Every time I watch an M. Night Shyamalan movie. UnbreakableI remember Quentin Tarantino calling it one of his favorite filmsand briefly presenting it as a Superman story in which Superman doesn't yet know he's Superman is a perfect description. And yet, Unbreakablereleased in 2000, narrowly missed out on the superhero boom in Hollywood, where it could have shaped the culture around it.
Although Shyamalan was able to come full circle back in 2017 with the release Split and later Glass (we're not talking about Glass), films are often left out of discussions of some of the best superhero films or cinematic universes. This is mainly because Unbreakable ahead of his time Glass was terrible, and it doesn't revolve around DC or Marvel characters. With its unconventional riff on the Superman theme. Unbreakable deserves recognition alongside the strongest superhero stories from Sony, Fox, Warner Bros. and even Marvel Studios.
Unbreakable follows David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a mild-mannered, seemingly ordinary man who miraculously survives a catastrophic train accident without sustaining a single injury, prompting comic book art dealer Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), whose frail condition makes him David's physical opposite, to suggest that David might be a real superhero. As David reluctantly tests the limits of his abilities, Shyamalan carefully unravels the mystery of identity, fate, and the fine line between hero and villain.
Unbreakable this is a story about superheroes despite the fact that it is marketed and played as a psychological thriller. Because of Sixth senseDespite its success, the film unfolds slowly, maintaining its mystery until the very end. Since it was directed by M. Night Shyamalan at the peak of his career, Unbreakable there must be a surprise ending. Even son Joseph, played by Spencer Treat Clark, looks like Haley Joel Osment. According to Shyamalan, it appears the studios have pushed the film in that direction. “Disney felt we couldn't market it as a comic book movie because they felt no one would come to see a comic book movie,” he said. Joe.ie. “They felt it wasn't a topic that would attract a wide audience. (Comic book movies) are for weirdos at conventions and stuff like that. After the success of The Sixth Sense, they wanted to just sell Unbreakable as a thriller. I thought, 'OK, but I think this is a cool idea that will really ground it.' It may not be a serious topic, but to treat it as an embellished version of the truth is where its real appeal lies,” he said. Based on the quote, Shyamalan seemed more focused on defining his vision of the superhero genre than on bringing his usual Shyamalan touches to the story, and it's these superhero elements that stand out the most.
The film begins with the fact that he is a comic book collector, then shows the birth of the film's fragile villain, juxtaposing it with Willis' discovery of his invincibility. The film is actually a tale of two people, the other's yin and yang, as an exploration of the fateful relationships between heroes and arch-enemies like Batman and the Joker. You can't have one without the other. The film portrays Price as Dunne's friend trying to help him see his potential, with the twist being that Price is actually Dunne's willing enemy, which is only revealed at the very end.
It's amazing how Price, later known as Glass, used comics as a childhood refuge from his fragile reality. He grew up identifying with villains and eventually became a meticulous, almost elitist comic book dealer who holds the medium in reverence. For Glass, comics are modern hieroglyphs, “an ancient way of telling history,” proof that real titans walked the earth and that their exploits were recorded long before corporations turned the medium into a spectacle. In a way, he embodies a critique of the superfan who clings to fictional worlds because they once offered protection from an unforgiving life.
The film features excellent cinematography by the late Portuguese cinematographer Eduardo Serra, including iconic shots of David silhouetted in the cape that would become his patrol attire as the hero. Later in the franchise he functions much like his cape and spandex, and it's amazing to see how this idea took root as early as 2000. In retrospect, it's also difficult and painful to watch Bruce Willis as the de facto Superman, given his present-day vulnerabilities. Because David hides his vulnerabilities, it's hard not to see a connection between present-day Bruce and his character.
These moments make his son's reaction to the realization that his father has superpowers even more profound. You can't be a hero without inspiring someone, and the fact that the person he inspires is his son blows my mind every time. The scene where Joseph watches David bench press an incredible amount of dumbbells is completely sold by his look of amazement. This is the moment when Joseph and the audience realize that David has powers, and Joseph's ersatz reaction perfectly encapsulates how I feel watching it. He is scared, surprised and unwaveringly proud. David's strength comes from his growing self-confidence, and as he finds his footing in this scene, our pride in him grows along with it.
In addition to superhuman strength, David can sense the evil intentions of others and uses this power for the first time to go on patrol. He discovers that a creepy janitor has invaded the family home, killed the father, and is now holding the mother and two children captive. Salvation is not bright. It contains no CGI or barrage of fight choreography. In fact, David is a bit sloppy in his execution and needs the children's help to overcome his weakness for diving. But when David strangles the bastard while trying to save his mother, the triumphant horns that audiences associate with superheroism still sound to great effect, and you remember that all it takes to be a hero is to be there for someone when no one else is.
Shyamalan understood and developed the superhero genre before Hollywood was in his hands. Story Unbreakable is as grounded as it gets: a simple Superman story with little action, no CGI, and no overly fantastical feats. The rules and images of the genre are not just decoration; they are woven into the narrative to enhance the film's themes. They even help pull off a final twist that would have been a great reveal on its own, and it remains effective, reminding us why audiences once fell in love with Shyamalan's early work. And in an era filled with dark, subversive takes on the Superman archetype, Unbreakable offers a refreshing version of the myth that honors its sources while forging its own path.
Without relying on existing IP or familiar characters, Shyamalan created a complete and cohesive superhero story in less than 2 hours. For almost two decades, it stood alone until the post-credits scene (an homage to superhero films) appeared in Split it turned out that the film exists in Unbreakable universe where Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn and quietly considers James McAvoy's Beast as his next opponent. At that time not even Endless War Stinger could match the shock of this discovery. No major IP has ever pulled off a turn like this, and it's hard to imagine another franchise doing it again unless James Gunn decides to revisit it. Super in the new film, with Rainn Wilson returning to the role of Frank.
Even if Glass ended the trilogy on a sad note, audiences have already watched entire cinematic universes collapse. Seems like the right time to forgive Glass – at least to maintain well-deserved admiration Unbreakable and the universe he sought to create.
