MOVIE REVIEW: Unbreakable (2000)

Unbreakable had been on my list of films to watch for quite some time before I finally got around to it last night. All I can say is that I feel stupid for leaving it this long. This movie was fantastic from start to finish. I am new when it comes to M. Night Shyamalan's films so I didn't know quite what to expect aesthetically or thematically. What I got was one of the most subtle yet powerful superhero portrayals I've ever seen.

This film hangs on its aesthetic, its colour palette and the mystique of its characters and their intentions. From the first scene it had me thinking, wondering, speculating about David and his story. Bruce Willis delivers perhaps his more nuanced performance in this film, perfectly depicting a very troubled individual, someone who doesn't understand himself and what he is capable of. The character of David Dunn is perfectly balanced out by Elijah Price, played by Samuel L. Jackson. Another complicated character, we learn about Elijah's past and his illness through a very moving flashback. He has osteogenesis imperfecta, meaning his bones are so brittle they break under the smallest of strain. He is also a comic book aficionado obsessed with finding a real life superhero. After reading about David’s freak survival after the train wreck at the beginning of the film, he quickly becomes deeply absorbed in finding out more about his past. From the get go he seems to be 100% certain that David is the hero he’s been looking for all along, but it is not until the end of the film that we learn why he has been so invested in David’s story.

I found the character of David Dunn to be absolutely fascinating. From the one shot scene on the train at the start of the film until the last 10 minutes he remains an inigma, shrouded in mystery. Willis does a fantastic job of keeping this up, and his quiet unassuming demeanor kept me gave the character such a multi-layered persona. For the first half of the film you can clearly see the sadness in Dunn’s eyes. This is a fundamentally troubled individual who has not found his purpose in life. His relationship with wife Audrey and son Joseph also feel very strained for no particular reason. The sense of aimlessness and helplessness that David feels comes across as so authentic within the context of his relatively normal life. He initially objects to Elijah’s suggestion that he might have special powers, but as the film progresses it seems that he can’t escape the thought of it, and gradually he starts to believe it himself.

Despite being dubbed a superhero film, Unbreakable’s sentiments are rooted in something very human, the quest for fulfillment and purpose in life. As David comes to learn of his powers, you can sense his sadness dissipate because he is slowly realising that his actions can make a difference. This is summed up beautifully at the end of the film after he has used his powers to save some girls from a crazed psychopath who had been keeping them prisoner. He is sitting in the kitchen with his wife and son reading the paper before sliding it over to Joseph, who reads the headline about his Dad saving the girls. He simply smiles and nods his head, confirming that Joseph, who believed in his powers from the start, was right all along. It is an emotionally charged moment because you physically feel David’s sense of fulfilling his destiny.

It’s clear to me that Unbreakble would not have worked if it wasn’t for Shyamalan’s directing and and Eduardo Serra’s beautiful cinematography. The film utilises a variety of long take and wide-angle shots to capture the essence of the world these characters are occupying, Visually, the film has a hazy, misty and melancholic tone to it, which allows the very subtle hero/villain colour contrast to shine through. David Dunn’s signature colour is green, and this is embodied in the end by his green security raincoat that he wears when undertaking his mission to save the girls. Elijah’s is purple, which he wears throughout the entire film. What I love about the use of colour in Unbreakable is how understated it is. Most superhero films overuse colour, whereas in this film it is very much in the background, and you only start to notice how effective it is when reflecting on the scenes and how they play out. Need I mention the score by James Newton Howard? It is pretty much flawless and a wonderful accompaniment to the visual action.

Much like Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’, Unbreakable is rooted in the classic hero/villain dynamic, but as aforementioned, it transcends being simply about this and delivers an altogether more profound message about the human spirit and finding one’s purpose in life. The two main characters and the surrounding cast all add something unique to the story and help to bind it together. Above all, you care about David and his struggle, and this is a testament to both Shyamalan and Willis. I won’t ruin the twist at the end of the movie for those who haven’t seen it, but I will say that it ties things up perfectly, if somewhat predictably. Unbreakable is unquestionably a very underrated movie with lots to offer in all departments. Watch it now!

Acting: 95
Narrative: 90
Visuals: 90
Music: 90

Overall: 91/100