I did some digging, but I didn't find anything direct from Shyamalan about the theory, so I don't think he's commented on it. It'd be cool if somebody would ask him. However, in the interviews I found, he only ever refers to them as aliens and he doesn't hint at anything else they might be. I suspect that, in his mind, they're aliens, but I bet he'd dig the theory and would dig that people are thinking about it on that level. And, yeah, it's certainly one of the most plausible fan theories of all-time. Most theories I read seem to have forgotten or ignore large chunks of the movies, but the Aliens are Demons (like Mason is Bond) fit surprisingly well.
I feel like maybe I should rewatch Signs, like I've diminished it in my mind since the last time I saw it. When I first watched it, I enjoyed it a lot, but in retrospect, it seemed simpler.
It is surprising that you have The Village ranked so highly, since a lot of people really hated that movie. In fact, I feel like The Village was when people really started to turn on him. The Sixth Sense made everybody rave about his talent; people who saw Unbreakable liked it, although it was definitely under-seen; Signs was the first really mixed-review film where people started to go, "Oh, it was only okay"; but The Village was when a lot of people jumped off the bandwagon and he basically hasn't recovered - reputation-wise - since.
I've actually only seen Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, Glass, Split, Signs, and Devil (which is only his story, not his direction) out of the man's filmography. I'll try to check out The Village now, though. I have had the twist spoiled, but that shouldn't make a difference, in my opinion (since I had Sixth Sense spoiled, too, and still loved it). I'd also really like to see Lady in the Water, which I thought sounded cool.
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PrimeMinisterX (8291)
a year ago
I do suspect that Shyamalan himself probably did not intentionally write the aliens to also be able to be interpreted as demons. But then again, let's remember that he is a filmmaker who is fond of twists and misdirection, so it really would not surprise me at all if one guy he comes out and says, "Yeah, you guys figured it out. Took long enough."
I suspect if you ask most people who are familiar with Shayamalan's work, they will put Sixth Sense and Unbreakable at #1 and #2, in either order. It's funny though, because I have always preferred Signs and The Village, even though I do think Unbreakable and The Sixths Sense are also great movies.
You should definitely check out The Village. In my opinion, it tells an interesting story, with a great cast and performances, that is beautifully shot by Roger Deakins and beautifully scored by James Howard. One of the primary reasons I love it though is because I am very sympathetic to the cause of the villagers and think that their idea is a really interesting one.
As for Lady in the Water, well, it was okay. Honestly I would have to put it into the category of "interesting failure." If the concept is intriguing to you, it's at least worth one viewing.
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Ace_Spade (9347)
a year ago
I'd love to hear Shyamalan's thoughts on that theory, intentional or not. Maybe they're both, like it's some kind of CS Lewis Cosmic Trilogy blending of sci-fi and theology. Or like when The Doctor finds the Devil in that one planet's core. They're demon aliens.
Unbreakable and Sixth Sense are my numbers 1 and 2. My list of Shyamalan films I've seen (in my last post) is actually in order of my appreciation for them. It's neat seeing them arrayed like that because, as I said, I enjoy Signs, so the fact that it's near the bottom says something very positive about M. Night's quality.
I'll check out The Village, and probably Lady in the Water (maybe even a Signs re-watch).
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