UNBREAKABLE
dir: M. Night Shyamalan
"It's alright to be afraid, David, because this part won't be like a comic book. Real life doesn't fit into little boxes that were drawn for it." - Elijah Price
Brief Synopsis
The sole survivor of a train wreck is sought out by a lonely man who believes that he is a real life superhero.
Why It's Here
It is unfortunate that the talent of M. Night Shyamalan would go from praised to reviled in only a matter of years after his feature film debut with 1999's "The Sixth Sense". With his first two pictures, Shyamalan proved to have a strong grasp of mystery and suspense, avoiding storytelling pitfalls that claim so many films to be forgotten in the masses. Shyamalan's dark subject matter and masterful plotting aligned himself in a league of extraordinary storytellers, not unlike those whom he was inspired by; most obviously Alfred Hitchcock himself. "Unbreakable" is not better nor worse than "The Sixth Sense", but it represents something more significant to me, it's a film that dares to tread into uncharted waters by pulling a comic book story out of "camp" territory and daring to make a complex and mature tale strategically themed around comic books and superheroes. Night's ambitious writing had a lot of room to fail, and it did, financially. The film was a box office bomb but it found new life in the DVD masses who discovered the story and allowed Night to continue on as an A-list filmmaker. Unfortunately, has history has unfolded for us, Night only proved to be able to spin the same shock-ending gimmick so many times before his talent would no longer be appreciated and the bloodthirsty audiences would chew him up and spit him back out. On the other hand, where his later films failed, his earlier films succeeded and can be a constant reminder of the talent that hides beneath the surface of films like "Lady in the Water" and "The Happening".
"Unbreakable" stands as the quintessential superhero films, still today in our post-"Dark Knight" world. Why? Because unlike most superhero films (which are in their golden years) it treats the concept of superpowers, responsibility, and heroes with dark cynicism. A hero who is skeptical of his abilities and purpose is not something necessarily new to the superhero archetype, however, Bruce Willis's David Dunn is a character who is already struggling with the responsibilities of being a father and being a loyal husband to a wife he is separating from. The potential for more responsibility due to being "unbreakable" are things that the character does not look at with curiosity and glee, as many heroes do at the realization of powers. Instead, David acts much like someone with an emotional problem or some sort of addiction, he phases through his realization of his "gift" through steps. First he denies it's possibility, then he moves to skepticism, and eventually acceptance. However, Dunn is never proud nor pleased with his immunity as most people expect they would be, his broken life more than makes up for his unbreakable bones which leaves the character in a compelling gray area.
The story begins with the introduction of our two main characters: David Dunn, our hero who wakes up from a train wreck to realize that not only is he the lone survivor, but he is unharmed. In typical cryptic Shyamalan fashion, an introductory scene introduces us to an ambitious woman and a small girl who inevitably die aboard the train--similar to his unforgiving glimpses of the tragically dead spirits who roam aimlessly in "The Sixth Sense"--we are meant to feel for these characters, but their deaths are simply tools to show the greater meaning, they die for a greater purpose; here to show us the power of David Dunn, and in "The Sixth Sense" to illustrate Cole's curse to see the dead.
On the other side of the tracks, we meet Elijah Price (a.k.a. Mr. Glass), a man whose bones are so brittle, he couldn't even make it out of his mothers womb without breaking his limbs. Entering the world as a shattered soul, Elijah is troubled but determined. Looking to the fantasy world of comics and their superhuman characters, Elijah ponders if there is someone in our world who is like this, and when David survives the crash, Elijah believes he has found him. Elijah explains his belief in a way that mirrors the story of the film itself. If he is at one end of the spectrum, a person who is brittle, then there must be someone at the other end, someone who is invincible. Much like his theory, the film has great symmetry in the plotlines of the unbreakable father who lives a broken life, and the fragile and insecure obsessive who is organized and determined with his priorities in clear check.
All of the staple comic book elements are present: the theatrical name (Mr. Glass, given by children who bullied Elijah), a hero who dons a disguise, a weakness that cripples him, and a mysterious past that sheds light on future events. What separates "Unbreakable" from the pack is that it is presented in a more realistic and less theatrical tone. While films like "Spider-Man 2" and "The Dark Knight" were acclaimed for their storytelling in a hero tormented by his ability and understanding of his duty, "Unbreakable" makes these actions relatable. The hero is not the last person you'd expect, but he is also not the first. Dunn is a man who works in security, something that Elijah finds interesting, yet he is not charismatic or necessarily courageous. He has a life, it may not be perfect, but it is what he knows and what he drifts through as though in a daze. His new-found abilities threaten the normality of his situation, not only threatening his own life, but tormenting the psyche of his son who believes the gifted gene might pass on to him and that his fathers denial or refusal to accept his gift is insulting. Of course, on the other end of things Elijah persuades and promotes David's abilities to him and his family, acting as a catalyst in the growing awareness of David's unique abilities.
Shyamalan paces himself with steady and cautious awareness of what is to come. The two parallel stories are bound to collide and what makes "Unbreakable" work on another level from "The Sixth Sense" is that it doesn't all ride on the twist. "The Sixth Sense" was a great film, but had it's twist failed it, the whole film would have buckled in on itself. "Unbreakable" has a more conventional, but equally satisfying twist that doesn't revolutionize the film, it only accompanies the rest of the movie's sheer genius. Shyamalan's grim story-telling never attempts to reinvent the wheel on superhero films, it only attempts to alter the mold of the archetype. All it's components in tact, just twisted to fit his dark and foreboding style. There are many people who claim "The Dark Knight" represents what the world would look like if superheroes and villains roamed through it. Apparently, these people have never seen "Unbreakable" who replaces the sheer insanity of vigilantes dressed as rodents saving an entire city multiple times to the type of dad you see walking their kid to school in the morning, who protects people for a living and attempts to intervene when he sees crimes being committed. Even when stripped bare, without the mythology, "Unbreakable" tells a story about a true, real life hero. Someone who doesn't quite have a heart of gold, but has strong enough morals to help those when they need it the most.
"Unbreakable" stands as the quintessential superhero films, still today in our post-"Dark Knight" world. Why? Because unlike most superhero films (which are in their golden years) it treats the concept of superpowers, responsibility, and heroes with dark cynicism. A hero who is skeptical of his abilities and purpose is not something necessarily new to the superhero archetype, however, Bruce Willis's David Dunn is a character who is already struggling with the responsibilities of being a father and being a loyal husband to a wife he is separating from. The potential for more responsibility due to being "unbreakable" are things that the character does not look at with curiosity and glee, as many heroes do at the realization of powers. Instead, David acts much like someone with an emotional problem or some sort of addiction, he phases through his realization of his "gift" through steps. First he denies it's possibility, then he moves to skepticism, and eventually acceptance. However, Dunn is never proud nor pleased with his immunity as most people expect they would be, his broken life more than makes up for his unbreakable bones which leaves the character in a compelling gray area.
The story begins with the introduction of our two main characters: David Dunn, our hero who wakes up from a train wreck to realize that not only is he the lone survivor, but he is unharmed. In typical cryptic Shyamalan fashion, an introductory scene introduces us to an ambitious woman and a small girl who inevitably die aboard the train--similar to his unforgiving glimpses of the tragically dead spirits who roam aimlessly in "The Sixth Sense"--we are meant to feel for these characters, but their deaths are simply tools to show the greater meaning, they die for a greater purpose; here to show us the power of David Dunn, and in "The Sixth Sense" to illustrate Cole's curse to see the dead.
On the other side of the tracks, we meet Elijah Price (a.k.a. Mr. Glass), a man whose bones are so brittle, he couldn't even make it out of his mothers womb without breaking his limbs. Entering the world as a shattered soul, Elijah is troubled but determined. Looking to the fantasy world of comics and their superhuman characters, Elijah ponders if there is someone in our world who is like this, and when David survives the crash, Elijah believes he has found him. Elijah explains his belief in a way that mirrors the story of the film itself. If he is at one end of the spectrum, a person who is brittle, then there must be someone at the other end, someone who is invincible. Much like his theory, the film has great symmetry in the plotlines of the unbreakable father who lives a broken life, and the fragile and insecure obsessive who is organized and determined with his priorities in clear check.
All of the staple comic book elements are present: the theatrical name (Mr. Glass, given by children who bullied Elijah), a hero who dons a disguise, a weakness that cripples him, and a mysterious past that sheds light on future events. What separates "Unbreakable" from the pack is that it is presented in a more realistic and less theatrical tone. While films like "Spider-Man 2" and "The Dark Knight" were acclaimed for their storytelling in a hero tormented by his ability and understanding of his duty, "Unbreakable" makes these actions relatable. The hero is not the last person you'd expect, but he is also not the first. Dunn is a man who works in security, something that Elijah finds interesting, yet he is not charismatic or necessarily courageous. He has a life, it may not be perfect, but it is what he knows and what he drifts through as though in a daze. His new-found abilities threaten the normality of his situation, not only threatening his own life, but tormenting the psyche of his son who believes the gifted gene might pass on to him and that his fathers denial or refusal to accept his gift is insulting. Of course, on the other end of things Elijah persuades and promotes David's abilities to him and his family, acting as a catalyst in the growing awareness of David's unique abilities.
Shyamalan paces himself with steady and cautious awareness of what is to come. The two parallel stories are bound to collide and what makes "Unbreakable" work on another level from "The Sixth Sense" is that it doesn't all ride on the twist. "The Sixth Sense" was a great film, but had it's twist failed it, the whole film would have buckled in on itself. "Unbreakable" has a more conventional, but equally satisfying twist that doesn't revolutionize the film, it only accompanies the rest of the movie's sheer genius. Shyamalan's grim story-telling never attempts to reinvent the wheel on superhero films, it only attempts to alter the mold of the archetype. All it's components in tact, just twisted to fit his dark and foreboding style. There are many people who claim "The Dark Knight" represents what the world would look like if superheroes and villains roamed through it. Apparently, these people have never seen "Unbreakable" who replaces the sheer insanity of vigilantes dressed as rodents saving an entire city multiple times to the type of dad you see walking their kid to school in the morning, who protects people for a living and attempts to intervene when he sees crimes being committed. Even when stripped bare, without the mythology, "Unbreakable" tells a story about a true, real life hero. Someone who doesn't quite have a heart of gold, but has strong enough morals to help those when they need it the most.