In Search of the Superman: Nietzschean Philosophy in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable

Project Abstract

Since the birth of the genre with the creation of Superman, superhero stories have always had to contend with the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. His concept of the Übermensch along with the movement beyond the traditional viewpoint of morality permeates the superhero genre. In my paper I will trace how Nietzsche’s theories are explored in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2000 film Unbreakable as it is a story about the rise of an everyman, David Dunn (Bruce Willis), into the state of a superhero, the Übermensch. I will follow his journey from an average and depressed man with a failing marriage into a superhero who acts upon his own mode of morality to fulfill his destiny. I will also spend part of the paper exploring the film’s other protagonist, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who, perhaps more so than David, applies principles of Nietzsche to create his idea of a perfect world, one with superheroes. I will analyze how Shyamalan uses formal elements, such as shot framing and mise-en-scène, in order to show how both characters embody aspects of the Übermensch and how they use their will to power. Shyamalan hasn’t received the critical analysis due to his period of box office and critical failures, but his films offer a way to read Nietzschean philosophy that isn’t a one-to-one representation and instead offers a critique of what they look like when they followed through on.

Conference Name

The Midwest Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association 2026 Annual Conference

Conference Details

https://www.mpcaaca.org/ 

The sponsoring body is the Midwest Popular Culture Association. 

The conference is being held in Muncie, Indiana from October 9-11. 

Funding Type

Travel Grant

Academic College

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Area/Major/Minor

English Literature/Film Studies

Degree

BS

Classification

Senior

Name

Dr. Andrew Black

Academic College

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

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