Comments by "godzillavkk" (@godzillavkk) on "Top 10 Movies That Experienced Massive Backlash" video.
-
2
-
2
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
Jake Harries
Warning. Long comment
One clue to this other meaning is the seeming absurdity of the central plot element: The aliens, who possess such advanced technology that they are able to travel across galaxies, are yet incapable of breaking through simple doors and bring no weapons with them to combat their human enemy. Too, they are easily vanquished, humans learn quite accidentally, by water. Though the film was premiered to general critical acclaim, some critics blasted the script for these very reasons.
But the demon theory of the film solves this problem. The water left around the house by little Bo can be interpreted as holy water, famed among Roman Catholic exorcists for warding off demons and evil. And Bo herself? In a seemingly out-of-place exchange during the final confrontation with the creatures, Graham tells his daughter that when she was born, “all the ladies in the room gasped–I mean, they literally gasped–and they go, ‘Oh, she’s like an angel.'” In old Norse, Bo (Búi or Bua) means “to live”; the angel has brought the main weapon of life to be used against the forces of Satan. In a classic line from an earlier scene in the film, Bo wakes up her father to tell him, “There’s a monster outside my room. Can I have a glass of water?” This line deservedly elicits a great laugh from the audience; kids will be kids, right? But there is indeed a monster outside her window, as her father soon sees. Under the demon/angel interpretation, here Bo the messenger from Heaven is asking for the very weapon that she alone somehow senses will combat the demon/monster.
As in the case of the demonically possessed in the real world, Signs‘ “alien” is seemingly burnt by contact with the (holy) water. Note also that the “aliens” have cloven hooves, a classic depiction of demons in Western art since early medieval times. As stated above, the “aliens” also have no technological weapons; they rely on primarily on terror….as does Satan and his minions, who want nothing more than to have humans despair of their salvation and their survival.
As the Hesses take refuge in their basement, Merrill tells his brother Graham, whose loss of faith leads him to give up hope of defeating the creatures:
Graham has been obviously struggling with demons of a kind prior to and throughout the film: his loss of faith, his anger at God for the death of his wife. “I am not wasting one more minute of my life on prayer,” the former priest thunders when Morgan suggests saying grace before the family’s “last supper” the night of the “alien” attack. When the creatures try to break their way through the basement door, Graham says aloud to himself: “I’m not ready.” Under any interpretation of the film, this can be construed as Graham recognizing that his soul is unprepared for death. Under the demon interpretation, Graham might well be recognizing that he is not ready for the spiritual battle that has been thrust upon him.
oo, the man who fell asleep at the wheel, Ray Reddy (played by director Shymalan) literally has his own “demon”: his unrelieved guilt for killing Graham’s wife. When Graham visits Reddy’s house, he finds the veterinarian packed up and ready to seek refuge elsewhere from the invasion. “I guess if this is the end of the world, I’m screwed, right?” Reddy tells Graham. “People who kill reverends’ wives aren’t exactly ushered to the front of the line in Heaven.”
In parting Reddy warns Graham: “And don’t open my pantry, Father. I found one of them in there and locked him in.” Perhaps Reddy is still struggling to lock his guilt away, and to flee from it.
Note that never do we see the alien ships that have brought these creatures to Earth. Oh, there are lights in the sky, but neither the characters nor the viewers see an actual spacecraft. TV reporters are left to theorize about the alien use of a “cloak of invisibility.” Again, interpreting the “aliens” as demons solves this problem.
Of course, there are the crop circles, supposedly a “sign” of extraterrestrial activity, and here seen by the characters as such (though note that the one in Graham’s cornfield looks decidedly like a pitchfork, the traditional tool of demons); and there are reports on the TV and radio about the “aliens” being defeated by humans in the end. Here the TV broadcaster speaks cryptically, reporting that “the battle turned around in the Middle East. Three small cities there found a primitive method to defeat them.” Could that primitive method be the use of holy water? And this happened in the birthplace of Christianity, among a trinity of cities?
The viewer of Signs must ask himself: Are the events happening as the main characters perceive them? After all, the news media, as well as young Morgan, develop all kinds of wild theories about the intentions, strengths, and weaknesses of the “aliens” without much evidence. A major clue given to us by Mr. Shyamalan that all is not as it appears is given to us when Graham asks at one point, “Is this really happening?”
Mr. Shyamalan has dealt with the supernatural and with angels before and since 2002’s Signs. Wide Awake (1998) tells the story of an all-boys Catholic school where one boy, grieving the loss of his grandfather, is visited by an angel in the guise of a fellow student. The Sixth Sense (1999) uses the “payoff” device of having the protagonist–and the audience–held unaware until the film’s conclusion that he was dead all along; Unbreakable (2000) suggests that some humans possess truly supernatural powers.
Mr. Shyamalan also provided the story idea for Devil (2010), which portrays the manifestation of Satan himself among a group of people trapped in an elevator. Mr. Shyamalan is a Hundu who attended Episcopalian and Catholic schools in eastern Pennsylvania and whose work often is imbued with Christian themes and theology. In addressing the great issues of the existence of God, the meaning of life, and the fate of the soul, is it unreasonable to think that he would pit as the enemy of man not far-fetched aliens, but very real demons?
That is the true “payoff” of Signs that Mr. Shyamalan hopes his audience will be savvy enough to discern.
A pity they weren't. Checkmate Anti-Signs people.
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
1
-
My thoughts on each of the movies
10. Meh, never thought much of it, good or bad. Never thought much of Saving Private Ryan
9. Same as 10, but I agree it's gotten more hate then it deserves, frankly I want it's haters to shut up and get a life.
8. Love it and it's sequels. And I love it that a children's book was turned into an epic. Besides in the original, every character save Bilbo was bland.
7. Still love it and it's director. As for it's backlash, the creatures are DEMONS, not aliens. We are initially led to believe they are aliens, but over time through hints and by things happening, we learn that they are actually demons and are vulnerable to water because the water was holy and they can't enter a room because a priest is inside. The movies misinterpretation's almost makes me ashamed to be human, because of the incredibly stupid morons who bitch about it. Oh and FYI, I hated the Avatar The Last Airbender cartoon.
6. It's good in it's own right. Same goes for Shawshank and Pulp Fiction. Never though of any of them as better though.
5. I like them. Their nothing special but I like it when something for kids initially becomes an epic. Besides I think it's more realistic then the cartoons. And I like realism.
4. It's a meh for me.
3. Never heard of it but it's always good to see a movie that addresses racism.
2. I like it. It's got good characters, a good story and good tragedy. I just think those who hot on it are just attention seekers.
1. I hope this vid is right about other fans out there because for a long time I was worried I was the last fan. As for the plot, well let's say you grew up in a very controlled environment and had parents who never let you near movies like Pocahontas out of fear that I'd get a wrong idea about history. And let's also say you were raised in a very liberal American family who wanted equal treatment for everyone regardless of skin color, and also wanted America to be a land of multiple cultures. And let's say you also were an avid nature lover who is always willing to do whatever they can to help it and promote it's conservation. Well I fit all those categories.
Honestly I think those who hit on these movies are nothing but losers who believe that whining and ranting makes you look cool and adult, when really it just makes you look like a kid trapped in an adult's body. And people like that gave rise to online menaces such as The Nostalgia Critic. I might just be the only one who sees him and every other Channel Awesome critic for what they really are. manchildren who can take away someone's maturity and intelligence buy simply making them watch their reviews. So take my advice everyone, don't watch their reviews and become stupid, watch these movies and put aside all your negative thoughts. And maybe, you'll regain you're maturity, or if you're lucky, see the good movie hiding in all of them.
1