The Village was released in 2004 and stars Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt and Joaquin Phoenix. It was directed and written by M. Night Shyamalan.
The movie opens at the funeral of what can only be a small child, judging by the size of a casket. The year on the tombstone reads 1897. The community gathers to eat when suddenly a horn is blown. They all stop and stare and look into the distance. When nothing happens they continue their meal. It seems that the community is very much a rural setting with gender roles that appear very defined. Though men and women are both on the town council, the women knit during it.
It seems that the community is terrorized by a group of beings which they call, "those we do not speak of." When an animal is found dead with its fur removed, the children begin to speculate that "those we do not speak of" are terrorizing the people of the valley but Edward Walker, their teacher, tells them that they are not in danger and that they have a treaty with "those we do not speak of". More animals continue to appear, but the elders say that it must be a coyote or some kind of "mad animal." Apparently the color red attracts "those we do not speak of" and so they bury everything that they come across with this colour.
Lucius Hunt is a man of few words, but he senses that there are secrets in the town that no one will speak of. He asks to go to the towns, to trade for medical supplies but to do this he has to walk through the forest of "those we do not speak of." He believes that they will sense his bravery and good intention, and let him pass, but he is rejected by the council. When "those we do not speak of" make an appearance in the town, the citizens lock their doors and windows and hide in shelters under their houses. Lucius believes that he is at fault for their appearance because he crossed into the forest out of curiosity. The next day, the community leaves an offering of a dead pig at the border of the forest.
A romance is clearly developing between Lucius and Ivy Walker. She is blind and very much a free spirit. When Lucius tells her that she runs like a man, Ivy sees it as a compliment. Though Ivy cannot see, she claims that certain people have a colour surrounding them. It's actually Ivy who proposes marriage by asking Lucius if he will dance with her on their wedding night. Lucius is frustrated that Ivy always wants to lead but he admits that he loves her and promises to dance with her on their wedding night.
When it is announced that Ivy and Lucius are going to marry, Noah Percy pays him a visit and stabs him in the stomach with a knife. It seems that Noah is also in love with Ivy. When Ivy leans that Noah was found covered in blood, she walks to Lucius' house and finds him unconscious. Noah is locked away and when Ivy goes to see him, she smacks him several times across the face, until she is dragged out of the room. Ivy asks for permission to go to the towns to retrieve medicine to save Lucius.
