“Unbreakable” is not what you typically expect from M. Night Shyamalan. In this film, he provides a unique outlook on the possibility of "real life" superheroes. I was really impressed by his ability to create a completely original superhero and place him into an incredibly believable real-world situation. Rather than be driven by the setup of an extreme “The Sixth Sense” twist, the film relies on the transformation of its characters to drive the plot. Shyamalan thought of everything from the presentation as an origin story to the hero’s own “kryptonite,” making the film is a simultaneous nod to comic book heroes and impressive character development. The dramatic storytelling is supported by Samuel L. Jackson’s acting clinic on how to interpret an infinitely complex character that captures the empathy of an audience while becoming a villain. Bruce Willis offers a memorable performance (though it falls short of “The Sixth Sense”) and Robin Wright helps to round out his character. One of the film’s greatest strengths is its lack of a sequel. In an age of never-ending reboots and over-marketed sequels of superhero films, it is refreshing to have a stand-alone film that allows us to wonder what happens next instead of giving us an unsatisfactory answer to our curiosity. James Newton Howard crafted a dramatic score that keeps the emphasis of the story on Willis’ soul-searching instead of his heroism. The cinematography is stunning with its Hitchcock-inspired shots, particularly the tracking shot that alternates between the reflection and real image of Elijah’s mother, or the scene that takes place in the reflection of an old television screen. There is true beauty in the crowd scene where the "bad guys" are highlighted through bright clothing in a drab world and the train scene where it feels like we are eavesdropping on a conversation between the headrests of two seats, but Shyamalan overuses his creative, indirect shots to a fault. We need a normal perspective once in a while to make these shots special and this overkill of creativity unintentionally detracts from the artistic merit of the film. Still, just thinking about the beauty of the film makes me want to watch it again right now. M. Night Shyamalan stepped out of the box for “Unbreakable” and delivered a drama that reminds us that heroes and villains all face the same emotional struggles as the rest of us.
[Pictured: Shyamalan created a fascinating dynamic between these two characters]
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