UNBREAKABLE
Questioning the morality of a superhero
Spoilers for Unbreakable (2000)
Nearly 25 years after its release, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable remains one of the more interesting subversions of the superhero story. It remains grounded, even as David Dunn (Bruce Willis) begins to understand his powers. Its supervillain, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), is a domestic terrorist obsessed with finding someone who embodies everything he isn’t.
Even the crimes committed by the regular villains are gritty and realistic, lacking the entertainment and panache that comes with the best comic book antagonists.
Unbreakable works because it stays just behind the line of what we can believe. Despite the astronomical odds, we know that there are sole survivors from devastating accidents, so when David survives the train crash at the beginning of the film the audience can accept it.
There are myriad examples of normal people exhibiting near-superhuman strength in times of extreme stress, so when David starts lifting beyond what should be possible, the audience accepts it. Yes, his invulnerability stretches credibility but again we have real-world examples of people surviving the impossible.
So, if Shyamalan isn’t subverting the standard tropes, what is he subverting? Well, crucially, he questions David’s morality. This isn’t in a bigger picture way, like how superheroes are forced to balance their desire for vengeance with a no-killing rule. Nor is he an anti-hero, so he cannot be a whirlwind of violent chaos akin to Deadpool or Spawn. For Unbreakable, David needs to be a superhero in the classic sense for Shyamalan to bring his vision to the screen.
The moral ambiguity is focused on David’s relationship with his wife Audrey (Robin Wright). When we first meet Audrey, we understand that they are estranged; they are still living together but sleeping apart and considering divorce. At the very beginning of the film, David is on a train that crashes because he is returning from a job interview in another state.
It’s here that David shows a greyness in morality. The audience is unaware of the marital difficulties at this point. We are unaware that David is married at all. When Kelly (Leslie Stefanson) sits next to him, they begin to gently flirt until she cuts David off, explaining that she has a husband, and moves seats.
The camera then pans down as David puts his wedding ring back on his finger.
It’s not a shocking moment. Adultery certainly isn’t something that would upset a modern audience. It isn’t even the first time that a superhero has cheated on a significant other. As comics continued to try and up the emotional stakes and create new plotlines for established characters, various superheroes have had affairs. But it’s a clever little trick from Shyamalan. It’s enough of a kink in David’s armour that it keeps us wondering if he will embrace his superpowers until the very end.
This small but pivotal scene informs much of what we learn later in the film. David is damaged. The repression of his superpowers has led him to feel unfulfilled. He lies multiple times throughout the film, and in flashbacks. We gradually understand that his attempted infidelity is part of a wider problem where David looks for meaning in his life.
A minor flaw not only helps to set Unbreakable apart from the superhero canon, it further grounds the character. There are no supermen or women. We cannot live life with the same solid moral code as Superman. Every interaction with Audrey, every attempt to distance himself from his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), and every time David tries to deny who he is, is informed by that opening scene where his moral character is momentarily questioned.
Writer/director: Â M. Night Shyamalan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Robin Wright
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