The Plight of the Plot Twist
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| The Sixth Sense (1999) |
These are important questions to ask when analyzing a movie, the latter is particularly important when thinking about a film you have scene when you haven't had the twist spoiled for you. Plot twists have always been a popular tool to use in story telling, since before the invention of film popular novels used the method of a clever twist in order to gain the approval and awe of readers. However, there are times when stories, particularly those in film, fall victim to relying entirely on the twist. Would classic films such as The Sixth Sense still be as remarkable were they not to have their infamous twist at the end? In the case of Sixth Sense I say yes, without its twist the film would still be compelling, still have wonderful acting, moving emotional dialogue, beautiful music, and a clever use of color in order to provide further depth to the story.
However, this is not the case with every movie.
Some films are dull throughout. Lackluster and uninteresting, they build up toward a big reveal, and then everyone leaves the theater excited and having found new depth and meaning to movie due to this simple sleight of hand. Today I implore you to look beyond the twist, imagine what sort of merit a film has without a simple magic trick intended to catch you off guard and toy with your emotions.
Does the film offer anything else in terms of story? Do its characters have any sort of depth or realism to them, or are they mere pawns in the game the story has set in place to distract the viewers as they move around, spout out lines, and set up the plot for a big reveal? Twists should never be included in a film as the entire basis of the film's plot, a good twist is one which flows naturally within the plot line of the movie, one which once discovered makes sense all along, and not something which has been added in as an afterthought to an otherwise mediocre film in an effort to make it decent.
A decent twist should flow so naturally within the film's story that the film would have otherwise been confusing and not made sense without it, it should be the remaining puzzle pieces which helps viewers understand what exactly they just watched. A twist is also not necessary for a film to be compelling or interesting, though this seems to not be a popular opinion right now. Many current movies feel the need to throw in a twist of some sort, be it something minor in an effort to catch viewers off guard or something massive to try and shock them so that they might forget all the other flaws throughout the film because they are so emotionally shaken and surprised by the twist at the end.
Again, while twists aren't necessarily a bad thing, they are certainly being relied on much heavier than they need to be. Director M Night Shyamalan was once revered as a fantastic filmmaker, but eventually the realization that every single one of his films would have a twist of some sort set in, and people began to notice the flaws in his movies; which grew more glaring and ridiculous as his career went on. Before a filmmaker ventures into the realm of shocking audiences, it is fundamental that they're certain that they have something which could stand alone without any shock value. Without a solid foundation, the film is little more than the setup to a surprising punchline, and we should be creating art, not jokes.
If you like the content that The Foxy Film Fan puts out and would like to ensure that it keeps coming, I encourage you to check out Patreon for more information on how you can help!
However, this is not the case with every movie.
Some films are dull throughout. Lackluster and uninteresting, they build up toward a big reveal, and then everyone leaves the theater excited and having found new depth and meaning to movie due to this simple sleight of hand. Today I implore you to look beyond the twist, imagine what sort of merit a film has without a simple magic trick intended to catch you off guard and toy with your emotions.
Does the film offer anything else in terms of story? Do its characters have any sort of depth or realism to them, or are they mere pawns in the game the story has set in place to distract the viewers as they move around, spout out lines, and set up the plot for a big reveal? Twists should never be included in a film as the entire basis of the film's plot, a good twist is one which flows naturally within the plot line of the movie, one which once discovered makes sense all along, and not something which has been added in as an afterthought to an otherwise mediocre film in an effort to make it decent.
A decent twist should flow so naturally within the film's story that the film would have otherwise been confusing and not made sense without it, it should be the remaining puzzle pieces which helps viewers understand what exactly they just watched. A twist is also not necessary for a film to be compelling or interesting, though this seems to not be a popular opinion right now. Many current movies feel the need to throw in a twist of some sort, be it something minor in an effort to catch viewers off guard or something massive to try and shock them so that they might forget all the other flaws throughout the film because they are so emotionally shaken and surprised by the twist at the end.
Again, while twists aren't necessarily a bad thing, they are certainly being relied on much heavier than they need to be. Director M Night Shyamalan was once revered as a fantastic filmmaker, but eventually the realization that every single one of his films would have a twist of some sort set in, and people began to notice the flaws in his movies; which grew more glaring and ridiculous as his career went on. Before a filmmaker ventures into the realm of shocking audiences, it is fundamental that they're certain that they have something which could stand alone without any shock value. Without a solid foundation, the film is little more than the setup to a surprising punchline, and we should be creating art, not jokes.
If you like the content that The Foxy Film Fan puts out and would like to ensure that it keeps coming, I encourage you to check out Patreon for more information on how you can help!
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