Unbreakable

What if super heroes actually existed in our world? “What if there was someone who couldn’t be hurt like the rest of us? Would they even know it?”

Elijah Price is a man who has been breaking bones and getting sick all his life. What keeps him going is the thought that if he is so weak and powerless, there must be someone on the other side of the spectrum, right? Maybe someone is immune to sickness. Maybe someone really is “Unbreakable.”

After a series of events causing hundreds of innocent lives to be lost and none surviving, one man “is miraculously unharmed.” David Dunn (Bruce Willis) walks out of a hospital without a single scratch on him after his train derailed. Something about Dunn just seems off the entire time. Dunn isn’t happy with his life, his job, or his family. He is searching for something to fill that void that keeps him from waking up and actually feeling like he is useful. When Price (Samuel L. Jackson) presents the idea of him being a real life “super-hero” it seems too far-fetched to even be considered. M. Night Shyamalan tells a unique story about a simple man trying to figure out the balance between absurdity and reality. He takes what usually happens within the firs act of a movie, and expounds on it for almost two hours. There are so many discoveries that take place within Dunn and Price’s lives that it needs to be told this way. This is not a story about a superhero, but a story of two normal men finding their place.

As an avid art collector, Price specializes in comic book frames or covers. With his vast knowledge and personal beliefs about the source of comics and the stories they tell, he takes on Dunn, somewhat as an apprentice, to help him discover his own calling. Throughout this movie there are countless references to comic books and how their stories are told, how their characters are revealed or portrayed, or how the artist uses shapes and colors to confuse or distract from the real nightmare at hand. Even though we are told how a comic book is built and told, it isn’t clear that this movie is portraying everything that Price is explaining to Dunn. Shyamalan’s use of mirrors and color is astounding in the way that it reflects how a reader would see a comic. Just like in a comic book, the action is framed. With mirrors Shyamalan takes that same idea and frames his action accordingly. He takes natural elements within a building or city and frames his characters and action around the thought that it should emulate a comic book. He even gives life to his characters by their wardrobe. A simple raincoat reveals a considerable amount of information about Dunn’s character. Dunn is dressed in dry, neutral tones and loose clothing while Price is dressed in brighter colors, tighter clothes, and longer coats. Within these costumes grows a believability of the characters underneath them. There are so many little nuances weaving their way in and out of this film that give so much depth to the story it’d be hard to find yourself getting sidetracked.

As soon as the movie is finished, all I want to do is watch it again. This time with the foreknowledge of the story, all the tricks Shyamalan is pulling out of his hat might just be easier to spot. With this knowledge it becomes a completely different movie. You realize the genius behind the camera. With such a brilliant story, high caliber actors, and an innovative man sitting in the director’s chair, you can’t stay away. You shouldn’t stay away. This is a must see.