, and a second chance. I worked in the same cinema I saw the movie in, and I was able to inform many people to expect the unexpected, and to be inspired, and many came back and thanked me for setting their pre-judgments straight, because they were able to appreciate the film much more. I only wish the advertisers had been able to see that pushing the tag "Bedtime Story" and not the name of the producer would have improved everyone's lives, whether it was in film sales, a storyteller's reputation, or the audiences' enjoyment.