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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Question: What did those ominous red slashes on everyone's doors mean, the morning after the creatures had entered the village?
Answer: They are simply meant to be a warning from the "creatures" to not venture into the woods again. (Of course, in actuality, it wasn't the creatures, but rather the elders who left the marks... but it's the same thing.)
Question: If the village is isolated, how do they get their linen and dress from time to time? Like could a one village have a blacksmith, a weaver, a shoe maker, and all?
Answer: It's implied that the villagers provide whatever they need for themselves, such as raising sheep for wool and growing cotton for weaving cloth to make clothing, tanning leather to make shoes, etc. The elders made a pact that they would have no contact with the outside world for any reason, as was seen when Lucius Hunt needed medical treatment. Ivy was finally sent to fetch medicine, but only after considerable conflict among the elders and at risk to her. Presumably most supplies, raw materials, equipment were brought with the elders when they set up the village. It is rather unrealistic that they could be as skilled and self-sufficient to the degree they were, but the film employs a "suspension of disbelief."
Answer: The elders of the village have contact with the outside world, albeit minimally, in order to purchase/obtain such articles that they can't manufacture themselves.
There is nothing in the film suggesting this arrangement.
Question: What game do the young men play to demonstrate their courage to one another?
Answer: There isn't a particular name for the game they're playing. It was more game of courage of who could stand on the stump with their arms spread out wide the longest without running away scared.
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 ★