Just caught the last 35 min of The visitor on The space Chanel up here in Canada. It was a joy to watch it yet again. I just love this film. I really don't care about popular opinion of this piece of work. I joined this forum as a result of my emotional affect from this film. Ivy Walker, wow, what an incredible metaphor for how i look at my own place in society. I am Blind to what is happening around me yet intelligent enough to know that something has to be done when something is wrong. I don't know what to do. I am painfully ignorant to the world around me. I have been pummeled my whole life with false restrictions and yet I have an innate sense of what is right and what is worth fighting for. This masterpiece of a film, identifies these issues and portrays both the vulnerabilities of protagonist and antagonist beautifully. None of us truly know where we are going or what we are supposed to be doing.
Poor Noah Percy...the villain yet not. That quest for individuality and sense of displacement is something so few are willing to conceptualize let alone try to deal with. I miss the point of his obsession...I admit, that will take much further analysis, yet I do understand his import in the Ideal society....it is a fantasy. It is almost against human nature. We are born flawed creatures. To ascribe perfection to humanity is ludicrous. The goal is ludicrous. So what are the Villagers ascribing to? What is the purpose of the Village? It is truly cowardice. It is counter human to try and live in such an environment. We are predators. Canines, intelligence, our eyes face forward.... we are predators.
Social predators have a place in nature, it isn't unprecedented. But we are predators. So was Noah evil? was he even wrong? Is the whole concept of the Village wrong? I am not qualified to judge. All i wish to say is that Mr. Shyamalan has masterfully created a scenario in which we can explore these wondrous issues. And this is only a small small small dialogue of this film. I can't even begin to start thinking about Lady in the water or Unbreakable or Signs or any of the other thought provoking films.
Thank you for you genius Mr. Shyamalan. You make me think.
Sincerely
Shaughn