The Passion of the Village

   I  became a fan of M. Night Shyamalan before I knew it.  I saw The Sixth Sense without knowing who directed it, and thought it was a cool film – even though I guessed the twist half way through the film.  Usually it’s my wife who guesses the twist in a film early on.  I guess that’s because with a writer’s mind, she’s thinking well down the plotline.

Again, not knowing who Night was, I then saw Unbreakable.  Again, a cool flick;  a postmodern take on a superhero story.  And again, didn’t pay attention to the name M. Night Shyamalan.

Then, one hot summer day my wife and I did something out of the norm for us:  we went and saw a movie during the day that was not a romantic comedy.  She usually makes the call on date movies, and I am happy to let her do so.  This time though I chose Signs.   It was such an interesting sci-fi/thriller take on the concepts of destiny and freewill that I paid attention to who made the film.  Now I realize that many people feel that Signs began Night’s descent into sub par films, but I disagree.

(I will readily agree that Lady in the Water was terrible and I didn’t even see The Happening because I had heard the premise was so laughably terrible.  Subsequent films Last Airbender and Devil have gotten such bad reviews they hold no interest for me.)

When I learned his next film after Signs was The Village, the trailers captured my attention.  They intimated a spooky, period film with secrets and monsters in the woods.  Now knowing Night’s penchant for twists, I convinced my wife to see another “scary” movie together.

I left the theatre thoroughly entertained and captivated by the underlying theme woven so well throughout the plot.

To me, the story of The Village has little to do with monsters in the woods, or clever twists.

I would sum up the plot with this phrase: “What lengths will love go to?”

If you have not yet seen The Village, be warned that the following gives major plot points away…so…

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MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW

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For those still reading, I am assuming you are familiar with the movie, so I won’t rehash the plot.  But if you are going to watch the film again, consider these elements in light of the question above.

1.)    Edward Walker and the Elders:  in a twisted way, their desire to create a utopian society was borne out of a sense of love.  Their desire to protect themselves and their children led them to create an entire community secluded from the dangers of modern society.  This desire to protect the community leads to the creation of a village mythos which eventually brings about much harm. Their plan was borne out of grief over having lost loved ones to horrific deaths in the ‘modern’ world. Twisted, yes – but is a length they were willing to go out of their love for others.

2.)    Edward Walker / Alice Hunt:  I struggle to really call this ‘love’, since Edward  Walker is married to Tabitha Walker.  But during the film, it is made clear that he has “strong feelings” for Alice Hunt.  Out of love for his wife and children, he chooses to refrain from certain actions that would lead his heart to wander.  Sometimes the length love will go to is denial of self.

In an exchange between Lucius and Alice, this is fleshed out for us…

Alice: ... Perhaps we should speak with Edward Walker together. He may be able-

Lucius: He hides, too. He hides his feelings for you.

Alice: Oh!

Exasperated and startled, she turns and walks to her bedroom. He follows her.

Lucius: Sometimes, we don't do things, yet others know we want to do things, so we don't do them.

…

Alice Hunt: And what makes you think that he has feelings for me?

Lucius Hunt: The way he never touches you.

…

Later, at Edward’s daughter, Kitty’s wedding Alice goes to shake Edward’s hand in congratulations…

She holds out her hand, but he does not take it. She balls it into a fist, smiles, and moves on. When she turns back, Edward is clasping Mrs. Percy's hand and arm and talking with her. She gives a startled smile, but seems pleased.

Sometimes the length love will go to is denial of self.

3.)   Lucius / Ivy – perhaps the most obvious of the love stories, we see Lucius’ love for Ivy in the most pronounced ways.  His love is self-sacrificial as he comes to her house to protect her from the dangers of “Those We Don’t Speak Of.”  Regardless of what may happen to himself, Lucius comes to rescue his love.  Later, when it is  feared that Those We Don’t Speak Of will come back to the village, Lucius stands guard on Ivy’s porch.  After a tender and intense conversation about why Lucius is there, and where Ivy states that she believes they will marry, he says

“…the only time I feel fear as others do, is when I think of you in harm? That is why I am on this porch, Ivy Walker. I fear for your safety above all others. And yes... I will dance with you on our wedding night.”

His love is a quiet, but protecting, self-sacrificing love.

4.)   Noah / Ivy – this is definitely an unrequited ‘love.’  Noah is mentally handicapped but loves Ivy.  He is extremely disturbed when he learns that Ivy and Lucius have fallen in love and plan to get married.  Noah cannot handle this and mortally stabs Lucius.  Incredibly misguided, it could be said that this is the ‘length’ that he will go to for ‘love’.

5.)   Ivy / Lucius – Because of the Lucius’ near fatal wounds inflicted by Noah, Ivy chooses to go through the woods, the territory controlled by “Those We Don’t Speak Of” – regardless of what harm may come to her – to get medicines from the ‘town’ to save Lucius’ life.  Understanding that Ivy is blind and may run into any number of obstacles…alone, demonstrates again that she will go to any length, at any personal cost for the sake of her love.  She encounters the normal hazards of a sightless woman in the woods, and the terror of encountering the monster, but she presses on for her love.  Self-sacrificial love.

6.)   Edward / Ivy – Out of love for his daughter, and knowing that he may be excommunicated from the community, Edward tells Ivy the truth about monsters. Out of love for his daughter, he convinces Elders to let her go for the medicines needed for Lucius.  He may lose everything he has strived for to demonstrate his love for his daughter. Again, a self-sacrificing love.

I think one of the reasons I like this film so much is that this theme of “to what lengths will love go?” reminds me of the Gospel.  In His late night conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Just because the phrase is so familiar does not mean the length is any less astounding.

The second person of the Trinity, the King over the universe, the One who created all things, comes to earth in great humility – born into scandal, born in an animal shelter, laid in a feeding trough, and raised in a town of derision.  He is rejected by most of his day.  He is slandered, mocked, betrayed, beaten, scourged, crucified. The One who could call legions of angels to His defense, and yet can (and will) slay with the breath of His mouth (Isa. 11 & 2 Thess. 2), limits Himself so that we can be cleansed of sin and have eternal life.

All for the sake of love He limits Himself and dies in our stead.

And three days later rises from the dead.

There are some who call the last week of the earthy life of Jesus his ‘passion.’

I’ve heard passion described as the length we are willing to go to achieve our goal.

I’ve also heard it said that His entire life was His ‘passion.’  This may perhaps sound odd until we stop to grasp that until His incarnation, He had not been limited by the confines of hunger or physical weakness.  His entire existence from eternity past was experienced in glory, and now He was walking the broken earth.

This is the One who owes us nothing, Who has every right and would be completely justified by His character (His holiness AND goodness) to wipe us out.  And yet, he chooses in love to endure all this and sacrifice Himself, to bear the full wrath of God for two reasons:

·      His primary reason - the glory of God

·      His secondary reason - to redeem us

His passion for the Father’s glory and His passion for us His rebellious creation drove Him to the extreme lengths, not so we will begrudgingly follow or live in fear, but that in knowing Who loves us to these depths and what He has saved us from we can know abundant joy and freedom.

For me, The Village, is a reminder that love goes to amazing lengths, but with truest passion, the greatest Love went to extraordinary lengths for His beloved.