raywest

17th Apr 2024

The Village (2004)

Question: Ivy says some people have a colour. Do you think Noah had a colour and she knew it was him in the woods? If so, did she intentionally let him die knowing he may have killed the man she loves?

Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but Ivy could have sensed it was Noah. While Ivy claimed to "see" someone's color, more likely she recognized people by their individual sounds, smells, movements, etc. which she interpreted as their "color." She knew Noah attacked Lucius and, in his unstable state, might kill her. She knew the "monsters" were fake and no-one else had a motive to harm her. I don't think she intended to let Noah die. She was protecting herself and could do little to save him once he fell into the pit.

raywest

Answer: From what I recall, there's nothing in the movie to indicate that this is the case.

TedStixon

2nd Aug 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: Why didn't Lucius try to defend himself after getting stabbed? He just fell down and allowed himself to receive more stabbings. Sure, it was no doubt shock that set in, but human instinct would have been to try to at least push Noah off him and try to get away from him.

Answer: Everyone reacts differently to physical trauma and stress. Lucius appears to be in a physical state of shock, as both arms are shaking, he is unable to move, and seemingly does not comprehend what just happened to him, never assuming that Noah would do something like this. That is when Lucius falls to the floor. It's not unusual for someone experiencing or witnessing something traumatic to become frozen in disbelief as they attempt to process what just happened.

raywest

Answer: In real life, sure... 90% of people would fight back. But in the context of the movie, we are meant to assume that he collapsed due to being in shock/pain from being stabbed. Just to add a little extra note, I'm assuming the numerous questions that have been posted for this film and "Signs" over the past few weeks are coming from the same person. You really do have to remember that these are stylised movies from a director with a very quirky style. Shyamalan's films (both his good films and his bad films) often have a sort-of unique sense of logic to them, and almost follow fable-like rules at times. Trying to force too much real-world logic into them or wanting too many answers to kind of undermines their point. It'd be like trying to apply real-world logic to Grimm's fairy tales or a Wes Anderson film.

TedStixon

Well stated.

raywest

2nd Aug 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: How did Noah know about Ivy going on her mission in time enough for him to grab the creature costume from underneath the floorboards of the quiet room, bust out of the room, and head into the woods to lie in wait for her?

Answer: He probably overheard his parents discussing it. The mission wasn't a secret, and enough time would have elapsed while Ivy and the two other boys prepared for and left on their mission. Noah understood things much better than anyone realised, and he was able to act quickly. He may also have seen Ivy and the two boys leaving the village, then he quickly got the costume and followed them into the woods.

raywest

2nd Aug 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: Wasn't it very unloving and cruel for Edward Walker to send out Ivy? She was the one person who was blind. The village is all she has ever known. She had never even heard a siren before until she hopped over the wall. She went there (quite literally) blindly, not knowing what to expect. I don't believe he couldn't have gone with her. He could have walked her to the wall (ironically covered in ivy) and just told her, "I can't go beyond this point," and could have told her exactly what to say.

Answer: That would have been the logical thing to do, and it is yet, among many, another plot hole. However, it could be argued it was because Edward had solemnly sworn never to leave the village. Even going to the reserve's perimeter was violating that oath and put him too close to the modern world. Ivy was chosen because she was blind and would be unable to see anything of the modern world and bring that knowledge back to the younger villagers. It was his intention that the other two boys would escort her to the wall, but they became too frightened and left her on her own.

raywest

31st Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: I don't think the elders of the village, upon creating the village, took into account things like horns, honking, or the explosions of fireworks on 4th of July and New Year's Eve. So, how would the elders have explained that one?

Answer: They've set up the village as a nature preserve, so isolated that not even airplanes are allowed to fly over. Soundwise, they're far away from civilization, so they can't hear modern noises.

Brian Katcher

Answer: It was mentioned that the Walker Corporation had paid a lot of money to have the airspace above the village restricted so that no planes flew overhead. Fireworks, horns, and other human-made sounds have been around for centuries and were easily explainable and would barely be heard because the village is so isolated. It's all rather far-fetched, plot-wise, however.

raywest

31st Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: If Jay does know about the village in the woods, why wouldn't he have done something about it?

Answer: Do what about it? He's been hired by the Walker Corporation to maintain and protect the preserve and the village inside. He makes sure the junior guards do their job without asking too many questions. The village could not otherwise exist if it didn't have the support and protection of Edward Walker's money. Edward likely put his late father's corporation into a blind trust, to be run in his absence. Key people within the company would also know about the village and provide whatever is needed like the preserve's round-the-clock protection and maintenance, the medicine that is on hand in the event of an emergency, etc.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: What exactly was "The Flight of the Birds" that was mentioned during one of the elders' meetings before Lucius was first introduced?

Answer: The "Flight of the Birds" is a metaphor for the village elders. They fled modern society and established the isolated village to escape societal violence. In some scenes, such as when Noah finds an elders' costume under the floor - loose feathers are seen. The feathers are a clue and symbolise the elders.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: Any idea as to how long the creation of the village took? Those stone cabins look like they would've taken a considerable amount of time to build. Adding to that, the guard towers and such. Was it just the elders who built everything before the events of the film? Also, where did all the families in the village come from? Aside from the younger generations who were obviously born there, did they hear of Edward Walker's plan and decide to leave everything behind to join in?

Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but would add that Edward Walker was extremely wealthy, having inherited his father's corporation that still financially supports the village. He had the resources to buy the land, discreetly build the village, maintain and guard the preserve, etc. After his father was murdered, Edward joined a grief support group. That is where he met the other people who became part of the village. Everyone had lost a loved one through a violent act. Edward proposed the plan to live in an isolated village, walled off from violence. Because he was a history professor, he chose to recreate the 19th century, opting for a simpler way of life.

raywest

Answer: I'd presume it probably took a few years to get everything in the village set up and built, paperwork handled, etc. It's never explained who built everything, but it wouldn't be a stretch to guess that they may have had outside help getting things set up. And the implication is that the families are all people from the outside world who moved in when the village was created and were all likely people who simply wanted to leave behind their old lives for personal reasons, like trauma.

TedStixon

27th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: When Finton is underneath the strung-up shelter with Ivy during the rain, it is made to believe he saw something in the woods. Did he really? And, do we get any glimpse of what he saw - or what he thought he saw? Or, was his mind playing tricks on him from him "knowing" those things were out there, possibly watching them?

Answer: He apparently saw something-movement or the red color-but it's left ambiguous, so the audience never knows for sure if something is there or if it's his imagination because he's frightened. He likely saw some movement or a shape that was Noah disguised as a monster.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: Why did Finton Coin want Lucius to sit with him in the tower? What did he mean when he told him, "I do hope no one saw you"? And why was no one supposed to see him?

Answer: The guards are supposed to be alone in the tower while on duty. Lucius went to keep Finton company as he was a bit fearful about the recent activity regarding the creatures in the woods. Finton hopes no-one saw Lucius going into the tower because he's breaking the rules.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: When Lucius first approaches the body of elders regarding his request to go to towns, why do they all just stare at him in silence instead of doing something else, like commending him on his willingness to want to help his fellow villagers? It would have been more interesting if they all just told him "No" in unison, a split second before the scene changed, instead of them all just sitting there looking at him. And Edward Walker even looked like he was a bit annoyed with him even asking to go.

Answer: I wouldn't say that Edward was annoyed. The elders had adopted a sober persona and tended to react in a gentle, non-emotional way to just about everything. Lucius wanting to travel to another village created a problem for the elders, who wanted to keep the younger villagers from leaving for any reason, mostly by constantly instilling fear of the unknown creatures. It would be unrealistic for them to simultaneously say "no". It is also a plot device. The audience is deliberately left without any definitive answer about what the elders are thinking.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: What was the reason for the ceremony of meat, where they tossed it onto the rock? And why couldn't they have just walked over and put it there instead of the wind-up toss? That was kind of ridiculous.

Answer: The meat is supposed to be an offering to appease the "monsters" in the woods. As to why they tossed it, that's just what they chose to do. If something is heavy, it is easier to swing and toss it, rather than merely hoist it up.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Answer: Because he had stabbed Lucius, whom Ivy loves and might now die from his wounds.

raywest

30th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: If Edward Walker sent Ivy to go get help, why couldn't he have done so at night when no one could see him? Law enforcement outside the village could have just as easily detained Ivy and practically forced her to reveal the location of the village. Did Jay (M Night Shyamalan) know about the village? And why did Kevin (the younger, helpful guard) just sit there with his truck door open after presumably helping Ivy back over the fence?

Answer: All the elders, including Edward, swore an ironclad oath never to leave the village for any reason. That is why he sent the two boys to escort Ivy. Jay, the head guard, apparently does know about the village and makes sure the younger guard does not get too curious. As to why Kevin just sat there with the car door open is anyone's guess. He appears rather stunned by the whole incident and is probably wondering what is inside the reserve.

raywest

28th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: What made Lucius want to enter the woods? It is implied that he was one of the first villagers (that we know of) to rebel against the "rules" of the village, second to Noah for entering the woods "on many occasions." Also, why wasn't Lucius taken to the quiet room like Noah was supposed to have gone to because of him hitting people with a stick? Lucius broke the rule, so why wasn't he disciplined? When the village found out it was him, they would have expected a punishment to have been handed down.

Answer: Lucius is a typical youth who is questioning the elders' "rules," and is curious about what lies beyond the village's borders. While Lucius pushes boundaries, Noah is mentally impaired and functions on a childlike level. He cannot be reasoned with in a normal adult manner and is punished like a small child. When Lucius dared to enter the woods, the elders, disguised as the monsters, later "invaded" the village, thus terrorizing the younger members and making Lucius feel guilty for "endangering" everyone by his disobedience. That was his punishment.

raywest

27th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: What would the elders of the village have done with Noah, as a result of him stabbing Lucius, had he not found the extra costume? If they had sent him away, they would have known he was the one that talked if the government came to investigate the village (if they even believed the claims of a disabled person). And I don't think they planned on killing him.

Answer: The elders would never have harmed or cast him out, as that would risk their village being exposed, and they were simply too compassionate to hurt someone who is mentally disabled. Most likely, he would have been confined and heavily monitored at all times.

raywest

27th Jul 2023

The Village (2004)

Question: What was the purpose of the black boxes? If the original villagers created the village to escape the "evil things", why take reminders of the evil things with you into your supposed sanctuary? Anyone can find a key to a box and open it. Unless Edward Walker only had some kind of master key to all of them. Also, when the elders and their wives eventually die off, what would become of the boxes? Would the next generations find out their contents? Would they be buried or destroyed?

Answer: The items were not necessarily reminders of evil things, but a remembrance of their previous lives, why they left everything behind, and of the people they loved and lost. It's never explained how or if the boxes would be destroyed at some point. Possibly, when a person and also their spouse died, another elder might gather the box before younger family members accessed it. It may have been stipulated in a will that it went to another elder. Of course, the boxes are merely a rather flimsy plot device to reveal more information about the elders and their reason for leaving the modern world.

raywest

22nd Oct 2022

The Village (2004)

Question: How the did the elders (and later, Noah) create those animalistic "grunt" sounds that the "creatures" supposedly were making?

Answer: The elders never explained how they made the grunt sounds.

raywest

18th May 2022

The Village (2004)

Question: Why didn't the elders keep medication in the village? They walk about on the odd occasion in a costume, they could, say every year or so, get vital supplies of medication from a ranger. The ranger in the shack may be aware of the village. The Walker family was left with billions of pounds which created the village, hired the rangers and made a no fly zone. But with that money they didn't think to have one ranger who could throw over supplies on occasion, and pick it up under their costume.

Answer: The elders were committed to complete isolation, secrecy, and rejection of all modern things. They vowed never to contact the outside world. It's unclear how much the head ranger actually knew about the reserve, which would prevent information about the village from being spread once an employee leaves the job. Another factor, many medications require proper storage. The antibiotic that the junior ranger gave Ivy was refrigerated, and the village had no electricity whatsoever. Also, delivering medical and other supplies would cause the younger villagers, who knew nothing about the modern world, to ask probing questions about what everything was, how it was made, where did it come from, and why couldn't they go there. This really boils down to the movie being one huge unbelievable plot hole that makes little sense.

raywest

29th Apr 2022

The Village (2004)

Question: Why didn't Edward get the medication instead of letting Ivy go? I understand elders shouldn't be seen to go because they are trying to stop young people thinking it's safer to go now that an elder has. But this is his daughter! She is blind! And he knows the route, and it would have been much quicker for him, meaning less chance of the guy dying. Instead, he wants to put going through the woods, blind, onto his daughter when he could have done it in double time.

Answer: As his wife says, "You have made an oath, Edward, as all have, never to go back." In other words, when they founded the Village, the adults all swore never to go back to our world, and this is a promise they take very seriously. So Edward can't go, and neither can any other founding adult. Ivy, however, never took such an oath (she was born in the village and doesn't know anything about the outside world), so she can go.

Aerinah

Answer: In addition to the other answer that I agree with, Edward never intended for Ivy to go alone. She was supposed to be escorted through the woods by the two boys. They became scared and ran off. Ivy, knowing the truth, was determined to continue on to get the medicine to save Lucius, who she loved.

raywest

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