Why isn't Bruce Willis's character in the Sixth Sense self-aware?
Why doesn't Bruce Willis's character realize he is dead?
If I remember correctly, the plot takes place several months after he is killed. Shouldn't there have been some clues during that time? They do imply that he thinks his wife isn't speaking to him because she's angry, but is it really possible that she was the only person he expected to interact with?
Additionally, it seems that all the other ghosts in the movie know they're dead. So perhaps another question would be do all ghosts in The Sixth Sense go through a "transition period" where they don't realize they're dead? At what point to they become aware of it?
Best Answer
This line from Cole I think summed it up best, "They don't see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don't know they're dead."
And, except for the girl trying to save her sister, I don't know if you could definitively say any of the other ghosts knew they were ghosts. I think the "They only see what they want to see" bit is the key here. In a way the ghosts are making their own reality.
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What happened to Bruce Willis in Sixth Sense?
He recalls being shot and locates his gunshot wound. He finally realizes that he did not survive the night he was shot by Vincent and has been dead the entire time he was working with Cole.What did Bruce Willis think about The Sixth Sense?
Bruce Willis did not expect 'The Sixth Sense' ending At times, it was frightening, sad, and enlightening. By the end of the movie, the audience \u2014 along with Crowe \u2014 learned the truth. He too was dead but didn't know it. When discussing his role in The Sixth Sense documentary, Willis shared that the ending shocked him.What profession does Bruce Willis character have in The Sixth Sense?
Malcolm Crowe is a fictional character in The Sixth Sense, portrayed by American actor Bruce Willis. Crowe works as a child psychologist.Why Isn't It Possible
More answers regarding why isn't Bruce Willis's character in the Sixth Sense self-aware?
Answer 2
I am from Sri Lanka, and the idea that ghosts are unaware of the fact that they are dead is not totally alien here. I'm pretty sure Shyamalan was aware of these types of myths.
Answer 3
From what I remember from the movie (and other similar movies), it is often stressed that the ghosts the child sees are the soul/spirits of people who have not accepted their death yet, or who still have something to accomplish in this world.
- The girl needed to show her father that her (step?) mother was poisoning her.
- Cole's grandmother wanted to tell Cole's mom something important (that would drastically alter Cole's mom's feelings towards her own mother).
- The cyclist was presumably killed on impact (given the head wound) and therefore never realized she died. She seemed puzzled by people not looking at her, so she was probably on her way to realizing she died.
And for Bruce Willis' character, he needed to both accept and understand his death. He could not accept the reality of his death and therefore held on.
Being a ghost in the real world is similar to being in purgatory. You're there until you finish what needs to be finished. Although for ghosts in the real world, it's often more voluntary (spirit chooses to not move on), rather than forced.
Answer 4
I would also add to the answer @Evan give that the basic idea of the ghosts still being around other people (hence "ghost" status/name), is that they are people that did not realized they are dead, and still behave as they normally would.
Another GREAT movie with such example is Passengers (2008) with Anne Hathaway https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449487 which I suggest everyone to watch; for me was a revelation, and for sure was with much more "soul", "emotions" and "relations" in it than Sixth Sense.
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