| Remember the secrecy around
“The Sixth Sense”? No one who saw the
movie would give away the ending because it would
ruin the film. Expect the same reaction from
writer/director M. Night Shyamalan's (“Sixth
Sense”) new film, “Unbreakable.” David
Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the sole survivor of a
massive train wreck, which makes him question the
significance of his survival. His questions and
answers go beyond that of mere survivor guilt.
The question of whether he is human is raised.
Imagine
Clark Kent growing up on earth, living the life
that a normal person would live. Then he learns
that he is not human and has super powers, such
as being impervious to harm. However, instead of
pursuing a career as a superhero, he becomes a
lowly security guard at a university because of
his intense desire to protect people. His
decision to remain obscure and limited makes him
bitter in his later years. This is the initial
premise of “Unbreakable.”
The
exploration of who he might really be begins when
he meets Elijah “Mr. Glass” Price
(Samuel L. Jackson). Elijah feels that there is a
connection between himself and Dunn. For Dunn,
the stress of the accident and his survival has a
push-pull effect on his wife Audrey (Robin Wright
Penn) and son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), whose
relationship with David was pretty shaky even
before the accident.
These
plot elements only scratch the surface and the
movie succeeds in its secrecy. If I give any
further information, it would have the same
effect as if someone gave away the ending to the
“The Sixth Sense.”
I
was optimistic when I learned that Bruce Willis
would be playing opposite Samuel L. Jackson
again, since they worked well together in
“Die Hard with a Vengeance.” The same
is true for “Unbreakable,” but this
time both actors interact with other characters
more than they did in their last movie together.
There
are no stellar acting performances. However, what
makes this movie special is its subject matter
and how it gives an alternative view to an old
plot (think Superman). The story line is unique
and makes dramatic a genre that is not normally
considered serious: the comic book.
The
photography and the editing are well done. Many
scenes were shot at interesting angles and the
camera movement was original and unconventional.
Several important sequences were cut before
enough information was conveyed to the audience,
which added to the suspense and kept audience
interest piqued.
As
in “The Sixth Sense,” you are confident
in thinking that you know what is going on. Then
the ending comes, and you learn that you were
completely wrong.
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2000: The Northern Light
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