Signs (2002)

Signs is an American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan in 2002. This film produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and also Sam Mercer.  Starring by Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin.

   

Plot

The story start from a farmer Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) found a few of mysterious pattern, lines and circles in his corn farm. While he investigating the crop circle with the local law enforcement, Morgan is forced to kill one of the family dogs when it turns violent against him and her daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin). Graham found that all of the animals in town become aggressive. They hear reports of crop circles appearing around the globe, and there are reports of strange lights over Mexico. Later they found the farm and the house being watched by unknown creature. Moreover, they received unknown noise and signal form a baby talkie. Various of signs showing that something serious going to happen soon.

Analysis

Signs is sci-fiction thriller and drama's film. Science Fiction Thriller incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Traditionally, a Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. These elements can be used in a Science Fiction Thriller to create anticipation and suspense. Often, this sub-genre will explore the “future-gone-bad” theme, including plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopian scenarios, and super-diseases. 

In the film, alien(sci-fiction) going to attack earth, some signs appear before this such as crop circle, animals turn aggressive, strange light over the sky, and unknown signal and noise. For horror/thriller, which are the scene Graham hear some unknown noise and seeing a green long leg in the corn farm at night and the scene which is aliens intend to enter Graham house. The directed style, filming's style and also the sound effect tends to bring tension and panic to the audience. 

Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. While Drama film relies heavily on this kind of development, dramatic themes play a large role in the plot as well. Often, these dramatic themes are taken from intense, real life issues. Whether heroes or heroines are facing a conflict from the outside or a conflict within themselves, Drama film aims to tell an honest story of human struggles. 

In Signs, Graham show that how he face the alien invasions incident and against them. As a human, he need to protect his mother land from outsider; as a father and older brother, he need to protect his children and also young brother. In the end, alien give up their invasion plan and leave the earth as their weakness(water) had been found by human.  

Style and Opinion

In Signs, the filming style keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. In the beginning, the alien only show some body parts(finger, leg), shadow and sound/noise. It play around with fear and mysterious sense to attract audience stay on their seats to keep watching. In my opinion, I feel that Signs is good movie as it relate imagination with reality(crop circle). Crop circle is a pattern created by flattening a crop, such as cereal and corn. It first recover by people in 1678 England, and the number substantially increased to current time. Although, some people admitted crop circle is created by them but still have many people believe in crop circle created by natural phenomena or alien.  

  

Reference

TSL. Thriller. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/thriller

B. R. (n.d.). Crop Circles Explained. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html

R. E. (n.d.). Signs Movie Review & Film Summary (2002) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/signs-2002