An Exciting Film Talent Creates Another Mysterious Winner

When I write a film critique, there’s often a level of ambiguity that develops because I try not to spoil too much of the plot and attempt to soften the blows of negative reviews by focusing on some of a movie’s more positive aspects. Well, the topic of this week’s column is Unbreakable, and due to the secretive approach its makers have taken to promoting it, I will once again have to be fairly vague in relation to its story.  However, concerning the movie itself, let me not beat around the bush: I unabashedly, and enthusiastically, endorse Unbreakable and hold its writer-director, M. Night Shyamalan, in high regard.

Now playing in theatres across the country, Unbreakable is Shyamalan’s follow-up project to The Sixth Sense, the commercial and critical success that brought Oscar nominations to his door and landed his film among the top-ten, all time for its box-office gross. For an encore, the 30-year-old auteur re-teams with his Sixth Sense star, Bruce Willis, and the two tackle the tale of somber security guard David Dunn (Willis), the only passenger to emerge from a devastating train wreck that leaves over 120 people dead.  How did Dunn emerge from this catastrophe unharmed and unscathed? One man, the eccentric but resolute Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), believes he knows the answer, and the questions he poses to Dunn will affect the skeptical survivor and his fragile relationship with his family, which includes his adoring son, Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), and his distanced wife, Audrey (Robin Wright Penn).

Although I highly enjoyed Unbreakable, it should be said this is the kind of film that can create extremely polarized views among viewers. “You either love it or you hate it,” said one person among the audience with which I saw the film, and he’s not far off.  Shyamalan must be admired for his ability to follow through, artistically, on the courage of his convictions. His material is ambitious and treated with complete sobriety, though that’s not to imply that the film is humorless; it’s just that Shyamalan avoids the crutch of relying on campiness or over-the-top antics to help smooth things over with the viewer. Thus, if one does not accept his premise, and the seriousness with which it is treated, then it will probably be tough going to embrace the movie as a whole.

That said, I was completely engrossed with Unbreakable and extremely impressed with the adeptness of its talented helmer, Shyamalan.  It’s apparent he has been taking notes from the master of cinematic suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, and he’s learning his lessons well without simply cheating off the Hitchcock template. For one thing, just as Hitch used to give himself cameos in his films, Shyamalan can be seen in a small part in Unbreakable, just as he had a bit role in The Sixth Sense. Shyamalan is also developing a knack for placing pivotal plot elements just wi thin our reach (yet unbeknownst to us at the time) – either through clever emphases in camera angles or by understated lines of dialogue – so the key sequences they foreshadow will be that much richer when they ultimately come to fruition.

But perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to create a tangible sense of mood and atmosphere that becomes almost overwhelming in its subtle intensity. There is a building sense of foreboding that is yet countered by a growing anticipation at what revelation may yet be around the corner. It’s a tricky balancing act, but Shyamalan shows that he’s not afraid to let this tone build, build, build, and then resolve gently, not with the overblown fanfare with which we’ve become accustomed in typical Hollywood films.

Much more could be said about Unbreakable, but to further discuss its strengths – including its fine, understated performances, top-notch cinematography, and intriguing plot conceptions – could compromise one’s enjoyment of the film. (Suffice to say I’d love to chat further with those who have seen the movie to debate its many subtexts and themes.)  Rated PG-13 for language, mature themes and violence, Unbreakable will make for a fascinating double-bill with Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense. Considering these two films, back to back, makes one anxious to see what will come next from this exciting film talent.