Cast: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright Penn, Spencer Treat Clark
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Producers: M. Night Shyamalan, Barry Mendel, Sam Mercer
Screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan
Cinematography: Eduardo Serra
Music: James Newton Howard
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Unbreakable, which qualifies as one of the two or three most anticipated features of 2000, is M. Night Shyamalan's follow-up to his lightning in a bottle hit, The Sixth Sense. And, while Shyamalan hasn't ventured far from Sixth Sense territory, he has nevertheless crossed the line into a different genre. While The Sixth Sense was a variation on the ghost story, Unbreakable takes many of the same stylistic elements and weaves them into a superhero tale, offering us the story of a man whose unusual powers make him a natural (or perhaps that should be "unnatural") guardian of the human race.
For a while, Unbreakable looks like it could be a Sixth Sense clone. Many of the same elements are in place. The story takes place in Philadelphia and stars Bruce Willis (in full dramatic mode). One of the key relationships is between Willis' character and a young boy, and the supernatural plays a part in the overall narrative structure. Plus there's a certain kinship in approach - Shyamalan is obviously enamored with a dark, gritty style that transforms every attempt at lighthearted humor into something of the gallows variety. However, Unbreakable is not about a boy who can see dead people; it's about a man coming to the realization that he has powers and abilities above and beyond those of his fellows. It is, in the comic book vernacular, a superhero "origin" story, and represents one of the most unique and credible ones ever brought to the screen. With Unbreakable, Shyamalan has expunged a large slice of the pretentiousness that permeated The Sixth Sense and crafted an engaging and intriguing yarn. Instead of grasping for the epic scope of a Superman, Shyamalan has limited his canvas to a more intimate landscape, focusing on the impact to the individual more than to the world around him. There are times when the screenplay exhibits a rushed, sloppy feel (especially during one scene featuring an explosion of domestic tension), but the defects are not enough to cause the entire production to implode.
The scenario starts out much like Peter Weir's Fearless; however, while Weir's movie turned into a psychological journey, Shyamalan takes a different route. Willis plays David Dunne, a Franklin Field security guard on his way from New York to Philadelphia by train. A horrible accident en route leaves 131 dead and only one survivor - David, who is not only alive, but doesn't have a scratch on his body. Soon thereafter, David meets Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a comic book art dealer who thinks he has an explanation for David's miraculous survival. Elijah believes that David is a real-life superhero - his body is stronger and more resilient than that of other humans and he possesses certain, as-yet untapped special abilities. Elijah makes it his purpose to convince David to accept what he is. Meanwhile, David's son (Spencer Treat Clark) is thrilled with the possibility that his dad might be like someone out of a comic book, but his wife, Audrey (Robin Wright Penn), is just interested in patching up a threadbare marriage. However, even as David begins to accept that Elijah might be correct, he discovers that, like all superheroes, he has a fatal weakness.
In the wake of The Sixth Sense, the expectation exists for some sort of surprise or twist at the end of Unbreakable, and its inclusion proves to be the film's most glaring weakness. Unwilling to tell the story straight, Shyamalan forces the ending to take an irrational turn merely to satisfy those craving the unexpected. The problem is that the narrative doesn't demand the twist, which fails to shed any light on events as seen in retrospect. Unbreakable's revelation asks more questions than it answers, and it places aspects of the movie's carefully developed internal logic in jeopardy.
Looking at the screenplay, it's obvious that Shyamalan is intimately familiar with rhythms and themes of comic books. Unbreakable is as much an homage to the superhero books of the writer/director's youth as it is an innovative approach to the genre. Should this film be a success, it's easy to envision a number of sequels, and such a series might appeal to actor Bruce Willis because the emphasis here is on storytelling and character development rather than on action (there is only one true action sequence in the entire film). And there are additional facets of David's personality that could be explored. His half-developed, rocky relationship with his wife, for example, is tangential to the main story in Unbreakable, but it is instrumental in humanizing him.
Throughout Unbreakable, Shyamalan and cinematographer Eduardo Serra keep the atmosphere gloomy - this is the kind of feel one might expect from Darren Aranofsky's upcoming Batman/Dark Knight movie. Many of Unbreakable's key scenes take place at night, during a rainstorm, or indoors where the lighting is dim. Moments of glare or sunshine are few and far between. And, as in The Sixth Sense, a bluish filter is frequently employed to further "cool off" the movie's visual impression.
In terms of actors, this is basically a four player film. Bruce Willis, applying his best low-key persona, is almost too laconic, only occasionally showing more than a glimmer of emotion. Samuel L. Jackson, who virtually guarantees a good performance irrespective of the role, is also subdued. With the exception of an early scene, there are none of the kinetic verbal riffs we have come to expect from him. Spencer Treat Clark, who bears a passing resemblance to Haley Joel Osment (one has to wonder whether this part was penned with young The Sixth Sense star in mind) and who was last seen as the young boy in Gladiator, is adequate as David's son. Finally, despite having the least amount of screen time of the four principals, Robin Wright Penn gives the strongest, most human portrayal. In many ways, she functions as the viewer's anchor.
There is little question that Unbreakable will draw huge crowds during its opening weekend. However, even though this film boasts more mature direction than The Sixth Sense, it's unlikely that it will generate the same degree of rabid repeat viewing. The earlier picture was a phenomenon; this is just a movie. As far as the superhero film is concerned, Unbreakable offers a fresh perspective on a genre that is typically defined by stereotypes and clichés. So, as a follow-up to The Sixth Sense, this may not satisfy all of Shyamalan's adherents, but, taken on its own terms, Unbreakable holds together.
© 2000 James Berardinelli