Great Scene — “The Sixth Sense”

As we’ve paid attention to The Sixth Sense the last few days — Daily Dialogue and this post — a great scene in the movie sprang to mind: The shooting of Malcolm Crowe.

INT. BEDROOM — NIGHT

 TWO GIGGLING SHADOWS APPEAR IN THE BEDROOM DOORWAY. They try
 to turn on the light. It doesn’t come on.

 MALCOLM
 Bulb’s out.

 Anna giggles some more as Malcolm’s shadow stumbles across
 the bedroom.

 MALCOLM TURNS ON THE BATHROOM LIGHT.

 A SHAFT OF LIGHT falls on Anna as she stands in the corner
 of the room.

 Anna smiles playfully and pulls off her sweater. She sways
 to a pretend striptease song.

 Malcolm can’t hold back his grin. He joins in — slowly
 peeling off the sweat-shirt. He looks back to Anna. She’s
 stopped her playful dance. She’s facing away from him.

 He walks towards her. HIS GRIN QUIETLY DISAPPEARS. Malcolm’s
 face turns to rock as his attention is drawn to the SHATTERED
 WINDOW in their bedroom. The wind moves through the room.

 A lamp lays broken on the ground by the window.

 Malcolm kneels down. Beat. Anna’s eyes fill with a quiet
 awareness.

 ANNA
 He’s still in the house.

 A SHADOW FROM THE BATHROOM FLATS OVER BOTH OF THEM.

 ANNA SCREAMS.

 Malcolm spins around. His heart stops.

 Malcolm and Anna stare at the bathroom doorway. They know
 someone is inside. Beat.

 Malcolm slowly starts towards the door. The first thing that
 comes into view are the clothes on the bathroom floor.

 Then the figure of a man comes into view. A STRANGER stands
 bare chested in the back of the bathroom.

 NO ONE MAKES A SOUND.

 The STRANGER is about nineteen. Drugged out. Pitch black
 eyes bulging. His body is covered in scars and bruises.

 His hands are folded in front of him. He shakes ever so
 slightly. He has a patch of white in his hair.

 Malcolm speaks in a very calm voice. Never takes his eyes
 off the stranger.

 MALCOLM
 Anna, don’t move. Don’t say a word.

 Anna barely nods her understanding.

 MALCOLM
 (to the stranger)
 This is forty-seven Locust Street.
 You have broken a window and entered
 a private residence. Do you understand
 what I’m saying?

 The stranger slowly looks up for the first time. His eyes
 lock on Malcolm.

 STRANGER
 You don’t know so many things.

 Beat.

 MALCOLM
 There are no needles or prescription
 drugs of any kind in this house.

 The stranger suddenly comes forward into the doorway. Malcolm
 stumbles back onto the edge of the bed.

 Anna sees the stranger for the first time. Her face drains
 of color.

 The stranger looks at Malcolm. He half grins.

 STRANGER
 Are you drunk?

 The stranger’s stare slides to Anna.

 STRANGER
 Did you get him drunk?

 The stranger gazes at Anna. Gazes directly into her eyes.

 A penetrating, unwavering stare.

 STRANGER
 Do you know why you’re scared when
 you’re alone?

 Anna’s expression instanly changes.

 STRANGER
 I know.

 BEAT. THE ROOM GOES SILENT.

 MALCOLM
 What do you want? I don’t understand
 what you want.

 The stranger turns and glares at Malcolm.

 STRANGER
 What you promised.

 Malcolm stops all movement.

 ANNA
 — My God.

 MALCOLM
 — Do I know you?

 STRANGER
 Let’s all celebrate, Dr. Malcolm
 Crowe. Recipient of awards from the
 Mayor on the news. Dr. Malcolm Crowe,
 he’s helped so many children… And
 he doesn’t even remember my name?

 Malcolm can’t speak. Beat. The stranger’s face starts to
 tremble.

 STRANGER
 I was ten when you worked with me.

 Beat. Malcolm’s intelligent eyes race for answers.

 STRANGER
 Downtown clinic? Single parent family?
 (beat)
 I had a possible mood disorder…
 (beat)
 I had no friends… you said I was
 socially isolated.
 (beat)
 I was afraid — you called it acute
 anxiety…
 (beat)
 You were wrong.
 (beat)
 Come on, clear your head… Male,
 nine… Single parent… Mood
 disorder… Acute anxiety.

 Malcolm looks like someone hit him with a sledgehammer.

 STRANGER
 I’m nineteen. I have drugs in my
 system twenty-four hours a day… I
 still have no friends. I still have
 no peace. I’m still afraid.

 Tears jump into the stranger’s eyes.

 STRANGER
 …I’m still afraid.

 Malcolm stands.

 MALCOLM
 Please give me a second to think.

 Malcolm’s shaking hands touch his mouth as he stares at the
 stranger. Beat.

 MALCOLM
 Ben Freidken?

 STRANGER
 Some people call me freak.

 MALCOLM
 …Ronald… Ronald Sumner?

 Tears fall down the stranger’s face.

 STRANGER
 I am a freak.

 Malcolm looks up at the sound of those words. Something clicks
 in his head.

 MALCOLM
 — Vincent?

 THE ROOM GOES SILENT AGAIN.

 MALCOLM
 Vincent Gray?

 VINCENT GRAY stares with surprise through his tears.

 Malcolm lets out a deep breath like he just emerged from
 deep waters.

 MALCOLM
 I do remember you, Vincent. You were
 a good kid. Very smart… Quiet…
 Compassionate… Unusually
 compassionate…

 Vincent’s eyes burn at Malcolm.

 VINCENT
 You forgot cursed.

 VINCENT is fully crying now.

 VINCENT
 You failed me.

 MALCOLM
 (whispers)
 Vincent… I’m sorry I didn’t help
 you… I can try to help you now.

 Vincent turns to the sink. His hand goes in. He turns around
 and raises a gun at Malcolm. He FIRES. A VIOLENT,
 EARSHATTERING ECHO. Malcolm clutches his stomach and folds
 like a rag doll onto the bed.

 Vincent instantly moves the gun to his own head. ANOTHER
 HORRIFIC BLAST SPIKES THE AIR. Vincent crumples onto the
 bathroom floor.

 ANNA’S CHILLING SCREAMS FILL THEIR HOME.

 DISSOLVE TO:

And here’s the movie version of the scene:

It’s a great scene for many reasons:

* It’s unexpected: The couple has been celebrating downstairs and are prepping for a romp in bed.

* It builds: Playfully stripping, spot the broken window, telephone beeping, a shadow, spotting Vincent in the bathroom.

* Malcolm playing catch-up: He’s a step behind Vincent the entire scene, which becomes completely clear at the scene’s end, where Vincent reveals what his plan has been all along.

* Major plot point: This is a critical, perhaps the critical scene in the movie, as this is where Malcolm is murdered.

* It fools us: Malcolm may be murdered, but the way the scene ends, then ‘bleeds’ into the next scene, we don’t know that.

The screenwriter-director M. Night Schyamalan reportedly wrote 10 drafts of this script. What is more remarkable is that it wasn’t until the 5th draft that he stumbled upon the key revelation: Malcolm Crowe is dead. That’s right, it took him that long to hit on the brilliant idea — to have a dead Protagonist. Yet another reason this qualifies as a great scene.