Unbreakable
Our myths of heroes and villains--of icons--come from the legends of those we respect, those we love, and even those we fear. Unbreakable is a drama about two very different men: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson). David is in a state of stagnation, his marriage failing with his wife, Audrey (Robin Wright), and struggling to connect with his son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark). Elijah suffers from a bone density disorder, making his bones as brittle as glass. These men might have never met nor influenced each other's lives had it not been for the derailment of a train...one which David was on and somehow emerged from "miraculously unharmed".
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Before the blockbuster advent of superhero movies over the last decade, aside from a few outstanding examples, the superhero genre (and comics in general) remained largely niche, a market appreciated only by fans who savored the stories of brave defenders in combat with villainous schemers and depraved thugs. Unbreakable opens with a passage describing not just the concealed popularity of comics, but also implying a kind of obsessiveness in its fans, who devote an extraordinary amount of their lives to the hobby. For men like Elijah, comic books have come to represent more than just a hobby; it is a core tenet of his philosophy on life. He owns an art gallery--a temple--in praise to this medium, and can expound at length about the intricacies and subtleties of the art and story of this graphical representation of a modern mythology. Unbreakable is a film that both embraces the tropes of comic books and at times contradicts them as well. The film is shot in a realistic fashion; even when there are scenes of violence or tension--and they are far more rare than what has become commonplace in superhero movies--they are not exploited or heightened in a glossy way, but feel anxious and dangerously natural. The story is deliberately slow-paced--a methodical drama and tonally a strong counterpoint to contemporary superhero movies. From a narrative point of view, however, Unbreakable embodies many of the elements found in a traditional origin story for a superhero. David's mundane life as a security guard is radically altered following a deadly train wreck, and it is evident that David possesses something special, be it luck or something more. When Elijah invites David to hear his theory, one where he alludes to the possibility of super-powered people being a reality, though David is understandably skeptical, David begins to uncover special talents he had never developed as extensively before. David finds himself pushing himself farther to see just how much weight he can lift, in part due to his son's faith that his father is gifted. He secretly entertains the idea that since he has never been injured, that he must be nigh-invulnerable.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of David discovering his potential is how his perception of his world changes over the course of Unbreakable. One of the key themes of the film is perspective, something alluded to by Elijah's mother (Charlayne Woodard), and how perspective can affect one's place in the world. For much of Unbreakable, scenes featuring David feel especially muted, even washed out to an extent, a reflection of David's lingering sense of disappointment and doubts that he is not living up to his potential. It is clear that his marriage is suffering because he has been keeping his family at arm's length, but it isn't his family that he feels regretful about, but something much more intrinsic to his personality. Elijah's aggressive mentoring of David to consider the possibility that his strength is meant for a greater purpose intrigues David. David jokes with Elijah that men like him are more likely con-men, trying to work some angle by selling an idea to a sucker; but David does bite at the hook, whether he believed he was too smart to do so or not, even investigating if he had ever been sick and trying to develop the "instinct" to sense danger in his job duties as Elijah suggested. Similarly, Elijah's perception of the world has been skewed as a result of his disease. He was ostracized in school--teased by the kids who called him "Mr. Glass". He is an introverted man, stubborn and driven. He is willing to endanger his own delicate body just to prove that David's instincts are correct, after he identifies a potential threat at the stadium. The idea that Elijah has a different point of view of the world is evident in his claims that this world--one he describes as being plagued by the mundane--has a secret legend running through it, hinted at in the world of comic books. Another way Elijah's unique perspective is subtly implied can be found in moments like those where the young Elijah first opens the gift of a comic book from his mother; it is upside-down. This is the same perspective he has when he collapses and subsequently gets a view of the man who fled the stadium with a gun tucked into his pants. The idea of perspective is crucial because Unbreakable also addresses how children view their heroes and adults. The opening scene on the fated train takes place largely from the perspective of a young girl watching David engage in the fairly unheroic act of concealing that he is married, hitting on an attractive woman, then lying and pretending otherwise. Moreover, David is often watched by his son, Joseph, who desperately wants to look up to his father as the hero Elijah describes him to be. Joseph is taken in that his dad is invincible because in every son's eyes, their father is the superhero they believe him to be. Joseph tries to be heroic to emulate his perception of his father, getting into trouble in school because he defended a young girl. The idea that his dad could be a caped crusader is a wish come true for the neglected son.
While David looks inauspicious--although he is evidently strong and in shape--Elijah stands out in the crowd. From his bold haircut to his sharp, purple, tailored suits--even to his walking cane made of glass--Elijah appears to be deeply concerned with identity and the persona he projects. Far from obviously vain or conceited, it is clear that the style and image of comic books have molded his impression of himself. In a theme not uncommon in superhero stories, the idea of identity is a core element of Unbreakable, and how it is reflected in how one presents themselves to the world. When Elijah breaks his leg, he is confined to a wheelchair, completing the image of a brilliant leader who tutors his protege in becoming a hero although he is physically challenged himself, similar to Professor X of "X-Men" fame. When David concedes that he may be the hero Philadelphia needs and can make a difference with his talents, he wears a rain poncho with a hood from his security job as both a disguise and protection from the elements, an "outfit" that also seems to make him look as though he were wearing a cape. Even when David prepares to confront a truly despicable maintenance worker who has taken a family hostage, his quarry is wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, a garish outfit not dissimilar to those worn by villainous thugs and hoodlums in comic books. One of the key ways that identity is presented in Unbreakable is in how Elijah describes that his disease places him at one end of a kind of spectrum, whereas David represents his polar opposite, a man who is physically resilient where Elijah is not. For Elijah, this is the ultimate truth he has been searching for in his life, some justification for why he has had to endure such a devastating disease. But is this because there is some kind of unacknowledged magic in the world, or is it simply because Elijah desperately wishes for it to be?
Recommended for: Fans of a drama about identity and one's place in the world, while coyly insinuating itself as a superhero origin story. It is a story paradoxically both about overcoming one's fear of achieving something great with one's life and also not allowing one's perception of what their life should be come at the expense of others.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of David discovering his potential is how his perception of his world changes over the course of Unbreakable. One of the key themes of the film is perspective, something alluded to by Elijah's mother (Charlayne Woodard), and how perspective can affect one's place in the world. For much of Unbreakable, scenes featuring David feel especially muted, even washed out to an extent, a reflection of David's lingering sense of disappointment and doubts that he is not living up to his potential. It is clear that his marriage is suffering because he has been keeping his family at arm's length, but it isn't his family that he feels regretful about, but something much more intrinsic to his personality. Elijah's aggressive mentoring of David to consider the possibility that his strength is meant for a greater purpose intrigues David. David jokes with Elijah that men like him are more likely con-men, trying to work some angle by selling an idea to a sucker; but David does bite at the hook, whether he believed he was too smart to do so or not, even investigating if he had ever been sick and trying to develop the "instinct" to sense danger in his job duties as Elijah suggested. Similarly, Elijah's perception of the world has been skewed as a result of his disease. He was ostracized in school--teased by the kids who called him "Mr. Glass". He is an introverted man, stubborn and driven. He is willing to endanger his own delicate body just to prove that David's instincts are correct, after he identifies a potential threat at the stadium. The idea that Elijah has a different point of view of the world is evident in his claims that this world--one he describes as being plagued by the mundane--has a secret legend running through it, hinted at in the world of comic books. Another way Elijah's unique perspective is subtly implied can be found in moments like those where the young Elijah first opens the gift of a comic book from his mother; it is upside-down. This is the same perspective he has when he collapses and subsequently gets a view of the man who fled the stadium with a gun tucked into his pants. The idea of perspective is crucial because Unbreakable also addresses how children view their heroes and adults. The opening scene on the fated train takes place largely from the perspective of a young girl watching David engage in the fairly unheroic act of concealing that he is married, hitting on an attractive woman, then lying and pretending otherwise. Moreover, David is often watched by his son, Joseph, who desperately wants to look up to his father as the hero Elijah describes him to be. Joseph is taken in that his dad is invincible because in every son's eyes, their father is the superhero they believe him to be. Joseph tries to be heroic to emulate his perception of his father, getting into trouble in school because he defended a young girl. The idea that his dad could be a caped crusader is a wish come true for the neglected son.
While David looks inauspicious--although he is evidently strong and in shape--Elijah stands out in the crowd. From his bold haircut to his sharp, purple, tailored suits--even to his walking cane made of glass--Elijah appears to be deeply concerned with identity and the persona he projects. Far from obviously vain or conceited, it is clear that the style and image of comic books have molded his impression of himself. In a theme not uncommon in superhero stories, the idea of identity is a core element of Unbreakable, and how it is reflected in how one presents themselves to the world. When Elijah breaks his leg, he is confined to a wheelchair, completing the image of a brilliant leader who tutors his protege in becoming a hero although he is physically challenged himself, similar to Professor X of "X-Men" fame. When David concedes that he may be the hero Philadelphia needs and can make a difference with his talents, he wears a rain poncho with a hood from his security job as both a disguise and protection from the elements, an "outfit" that also seems to make him look as though he were wearing a cape. Even when David prepares to confront a truly despicable maintenance worker who has taken a family hostage, his quarry is wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, a garish outfit not dissimilar to those worn by villainous thugs and hoodlums in comic books. One of the key ways that identity is presented in Unbreakable is in how Elijah describes that his disease places him at one end of a kind of spectrum, whereas David represents his polar opposite, a man who is physically resilient where Elijah is not. For Elijah, this is the ultimate truth he has been searching for in his life, some justification for why he has had to endure such a devastating disease. But is this because there is some kind of unacknowledged magic in the world, or is it simply because Elijah desperately wishes for it to be?
Recommended for: Fans of a drama about identity and one's place in the world, while coyly insinuating itself as a superhero origin story. It is a story paradoxically both about overcoming one's fear of achieving something great with one's life and also not allowing one's perception of what their life should be come at the expense of others.