REEL REFLECTIONS

"SIGNS" AND WONDERS

David Greiser

By now readers of this column know that I am a fan of filmmakers who are preoccupied with two things: the meaning of life, and the possibility that there is more to life than meets the eye.

With his fourth major film release in five years, M. Night Shyamalan is accumulating a body of work that addresses both kinds of issues from an intriguing array of angles. Shyamalan, now 31, was raised by Hindu parents who sent him to Christian private schools. Possibly due to his bicultural exposure, his films explore spiritual themes with the kind of tolerance and gentleness characteristic of his parents’ faith and at the same time the rational precision of much Christian theology.

Shyamalan’s first commercial film, "Wide Awake" (1998), dealt with the quest of a 10-year-old boy, after his beloved grandfather’s death, to learn the fate of the spirits of the dead. "The Sixth Sense" (1999) was ostensibly about life after death, though its true subject may have been ghosts. Its mood was more sinister and its plot more complex than "Wide Awake." Next "Unbreakable" (2000) raised the possibility of the existence of an invincible human being in this life.

All three films eschew flashy special effects, relying instead on well-crafted mystery, deft plot twists,and misdirection, and psychological tension between characters to build suspense as the stories move toward resolution. Shyamalan himself credits Alfred Hitchcock as a major influence in his artistic vision, and all the above could be said of Hitchcock’s work as well.

"Signs" is in the same well-crafted mold as its predecessors. It tells the story of the family of Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), a farmer and one time Episcopal priest who has left the church after a faith-shaking personal tragedy. For those who have not seen the film, I will not reveal the nature of that tragedy, searing though it is.

From the opening shot it is evident that something odd is happening on the Hess farm. There are noises on the wind, dogs barking at nothing, and footsteps on the roofs of barn and house. An old baby monitor picks up what sounds like a conversation in an unknown language. Then there are the unexplained cornfield circles. When CNN broadcasts nervous reports of similar sightings around the world, Graham’s two children (Abigail Breslin and Rory Culkin) and younger brother (Joaquin Phoenix) are convinced it is the work of aliens.

The rest of "Signs" moves deftly between a growing worldwide panic over the imminent alien invasion and Father Hess’s own loss of faith in God. Shyamalan trusts his characters and the script enough to allow his story to unfold slowly, in long scenes filled with literally dreadful silences and fearful facial expressions.

Those who have seen the earlier films know that the director rewards patience and alert attention to detail. By the conclusion of this movie, it seems that nearly every word and action has been essential to the tightly (too tightly?) crafted narrative, the purpose of which is, at least in part, the resolution of a priest’s crisis of faith.

Rather than reveal the ending, let me simply observe that it tries to supply an answer to the old theological quandary about God’s sovereignty and human free will. "Are you a miracle man?" Father Hess asks his brother as they watch the evening news. "Or do you think we’re all just on our own?"

Whether the film resolves the dilemma, adds to the ongoing debate, or misses the boat altogether, I leave to the viewer. "Signs," like good literature, stands up well under multiple viewings.

—Dave Greiser keeps his own feet firmly planted on the soil of Souderton, Pennsylvania. He is on the pastoral team at Souderton Mennonite Church and teaches preaching part-time at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.