The sixth Sense (1999) – Genre study
M. Night Shyamalan
‘The Sixth Sense’ is a thriller/horror film about a young boy who communicates with ghosts of people who don’t know that they’re dead. The main character, setting and overall theme of ghosts and death immediately identifies the film as being part of the horror genre.
The main character, Cole Sear, is a young boy living with visions of the dead haunting him. Children are often used as key characters in horror films, especially those featuring ghosts, because they connotate innocence and vulnerability which in this case is used to show Cole and being a very vulnerable and frightened character which is confirmed my lines such as “I don’t want to be scared anymore”. This character type encourages the audience to sympathise with Cole; which evokes more of an emotional response to the film and helps to further engage the audience.
Many of the settings used in the film are also typical of the horror genre such as the mental hospital, school, and large houses with old and dark decor.
The use of the hospital location is significant as it is often associated with vulnerability, (mental)illness, and death which are key themes shown within the film. The use of typical locations also helps the audience to identify the film as part of the horror genre.
‘The Sixth Sense’ pays a lot of attention to colour in order to further signify its themes. The scenes are primarily made up of very dark colours such as black and dark browns. However small amounts of bright colours, mostly yellows and reds, are used to signify key objects within the narrative. These colours are also synonymous with danger, blood, and death; and are commonly used within the horror genre.
The soundtrack is made up mostly of two types of music: calming, eerie piano and string pieces are used give the film of feeling of wonder