Intelligent Drama

Intelligent Drama
By Rhonda Cluff

Not often, a film comes along that gives you the unexpected. There are certain elements to a film that can ruin the experience. One such factor is the music. All too often, the soundtrack can lead the audience down the expected path leaving nothing to surprise. The 2001 film The Others is one of these brilliant films. One word of caution before you continue, it will be very difficult for me to explain without giving "spoilers".
I know what you are thinking: after one filmmaker has done it, and then it is no longer a method that others can use. As for thrillers, this is only true when the film contains poor editing and soundtrack placement. There are scenes in The Others that you honestly did not see coming. Let me put it to you another way. If there was anyone in the theater with me that thought the film was too predictable, I could not hear him or her over thescreaming. As for others who have done similar films, let me just say that this film stands can stand on its own.
Before I continue, let me give a summary of the film. Nicole Kidman plays Grace, a mother of two children (Christopher Eccleston and Alakina Mann) who is a woman during the end of the WWII that is waiting for her husband to come back. Her staff leaving unexpectedly forces her to hire new help (Fionnula Flanagan, Eric Sykes, and Elaine Cassidy). These ordinary circumstances lead to unsettling turns of events for the entire family.
Their family is already strange. Grace is very strict, and devoutly religious. Her children have an odd disease in which they are sensitive to light. This results in unusual rules in the house, such as "never go through one door without closing the other behind you." Grace is very sharp with her children, and at the same time very protective of them. The relationship that they create on-screen is wonderful. It is very honest and real. The children have an ongoing sibling rivalry that gives the film comic relief.
As for the dramatic elements, this film keeps you on your toes. The film takes you on a journey. You feel the sorrow the mother feels because her husband has not returned. You see clues to the plot cleverly disguised as chilling moments. Everything leads up to climactic ending, and a short denouement. While one scene relates to the following, you do not know what comes around the next corner. The ending explains everything. Although you leave with a frightening feeling in the pit of your stomach, the film comes full circle and leaves you content. One particularly impressive aspect was the lack of inappropriate material. None of the characters swore, there were no gory scenes, and not one nude body to be found. All you had was drama and suspense.
Overall, the film was intelligent. Even if you are not normally someone who watches horror films, this one you will like. This stand-alone film takes the genre to new heights. If I had to give this a rating, I would give them full five stars.