Written by Anthony Watkins
In cinema, it is well-known that the director is ultimately the person responsible for the final look of the film. He/she is the highest in authority on the project and makes all the final decisions for the film. Because the director is the one responsible for the finished product, there is a good amount of weight that falls on them to create a commercially and critically successful film that resonates with as many people as possible. After doing multiple films, a reputation (good or bad) for a director can be developed. If he or she releases a very successful and popular film, audiences expect that level of performance to carry over into their next project. Some directors such as Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese have a very good track record. Others have not done so well. Sometimes there is a slight mix. In particular, one that has made a name for himself (for bad and for worse) is Manoj Shyamalan, or M. Night Shyamalan by which he is usually referred.
Shyamalan was born on August 6, 1970 in Mahe, Pondicherry, India. While he was still a boy, his family moved from India to the United States, settling in the suburbs of Philadelphia (Biography Channel). A son of two doctors, Shyamalan developed a strong interest in filmmaking at only 8 years old when he was given a Super-8 camera. By the time he was fifteen years old, he had made about 45 short films.
Despite being raised a Hindu, Shyamalan went to a private Catholic school in his early education years, and then to Philadelphia’s Episcopal Academy. After high school, he studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. By the time he graduated from NYU in 1993, he had already completed his first feature-length film, Praying With Anger. The film, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, was a semi-autobiographical story of an Indian-American who travels back to India to attend college. Unfortunately, the film didn’t gain the attention of many audiences or critics, partly because of its low-budget and independent nature.
After the failed project Labor of Love , Shyamalan was able to sell the screenplay for Wide Awake (1998) to the independent studio Miramax for about $250,000, given the conditions that he direct and the film be shot in Philadelphia. The film received decent reviews from critics, but failed to gain the attention of audiences (Biography Channel).
It was finally in 1999, on his third directorial effort, that M. Night Shyamalan’s big break came in The Sixth Sense. The supernatural thriller, which was also written by Shyamalan, starred Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. The film focused on a disturbed young boy (Osment) possessing a “sixth sense” to see dead people. The film received mass critical acclaim and was a box office hit. Bringing in over $26 million in its opening weekend, The Sixth Sense went on to garner over $600 million worldwide by 2000 (IMDB and Biography Channel). It was nominated for 6 Oscars (including Best Picture) and gave Shyamalan two Oscar nominations (Best Director and Best Writing). The film’s ending remains widely regarded as one of the biggest twist endings in the history of film.
Shyamalan was born on August 6, 1970 in Mahe, Pondicherry, India. While he was still a boy, his family moved from India to the United States, settling in the suburbs of Philadelphia (Biography Channel). A son of two doctors, Shyamalan developed a strong interest in filmmaking at only 8 years old when he was given a Super-8 camera. By the time he was fifteen years old, he had made about 45 short films.
Despite being raised a Hindu, Shyamalan went to a private Catholic school in his early education years, and then to Philadelphia’s Episcopal Academy. After high school, he studied film at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. By the time he graduated from NYU in 1993, he had already completed his first feature-length film, Praying With Anger. The film, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, was a semi-autobiographical story of an Indian-American who travels back to India to attend college. Unfortunately, the film didn’t gain the attention of many audiences or critics, partly because of its low-budget and independent nature.
After the failed project Labor of Love , Shyamalan was able to sell the screenplay for Wide Awake (1998) to the independent studio Miramax for about $250,000, given the conditions that he direct and the film be shot in Philadelphia. The film received decent reviews from critics, but failed to gain the attention of audiences (Biography Channel).
It was finally in 1999, on his third directorial effort, that M. Night Shyamalan’s big break came in The Sixth Sense. The supernatural thriller, which was also written by Shyamalan, starred Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. The film focused on a disturbed young boy (Osment) possessing a “sixth sense” to see dead people. The film received mass critical acclaim and was a box office hit. Bringing in over $26 million in its opening weekend, The Sixth Sense went on to garner over $600 million worldwide by 2000 (IMDB and Biography Channel). It was nominated for 6 Oscars (including Best Picture) and gave Shyamalan two Oscar nominations (Best Director and Best Writing). The film’s ending remains widely regarded as one of the biggest twist endings in the history of film.
The Sixth Sense is without question M. Night Shyamalan's best film, a chilling story boosted by an Oscar-worthy performance from young Haley Joel Osment and an unforgettable twist ending.
After The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan achieved more success with Unbreakable (2000), a Science-Fiction film reuniting Shyamalan with Bruce Willis. His next project was Signs (2002), another Science-Fiction film that follows strange occurences at a small family’s farm. The film became Shyamalan’s second-biggest hit, grossing over $400 million worldwide (Biography Channel).
Although clearly not up to par aesthetically with The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan's Science-Fiction film Signs received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences.
Unfortunately, it was after Signs that Shyamalan’s career began to fall. He tried to build on the success of Signs with The Village (2004)—a film that tracks a village being surrounded by strange creatures. The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, mostly due to its ending, and it didn’t perform well commercially. Two years later, Shyamalan’s career hit rock bottom with Lady in the Water (2006). The fantasy film was heavily attacked by critics, especially criticizing Shyamalan’s terrible acting in the film, for which he went on to receive a Razzie Award for “Worst Supporting Actor”. After another disappointing film, The Happening (2008), Shyamalan’s next project was The Last Airbender (2010), a film based on the popular children’s animated TV series. The film turned out to be a complete flop, panned by critics and audiences alike, with renowned critic Roger Ebert describing the film as an “agonizing experience” (Biography Channel).
Following the disappointment of The Last Airbender, Shyamalan returned to the Science-Fiction genre with After Earth, a film starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith as a father and son who crash land on a future, apocalyptic Earth where all living things have evolved to kill humans. Once again Shyamalan’s film was negatively received by critics and audiences, mostly due to its poor pacing and predictability.
In conclusion, M. Night Shyamalan’s career has fallen as much as it had risen. He achieved global acclaim for The Sixth Sense and had moderate successes with Unbreakable and Signs. Since then, however, his career has been in a seemingly unending tailspin. What began as a once very bright and promising career has deteriorated and faded into blackness. But, at only 44 years old, there is certainly time for the once famed director to bounce back. The only remaining question is, “When?”
Following the disappointment of The Last Airbender, Shyamalan returned to the Science-Fiction genre with After Earth, a film starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith as a father and son who crash land on a future, apocalyptic Earth where all living things have evolved to kill humans. Once again Shyamalan’s film was negatively received by critics and audiences, mostly due to its poor pacing and predictability.
In conclusion, M. Night Shyamalan’s career has fallen as much as it had risen. He achieved global acclaim for The Sixth Sense and had moderate successes with Unbreakable and Signs. Since then, however, his career has been in a seemingly unending tailspin. What began as a once very bright and promising career has deteriorated and faded into blackness. But, at only 44 years old, there is certainly time for the once famed director to bounce back. The only remaining question is, “When?”
Personal Life
Currently, M. Night Shyamalan is in post-production on a horror/comedy film titled, Sundowning. He resides with his wife (whom he married at the dawn of his career in 1993) and 3 children in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
Director Trademarks
M. Night Shyamalan typically uses his childhood home of Philadelphia as the backdrop to his films. This is present in Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village. He has also cast several actors multiple times in his films, including Bruce Willis, Joaquin Phoenix, and Bryce Dallas Howard. Formally speaking, he likes writing and directing on the supernatural, as he masterfully did in The Sixth Sense. Interestingly, he also tends to use water as a sign of death or weakness, as he does in The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village, and Unbreakable. Shyamalan’s films typically feature a twist ending, as most famously executed in The Sixth Sense but also present in The Village. Technically speaking, his films typically feature long, static shots of 2 individuals talking, partly reflective of the French New Wave. He also likes filming character’s reflections in various objects. Finally, Shyamalan typically works with James Newton Howard for composing his film score (IMDB).
Works Cited
IMDB. 2014. 25 Sep. 2014. <http://www.imdb.com>.
“M. Night Shyamalan.” The Biography Channel. 2014. 25 Sep. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/m-night-shyamalan-9542296#personal-life>.
“M. Night Shyamalan.” The Biography Channel. 2014. 25 Sep. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/m-night-shyamalan-9542296#personal-life>.
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