sixth sense

The Sixth Sense

The movie, Sixth Sense is an American film filled with drama, mystery and thriller aspects. The story is about a troubled and lonely boy called Carl (Haley Joel Osment) who has the power to communicate with spirits. The spirits that he talks to are unaware of the fact that they are dead. Carl seeks the help of an equally troubled child psychologist, Dr Malcolm Crow who is played Bruce Willis. 

Sixth Sense was released on The 5^th of November 1999 with a story line that intrigued and captured  amazing story line and cast, that earned a gross of ‘$293,501,675 (USA) (14 May 2000) and a budget of estimated ‘$55,000,000’

The opening credits are very suspenseful and plain with effective orchestral music, white text is over a plain black screen fading in and stretching, the white text is very clear on the black background Fading into a light bulb in a cellar setting the scene as Anna, Malcolm’s wife gets a bottle of wine as they are celebrating a award Malcolm got for child psychology. The picture frame is red, this is important for later on in the film.

The movie starts with Donnie Wahlberg (Vincent Gray) breaking into Bruce Willis’s (Malcolm) apartment in just his underwear. We are told that Vincent is an ex patient of Dr Malcolm of a mood disorder who claims to be cursed. Dr Malcolm is said to of failed Vincent, Vincent shoots Dr Malcolm then himself in the head.

One of the director, M. Night Shyamalan’s common trade marks that follow this scene is that Films often use an event from the main character's past as a major connection to what is happening in the present (the Vincent Gray case in The Sixth Sense (1999), the car crash in Unbreakable (2000), the death of the wife in Signs (2002))

The screen fades and a high angled shot sets the scene ‘the next fall’ ‘south Philadelphia’ the camera then cuts to Malcolm, this camera cut is very effective following the codes and conventions of a thriller and making it a fast paced film. Malcolm is flicking through a note book about his child psychology about a boy, Carl who is just leaving his house, he puts on a big pair of glasses showing the audience he is a vulnerable child, he follows Carl without him being aware and Carl is rushing down the street entering a church with a big red door.

Malcolm enters the church and introduces himself to Carl telling him he is a doctor, Carl replies ‘are you a good doctor’ which gives u the idea it would take a good doctor to help him so Malcolm tells Carl about the award we saw him celebrate about winning at the beginning of the film off the mayor

Malcolm walks home late at night to find his wife asleep in a red blanket, he goes to the cellar looking through his books showing us the life of Dr M.

Morning comes and we see Carl having his breakfast before school. His mum leaves the room for a few seconds as all is going normal; she walks back in the room to find all the cupboard draws open, he doesn’t tell his mum the truth that we find out later on in the film. Carl has left a noticeable handprint on the table which his mum noticed showing us he was cold. Carl’s mum watches Carl walk around the corner with what she believes is his friend but is actually someone he bribes. As soon as they walk around the corner the boy calls Carl a freak and walks away.

After a day of school Carl speaks to Dr Malcolm, Malcolm is in the boys house as he walks in from school, Malcolm is sat directly opposite Carls mum however they do not speak and Carls mum doesnt mention to Carl he is even their. This scene is important because later on in the film we find out Malcolm is actually dead and Carl has the sixth sense.

After Malcolm forgets his and his wife’s anniversary and Carl says his school is a place where people used to be hung, his problems seem to be getting worse and Malcolm is starting to get isolated and he Is watching wedding videos of him ad his wife before his wife was asked out on a date by another man though his wife declined.


The films ending is amazing as we find out that Malcolm is actually dead, Malcolm died when he was shot in his home by Vincent Gray at the beginning of the film and had no idea. the only person that has been able to communicate with Malcolm throughout the film is Carl whom can see and talk to ghosts.


Sixth sense was produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Barry Mendal. Executive producer Sam Mercer.  A producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors and an executive producer is A producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking process, but who is still responsible for the overall production.


Tak Fujimoto was responsible for the cinematography, a cinematographer is A person with expertise in the art of capturing images either electronically or on film stock through the application of visual recording devices and the selection and arrangement of lighting.


all of the films editing was done by Andrew Mondshein, the original music was by James Newton Howard and directed by M. Night Shyamalan