The Others (2002, DVD)

Sub-category: Suspense, Haunted House
Setting: Old House, Secluded Island
Predictability: Madam Cleo couldn't predict this
Scare Factor: My head made a whole in the ceiling
Gore Factor: No Blood, No Guts
Look-at-these: No Nudity

Synopsis: Grace is the strict but loving mother to her two ill children, Anne and Nick. The children are photosensitive, so portals of light entry must be blocked at all times. Grace's husband, Charles, is off fighting in WWII. When her servants suddenly disappear, she is left to tend Anne and Nick alone. That is, until three strange servants (a nanny, a gardener and a maid) arrive to help her. Grace and her children begin to see and hear things that just don't seem possible at first. But soon enough, they have no choice but to confront their deepest fears of the supernatural.

Title Significance: I believe that The Others is a reference to those on the opposite side. Be it in war, an argument or reality. I will explore the striking symbolism that leads me to this conclusion a bit later.

Analysis: Why have I crawled out of my hole that consists of teen flicks and B horror movies? Why am I writing the two-hundred-somethingITH review on a film? Because this is the first film to scare me in a long time. Because the symbolism is thought provoking. Because I am writing a review that concurs with one of my favorite Epinions reviewers, Simply_Crispy, for quite possibly the first time. We agree here and there, but never completely. Until today, anyway.

The acting deserves kudos all around. In my opinion, the child actors are the real stars of this film. James Bentley delivers an amazingly real performance as Grace's son, Nick. His fear and conviction could project through the thickest fog of pea soup. Alakina Mann delivers a similarly striking performance as Grace's daughter, Anne. She has a propensity for engaging her mother in power struggles that seem as true as they are touching. Of course, Nicole Kidman is wonderful as Grace and it isn't possible to do better than Fionnula Flanagan as the semi-motherly nanny, Mrs. Mills. Yes, even Eric Sykes (Mr. Tuttle), Elaine Cassidy (Lydia) and Christopher Eccleston (Charles) deliver amazing performances.

Screenwriter and Director Alejandro Amen bar has more talent than I ever believed possible. The story and the characters are as endearing as this film is suspenseful. Every scene was acted and scripted to perfection. I won't comment much more on the story than I already have, but I will say that this film is an artistic masterpiece. This film has just made it to my Top 10 Ever list.

There are no blood or guts to be found in this film. There are no murders shown on screen. But this is the scariest movie that I can recall seeing since Silence of the Lambs. Why? Anne and Nick suffer from an allergy to light, so the house must be lit by candles alone. Spooky. Grace's (Kidman) domineering and frantic personality contributes a great deal to the tense atmosphere throughout the film. Very spooky. The dense fog, mood music and the clever camera tricks produce an uneasy feeling that causes the viewer to surrender all sense of control. Damn spooky.

Now I will move into what I loved most, the symbolism. (I'll admit that I don't recall reading any reviews, besides Simply_Crispy's. I hope that this topic hasn't been beaten to death by now.) Grace and her children soon learn that they co-exist with spirits that are always there, but not always seen. I believe this to be symbolic of two opposing sides; politically, ideologically or otherwise. There are times of peace, when the sides ignore each other or agree to disagree; and there are times of conflict, when one side simultaneously acknowledges and loathes the other's presence. If both sides refuse to live relatively peacefully in coexistence, then conflict will continue until one side becomes too weak to continue. Agreeing to disagree is an example of peaceful coexistence, even among friends. If one side refuses to rest, then that coexistence/friendship cannot last. You'll have to watch the film to find out if Grace and her family can live peacefully with The Others.

I also feel that using WWII as a backdrop for the film is important. As Grace said in the film, there are two sides. There are the Goodies and there are the Baddies. The Nazis were, of course, the Baddies. But, it is unlikely that they ever considered themselves to be the Baddies. I'm sure that they saw themselves as the Goodies and us as the Baddies. This brings about the question, how do you know which side you are on? Well, you'll just have to watch the film to find out how Grace and her family determine which side they are on and which side The Others are on. There is so much more to discuss, but I am cutting myself off right here.

I firmly believe that the members of the Alliance were the Goodies and that the members of the opposition were the Baddies. Just in case there is any confusion. I just use the example of conflict in the movie to make a point.

Final Comments: It has been quite some time since I have gone on one of my symbolism tirades, but this film just sparked so many things in my mind. The acting is tremendous, the story is profound and the suspense is lethal. If you have not already, please SEE THIS MOVIE!

Similar Movies: The Shining