If it ain't broke, it's because there's nothing you can do to crack it. Unbroken tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, a U.S. Olympic athlete turned solider who survives at sea after a plane crash and imprisonment in Japan during World War II.
Early on, the film uses a non-linear storytelling device to introduce us into the life of Louis. Unfortunately, this technique hinders the momentum and kept me from being absorbed into the story right away. The flashbacks were more engaging than the present scenes and almost felt like two different movies. Once the film finally settles in the traditional linear storytelling mode, it eventually works better, even though the movie struggles to be interesting all the way through.
One of my theories of why this film struggles is because it has too many screenwriters. Joel and Ethan Coen are credited as screenwriters, and they may be the biggest reason why this film works. But the film has two other writers credited, and having multiple writers with different styles can muddle the impact of the story.
The film is an overall exercise in showing us an ordinary man overcoming adversity with extraordinary resilience. In principle, this is an arc that can be a very powerful story to explore. But I'm not sure if all of the filmmaking elements were executed in a way that fully resonates. In this film, I don't know if I saw anything extraordinary unless you're talking about the jarring performance of Miyavi who plays the stone cold Japanese corporal who lays down his wrath to destroy Louis' soul. Without question, this is the most compelling relationship dynamic in the film.
No other actor gives a performance as captivating Miyavi, not even Jack O'Connell, the lead actor in this film. As a director, Jolie has scenes that are hit and miss"”literally. Certain scenes are jarring to watch because of the excruciating situations that Louis is put through. Despite the film's apt attention to Louis' external struggles, it neglects his internal struggles.
The film attempts to address it with a couple of scenes that touch on Louis' spiritual journey. In reality, Louis finds God, but the exploration of this drops off during the second half of the film. As a character in the film (not the man himself), Louis remains an enigma that is as bland and uninteresting as the movie's title. But the film manages to accomplish what it set out to do: show us a runner who ran the race of life with incredible endurance.
