Great tribute to and deconstruction of comic books

Rating: 8/10 (30 November 2013)

"Unbreakable" was a movie that many had high expectations after the surprising success of "The Sixth sense" . The movie was met with mixed reactions . The next movie "Signs" also divided people and "The Village" can me called a breaking point of M. Night Shyamalan's career. His next movies became more and more worse and right now hardly anyone takes Shyamalan seriously. It's sad , because I really think that "The Sixth sense" , "Unbreakable" and "Signs" while are not without flaws , are certainly good movies . The first two are great and deserve to appear on "the best movies ever" list .
"Unbreakable" might be the best of Shyamalan movies . It stands better on repeated viewings than "The Sixth sense" . The ending is more logical and unpredictable and the whole movie doesn't seem to really too heavy on the surprising ending than it's famous "older brother". It's like a cherry on the top of delicious cake rather than the main attraction of the movie. The somber mood stays with you and whole picture really feels like a work of art , not entertainment. It does have few things in common with "Sixth sense" (Willis , atmosphere , twist endings , supernatural undertones) , but please watch it as an completely separate movie.
This movie takes time for buildup of atmosphere, strong character interaction, and it's heavily centered on characters and their psychology. Shyamalan might be the best director since Hitchcock with his ability to create suspense. Fall on the stairs , drowning in the swimming pool , the fight – those scenes are really breathtaking and magical.
"Unbreakable" walks a fine line between being realistic and comic bookish. This movie precedes "Batman begins" as the first superhero movie grounded in reality. It is however a psychological thriller , not an action movie. What if superhero did exist in real life ? Is Jackson's character right about Willis ? Shyamalan gives the audience many subtle hints that will become clear if you watch the movie again. There are many clever visual symbols , dialogue lines or camera angels that are references to comic books. They are also hints foreshadowing the ending of the movie. If you are a comic book fan you will probably notice them quicker than the rest of audience. As for the ending that was often criticized – it's perfect the way it is. It's a deconstruction of comic book logic. What happens here is what would happen in real life. It's pretty much goes against comic book fans expectations , just like the whole plot of this movie. It's sad that people weren't ale to see this.
Bruce Willis (for the second time in a row works with Shyamalan) creates a completely convincing portrayal of average Joe with depression and family problems . There is a aura of sadness around him and that's says something about his acting skills. He's certainly more capable actor than the typical tough guy he often plays. What Willis does here is so subtle that many half-intelligent viewers will say that his not acting at all. Samuel L. Jackson is creepy , mysterious yet sympathetic at the same time. He's got a great chemistry with Willis (just like in "Die hard with a vengeance"). There's something bizarre in him (in a positive way). As for the supporting characters Spencer Clark is great as Willis son and Robin Wright Penn is solid as Willis wife.
Director of Photography Eduardo Serra did a great job . He used dark, slightly blue colored filter for most of movie time to create an haunting atmosphere . The movie does look really like a comic book with some of the camera angles. James Newton Howard also deserves praise for his silent , yet powerful soundtrack. The music during the fight is quite chilling.
"Unbreakable" is a movie about many things – about dysfunctional family, how comics have shaped popular culture in the 20th century and became modern myth , it wonders about the origins of evil and good , what it means to be a hero , about destiny and self realization. Too bad that the potential franchise was killed by the inpatient audience . Today , people get bored very quickly . If only they knew what they miss I give it 8/10.