A review of "Unbreakable": a great superhero movie disguised as a psychological drama

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"We're On The Same Curve, Just On Opposite Ends"

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Plot

In a terrible train catastrophe, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the only person who survived. Immediately after, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), the owner of a comic museum, makes a strong effort to contact him in order to convince him of his unique theory regarding the existence of superheroes.

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Why you should watch it?

Unbreakable is a timeless movie that has delighted and offended fans of film comics. In other words, it's a feature film that has only recently been recognized for its full potential. Shyamalan crafts a complicated movie with a narrative that flawlessly combines innovative and genre aspects, all while adding a philosophical element to the plot. The scriptwriter was able to craft a balanced story where each narrative revelation happens gradually since everything was structured so nicely structurally. Shyamalan's cinematic technique includes this characteristic of building tension and narrative depth until the ultimate point of view is reversed.

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Shyamalan builds the complex story, which is based on a screenplay he wrote, as a contemporary Hitcockian thriller, creating a suspended atmosphere that, from the very first moments, prefers the necessary to the superfluous. This is already exemplified by the restrained, and frequently whispered, acting the cast employs to handle the majority of the dialogue. An operation that is otherwise meticulously planned to the last millimeter also exhibits a minimalist influence in the apparent, subdued rhythmicity of the key events, which flow into one another naturally and shape the complex overall picture between flashbacks and revelatory moments that ultimately lead to the epilogue's twist. This point is the only weak and hasty part of the otherwise perfectly timed performance. Unbreakable moves forward gradually rather than aiming for a simple spectacle. Instead, it prefers to manage its time with balance so that when the action finally begins, the film adopts a tone that is both majestic and tragic.

Unbreakable is an extremely sophisticated mise en scene, where each shot and camera movement is intended to add an additional key to the imagery. David is "spied" from behind the seats at the beginning of the movie ( only after the accident do we get to know who David really is).

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The past of Elijah Price is frequently revealed through the reflection of a glass surface (a mirror, a TV screen) in formally remarkable flashbacks. The significance of the puzzle is altered with each new piece that is learned about the heroes' past. Unbreakable is not only about the conclusion; it is about constant upheaval and is constantly 10 steps ahead of the audience. While expanding David's universe until all of its secrets are revealed, Shyamalan never uses too many words, never tries to make sense of what we are seeing, and always leaves it to the subsequent scene to do so.

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In addition to being a true cinematic adaptation of many comic book topos (the realization of a more important destiny, the good-bad dualism, and the discovery of one's own limits and non-limits), Unbreakable is a goldmine of references and quotations to the greatest of contemporary comics (the story would be perfect in an album by Frank Miller or Alan Moore). The author wants to pay warm respect to all paper heroes and villains like those in comic books, which represent a genuine form of cultural expression, and the ending, which is immersed in one of the most iconic clichés from comic books, completes the circle. A conclusion that also serves as a metaphor for a timeless philosophical idea like the balance between Good and Evil.

Conclusion

This movie explores the concepts of yin and yang, good and evil, and black and white. The two main characters are entirely different from one another: David Dunn, a white police officer who is trapped in a routine and pointless existence, and Elijah Price, a black cartoonist who suffers from severe bone fragility syndrome and appears to have no specific goals in life.
A further testimony to the enorem talent of its director and a film that if you are not familiar with it (especially if you are a fan of the genre) you absolutely must catch up... Enjoy your viewing

Rating

My personal vote is:


9.0/10


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6 comments
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Personally, I have seen the full trilogy that includes the present tape, Split (2016) and Glass (2019), being a very enjoying saga; although I would strongly recommend Split because a single actor does a wonderful job to give life to the entire film, it is simply an exceptional thing and it already becomes a mandatory date. Excellent review, I send you a big hug from a distance. n.n

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I still have to watch the other two movies from the trilogy, I will let you know my opinions once I do

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This movie starts a good trilogy that each movie can be watched without watching the others ! I love the director
Thanks for bringing it
!1UP