United 93 (2006)
While I am glad to be back at blogging, I have dreaded this entry. It’s not thrilling to think about, much less write about, the horror of September 11, 2001. I like most Americans remember exactly where I was when I was informed of both the first, and second, plane crash into the World Trade Center. (Dana Keck, the teacher beside me, came and whispered it to me as my students were taking a timed in-class essay. Needless to say my lesson plans changed dramatically).
The tag line of the film sums it up: September 11, 2001. Four planes were hijacked. Three of them reached their target. This is the story of the fourth.
The story of the fourth seems less like a movie and more like the tragic event that it was. While watching it, I was totally engrossed in the events. While I knew the outcome, it was hypnotically mesmerizing to watch. No big name actors were on the screen, and this worked in its favor. I truly felt as if I was watching the event in real time. The film shows American heroism at its best, and for that, it is worth watching.
While I am glad to be back at blogging, I have dreaded this entry. It’s not thrilling to think about, much less write about, the horror of September 11, 2001. I like most Americans remember exactly where I was when I was informed of both the first, and second, plane crash into the World Trade Center. (Dana Keck, the teacher beside me, came and whispered it to me as my students were taking a timed in-class essay. Needless to say my lesson plans changed dramatically).
The tag line of the film sums it up: September 11, 2001. Four planes were hijacked. Three of them reached their target. This is the story of the fourth.
The story of the fourth seems less like a movie and more like the tragic event that it was. While watching it, I was totally engrossed in the events. While I knew the outcome, it was hypnotically mesmerizing to watch. No big name actors were on the screen, and this worked in its favor. I truly felt as if I was watching the event in real time. The film shows American heroism at its best, and for that, it is worth watching.
The overall effectiveness of the film occurs due to the masterful direction of Paul Greengrass. While he is associated with his work as director of two of the three bourne films, this may well be his masterpiece (he wrote the screenplay as well).
This is a film I will not watch on a regular basis. It is the type of film I will watch with my son some day so he might understand “9/11”, but also to show him what it means to be a hero in the face of the most adverse conditions.
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