Unbroken
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
It’s Tokyo Olympics time, so we’re getting a little into the season here at Films Fatale. Each weekday will involve a film relating to the Olympics in any way. They can be sports films or other genres, and real or fictitious.
In a weird way, I don’t necessarily love anything Angelina Jolie has directed (the closest I’ll get is with First They Killed My Father), but I do always come out of her pictures knowing where she is coming from, what thought she’s put into a picture, and the reasons why I can’t flat out dislike even her weaker efforts. Such is the case with Unbroken, which has gone on to become arguably her most popular and beloved film. I sadly can’t carry the same sentiments, but, again, I can admire what Jolie was trying to say here. Here is the true story of Louis Zamperini who lived many lives: as an Olympian, as a veteran of the second World War, and as the survivor of captivity (as a prisoner of war). Jolie finds the perseverance in all three: where Zamperini came eighth in his race, he refuses to give up (especially when fighting for his life). The themes of resilience, determination, and overcoming the odds are ever present.
Unfortunately, this same fight for something greater (whether it’s life or legacy) isn’t matched by the film itself. Jolie has starred in enough Hollywood blockbusters that her style may be tainted by bland normalcies, but she’s also exhibited far wiser commentaries based on her humanitarian work. The two worlds collide and make such a jarring end result, where — on one hand — a westernized look at global issues of today and throughout history can be felt, but it’s the other hand’s overbearing reliance on what other mainstream films do that weighs this vision down. You can feel the film held down, like it’s a kite waiting to soar away, but its owner will only let it go so far. In a film like Unbroken, that’s a particularly bad problem to have: how can you enforce great achievements by barely trying to escape the confinements of stock filmmaking?
While safe, Unbroken is also hoisted up by some of its elements.
Not everything here is a bust, though. Aesthetically, Jolie knows how to make the most of her all star cast and crew, and these separate elements range from competent to exquisite on their own (and occasionally together). You have some powerful performances from Jack O’Connell (as Zamperini), and a blossoming Domhnall Gleeson; musician Miyavi is quite good working outside of his element here (or at least he was back then: he has since starred in a number of films). Roger Deakins secures another home run as one of the greatest directors of photography ever here, and it’s no secret that his cinematography helps give authentic flourishes in scenes that are otherwise run into the ground with banality. Then there’s Alexandre Desplat, who pushed himself as a composer here with one of his finer musical examples of the early 2010’s: his typical whimsy has been replaced with courage.
Otherwise, you have a scant story (surprisingly co-written by the Coen brothers, as well as Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson) that doesn’t dig into the post-captivity struggles of Zamperini (pretty much at all); the events that are captured in the film are displayed basically enough so that they feel restrained. Jolie has gotten stronger as a filmmaker, but she certainly develops her tone, aesthetics, and statements more than the nuances of her storytelling. No matter. Unbroken has enough promise and well established pieces that the greater whole still makes for a complete-enough picture (albeit one with missing, borderline crucial parts).
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.