"The Happening" certainly didn't disappoint. Like all of Shymalan's films, "the Happening" uses suspense to put the audience on edge, and then the film proclaims some sort of positive message. I've seen "The Happening" twice now, and I'm still trying to find a definitive message; however, there's many more than just one. The film has a strong message regarding hope, family, and love. But there's also the obvious undertones of Providence, which is a major theme in all of Shymalan's films.
The environment is also a theme that should probably be discussed. In the beginning of the film, pollution and global warning are addressed briefly. However, they're brought up in a way that fuels a discussion. Nothing is definitively said, just that they're issues. The second time I watched the film though, I noticed that as the heros of the film pull in to "hot dog guy's" house, a couple of very large and intimidating smoke stacks are in the background. Shymalan would never put those in there by accident. On the other hand, I think he wants us to think about and discuss these issues. It seems like every other movie these days addresses global warming, so perhaps Shymalan is simply throwing the issues into the film, as that's what our society seems concerned about these days.
At the end of the film, the news anchors are discussing the event, and the idea is brought up that human beings are an infection of the planet... Agent Smith anybody? This idea is clearly dismissed though. Shymalan is way too positive of a storyteller to express something like that. Plus, I think it's very important that the film ends with a pregnancy. This is a very beautiful part of the film and is shot really well. I think it expresses the idea that life continues. Midway through the film, "hot dog" man says that Elliot is resilient - he never gives up. The film seems to say the same thing about life. The new child at the end offers quite a bit of hope to the story. However, this is countered in the very last scene, where another events starts "happening" in Paris. Still, the idea is that human life/love continue to prevail, despite the unexplainable events of life, including death and horror. This is supported by the line in the beginning of the film "It makes you kill yourself. Just when you thought nothing more evil could be invented."
It's a very "good parts of life" vs. "evil parts of life" story. Look at "the Village," where a society separates themselves from the world simply to avoid its horrors. And in "Unbreakable," one finds his ultimate purpose in life by fighting the horrors of mankind.
Like all of Shymalan's films, "the Happening" makes a great use of color. It's really obvious with the main character's mood ring. Shymalan has always used certain colors to throw the audience into different themes, and he's always been pretty bold about doing it, i.e. the "bad color" in "the Village." Perhaps the best use of color as a story-telling tool was in "Unbreakable," shot in absolutely beautiful comic-book aesthetics.
It was very similar to Hitchcock's "The Birds," similar to "Signs." Shymalan obviously loves Hitchcock. Also, I stayed in the theatre to watch the credits to see if he made a cameo in "the Happening." Sure enough, he played the voice of "Joey."
I really think Shymalan just wants us to watch this film and discuss the issues. It's very rich in theme, and I could probably talk about it all day. But it really was a great film, and I can't wait to see the next one.
As always, Shymalan isn't getting the credit he deserves, but that doesn't really bother me. The purest forms of art are often underestimated until years later. Some of the greatest masters died as nobodies. Look at Edgar Allan Poe who died in the streets of Baltimore. Vincent Van Gogh was basically dismissed as a lunatic. Soren Kiergekaard lived as a hermit. Sure, Shymalan appears to be a good guy and pretty mentally sound, but even in film we can find good examples of under-appreciated artists. "Citizen Kane," arguably the best film ever made, was an absolute failure when it came out. In fact, it hardly made enough money to give Welles a profit. Art history is filled with under-appreciated masters. Low ratings don't take away from a film's credibility. After all, if our world could properly understand brilliant art... well, I'm sure it would be a much better place.
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