Glass (2019) Director: M. Night Shyamalan Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bruce Willis, Sarah Paulsen Genres: Thriller, Drama, Superhero IMDb Synopsis (for the first act of the film): "Security guard David Dunn uses his supernatural abilities to track Kevin Wendell Crumb, a disturbed man who has twenty-four personalities." |
This is the question at the center of Glass, the latest thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. For those not up to speed, Glass is a sequel to the 2000 film Unbreakable as well as 2017’s Split, which itself was a stealth sequel to Unbreakable. Glass follows the three main characters from those movies, David Dunn (Bruce Willis), Kevin Wendell Crumb a.k.a. “The Horde” (James McAvoy), and Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, or the titular “Mr. Glass” as they try to make sense of their supposed superpowers and their places in the world.
The central premise of Unbreakable, a movie that was way ahead of its time, that this guy David Dunn discovers he has superhuman abilities, the kind Elijah Price believes are exaggerated for entertainment in comic books. It’s a really unique approach to a superhero movie, and as I said up top, Glass extrapolates that premise further by debating the merits of superheroes in the real world.
Let’s start with Mr. Glass, because even though McAvoy’s “Horde” gets the most screen time (and he puts in a brilliant performance), I think most of what the film is trying to say rests on Elijah Price. Throughout the story, Mr. Glass and several of the supporting characters are constantly talking in terms of comic books. “That sounds like the bad guys teaming up,” says Mr. Glass. His plan is something out of a cartoon, as he says he plans to unleash “The Beast” at the grand opening of a new skyscraper and he encourages David to stop him so Glass can show the world superheroes exist. It’s all very on-the-nose, but Shyamalan purposefully points out how much Glass fits into the mold of a typical superhero flick.
Until it doesn’t.
But there’s one more twist in store because Mr. Glass, always the mastermind, has engineered that all the footage of the fight be sent to his mother, David Dunn’s son, and the girl who survived the Beast’s abduction in Split (more on her later, though). And this is where the movie gets brilliant, because you realize what Mr. Glass meant in his dying words, “The was an origin story.” Glass isn’t about these three superhumans. It’s about the rest of us, the downtrodden masses who believe tales of the impossible are just that. As his dying act, Mr. Glass ensured that a new generation of exceptional individuals will rise up. It’s our origin story. In fact, it’s really that classic message of “the power is in you” presented in a totally unique way.
Let’s talk about David Dunn’s death, because I think that’s where a lot of people are getting hung up with this movie. He’s the hero, he’s not supposed to die, right? As Quentin Tarantino once said, Unbreakable is a movie that asks “What if Superman didn’t know he was Superman?” Well, Glass takes it one step further and asks, “What if Superman really didn’t matter?” Guys, hear me:
This is a movie where instead of saving the day, Superman drowns unceremoniously in a puddle. But that’s incredible, because it means that this Superman really didn’t matter. Glass isn’t David Dunn’s story.
But now… We need to talk about Kevin. Now, my ignorance of Split aside, it’s revealed throughout Glass that Kevin’s multiple personalities are mostly just a front created by childhood abuse, and that genuine compassion is able to make the real Kevin Wendall Crumb emerge. That’s why Anna Taylor-Joy is back, because she has a special bond with Kevin that can give him the courage to “stay in the light.” Now, while I do have some problems with both the idea that mental illnesses can be akin to superpowers and the use of a child who clearly has some degree of Stockholm syndrome in curing a truly deranged individual, Kevin’s arc in this movie is that he learns bravery through love. And while it ultimately doesn’t add up to much, as he’s killed along with the other two superhumans, in his dying moments he finds that courage with Casey and he overcomes that trauma. It’s kinda beautiful, actually.
Like I told my friends on the car ride home, very few movies could get me to root for a mass-murdering terrorist and a cannibalistic serial killer. But Glass does that.
Let’s talk for a bit about how this movie looks. Firstly, the cinematography is excellent, with lots of surreal, comic book-esque shots. I've always had a thing for perfectly symmetric shots, and this movie has them in spades. And hands down, the best piece of camera work is when we slowly pan around the room with Mr. Glass and Kevin as the light keeps going off and McAvoy flips between his vast array of personalities.
Throughout the entire movie, David’s son Joseph wears green. So here’s my brilliant hypothesis: the colors represent belief. Joseph idolizes his father; he has since nineteen years ago in Unbreakable. At no point during Glass is his belief in David’s abilities called into question. Hell, he’s given his life towards helping out his dad, “The Overseer.” Now, let’s look at Mr. Glass’s mom. Early on, she can be seen wearing shades of purple. Not a lot, but it’s there. This is reflective of her doubt over her son’s actions and his supposed delusions. But as Elijah dies and she tells him “You were extraordinary,” her belief comes full circle. As for Casey, for most of the movie she wears entirely unrelated colors - red, blue, etc. But during that last showdown, after she’s bonded a little more with Kevin, her sweater starts to show shades of yellow. Jump forward to that final scene, as they wait in the train station for Mr. Glass’s final plan to hit the news. Joseph’s still wearing green, Mrs. Price is clad entirely in purple, and Casey’s outfit is largely yellow. See what I mean? The colors are symbolic of belief.
“Do we need heroes?”
And answering that question, Shyamalan not only argues that we need heroes now more than ever, he suggests that there’s a hero in every one of us. “There are unseen forces in the world that don’t want you to believe in extraordinary things.” Call me crazy, but Elijah’s words really hit home for me. The world of Unbreakable is much like our own - we live simple, mundane lives; most of us don’t believe tales of the impossible could ever be anything more. But every now and then, something comes along and shatters that belief - just like Glass.