Insider Feed

Whether we as a nation are ready for it or not, reality will finally set in this weekend. After five long years, the events of September 11 will play out on the big screen for the first time.

United 93 tells the story of one of the four hijacked planes on September 11. The first three airliners hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The fourth, United Airlines flight 93, crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the passengers staged a heroic attempt to retake the plan from their captors before it could reach its intended target.

By undertaking the production of United 93, writer/director Paul Greengrass voluntarily hung his budding career over the proverbial ledge. In deciding to tell the story of the infamous flight, Greengrass had to be careful not to cross the thin line between artistic expression and exploitation. After viewing the final product, I can confidently say that he has walked that line perfectly.

Still, United 93 is a conundrum. This is easily the best studio-produced film I have seen in the last five years, yet it is not an experience I wish to have again anytime in the near future. Never have I been so emotionally affected by a single piece of art in such a short span of time. United 93 is a superbly directed drama, not at all manipulative or exploitative. But it is also a bold, unflinching account that is terrifyingly genuine. Above all, the film stands as a fitting tribute to the brave passengers of United Airlines flight 93.

As always, Greengrass utilizes his customary shaky-cam style we’ve seen in films like Bloody Sunday and The Bourne Supremacy. While this technique can occasionally be irritating – in The Bourne Supremacy especially – it works perfectly here. At the risk of sounding exaggerative, every single decision Greengrass makes in United 93 is the right one. He takes a huge gamble right from the start, using a virtually unknown cast of characters to create a complete sense of anonymity. And instead of using sweeping music and excessive dramatic pauses for effect, he simply puts you in the room. For 90 minutes it’s September 11 again. You’re there. As unsettling as that may sound, it works.

From its disturbing opening – fading in on two Muslim men praying in their hotel room – United 93 puts you right in the middle of the action. As the events of September 11 unfold in real time, we dart in and out of control rooms in Boston, New York and Cleveland as well as command centers for the FAA and NORAD. The first half of United 93 is focused mainly in these control centers on the ground, as those in charge gradually begin to realize the gravity of the situation. As planes begin to veer off course and cease transmission, panic and confusion sets in on the ground. Greengrass occasionally cuts to the interior of United 93, but only long enough to remind us of what’s to come.
[PAGEBREAK]
The bewilderment of the officials in charge is disheartening and frustrating, as is the apparent lack of a contingency plan. The FAA’s control man on September 11, Ben Sliney, adds to the accuracy and realism by playing himself and several more of the key players in the film are doing the same. Sliney was there and he knows what the tension was like. He does a great job of conveying that emotion sincerely onscreen.

It’s not until the first third of the film is through that it really hits you, though. You might think you’re doing just fine, that this isn’t such a hard film to watch. Then that plane hits the tower and it all comes rushing back. Every emotion you felt that day: fear, anger, anxiety, frustration. For some, it’s going to be too much. I don’t fault anyone for that, especially since it doesn’t get any easier from there.

The final half hour of United 93 is riveting, unsettling, moving, and inspirational all at the same time. Through calls to loved ones and to the authorities, the passengers realize their flight is part of a coordinated suicide attack against the United States. As they plan to fight back, many say their final goodbyes to the ones they love.

The toughest part of the whole thing is watching these brave souls fight for what they believe in during the decisive final five minutes. For a moment, you realize that you’re still in a movie theater and United 93 feels like an action film. Inside, you root for the passengers to gain control of the plane, to overtake the hijackers and get the thing back on the ground. Then it hits you again. You already know what’s going to happen.

We are never privileged to any background information about the passengers of United 93, nor do I believe we should be. By withholding that information, Greengrass shows us that these men and women could have been anybody. Any one of us could have been on that plane. These were ordinary people with ordinary lives, forced to make a desperate choice in an effort to save themselves and also to save thousands on the ground below.

United 93 is a film that may or may not receive the praise it deserves at the present time. Despite almost universal critical approval, the "too soon" argument may do it in before it has a real chance at success. I am confident, however, that some 20 years from now, when September 11 sits in the pages of our children’s textbooks, United 93 will be the definitive film based on the events of that day. With time, I think it will only earn more and more respect, and rightfully so.

If you truly don’t think you’re ready to see this film, I beg you not to see it. It will not be a good experience if you’re not prepared for it. However, I believe United 93 is a film that every American should see at some point, somehow. We all remember that horrible day and the tragedy that occurred, but we must also remember that through that tragedy there is still hope. I, for one, am happy that we have such a magnificent and memorable film to help us remember that fateful day and to honor the courageous men and women of United 93.

You're browsing the archives, check out the latest movie news.