| 'United 93' a powerful re-enactment of tragedy |
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| Written by Tyler Wilson - The Argonaut | ||||||
| Wednesday, 10 May 2006 | ||||||
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"United 93," the terrifying film depicting the events on board the fourth hijacked plane that crashed in rural Pennsylvania on 9-11, is not the exploitive, melodramatic movie many feared prior to its release. The media was swamped with stories questioning whether it was too soon for Hollywood to be dealing with such a recent tragedy. Director Paul Greengrass has quashed those concerns by sticking to the compelling facts of what is known about the flight. "United 93" is largely presented in real time, beginning with the pilots, flight attendants and passengers boarding the plane and later showing the intense rush to the cockpit brave passengers attempted in order to reclaim control of the plane from the hijackers. The people on board aren't introduced in the standard Hollywood way. We don't see much about the lives of the fated passengers before they board. They are just a bunch of strangers, entering a plane and making small talk with the people around them. Names are barely audible, and the audience is only able to know some of them judging upon where they sit in the fuselage. The terrorists in the film are depicted with slightly more detail. The opening scene depicts the men praying in their hotel room, nervous about what they intend to do. Much of the film's first half is about the men waiting for the right moment to take control of the plane. They are the obvious antagonists of the film, but they aren't depicted as monsters. They are religious men, driven by the belief that what they are about to do is noble. While the fated plane is delayed by a traffic jam on the runway, the rest of "United 93" centers on the various air traffic controllers and military officials trying to sort out a flurry of suspicious activity. Airplanes are disappearing and reappearing on radar, foreign languages are overheard, and pilots are not responding to repeated radio calls. News of an airplane crashing into one of the towers at the World Trade Center surfaces, but the overwhelmed air traffic controllers aren't aware of the real situation until they see a plane crash into the second tower on live television. The bulk of the film centers on these people on the ground, who weren't even aware of the hijacking on Flight 93 until it was too late. Many of these roles are played by actual air traffic controllers and military officials, including some performing the exact role they did on 9-11. The result is a genuine and haunting account of the overwhelming confusion on that morning. The military tries desperately to get confirmation from the president to send fighter jets after suspected highjacked planes, but the message doesn't get relayed nearly in time. There are many who could apply blame to the military fumble, but "United 93" rightly skips the politics and leaves viewers free to draw their own conclusions. Since 9-11, criticism and politicizing of that day has been constant. Greengrass takes the audience back in time to experience the event as the people close to it experienced it on that day, allowing the true horror and heroism of 9-11 to resurface. Greengrass' story on the ground is deeply rooted in extensive research and eyewitness accounts. The events that actually unfold on the plane are a combination of the content on the flight recorder, phone calls passengers made to loved ones and authorities, and educated speculation. The passengers aren't depicted as noble superheroes, but as brave individuals who decided they had no other choice but to attack their attackers. The famed "Let's roll" is said more like an afterthought, and when the passengers do finally storm the cockpit, the camera shakes and flutters to avoid showcasing any specific people. It is a blur of people pushing slowly through the plane, and in the end, it is completely unclear who did what or who had their hands on the cockpit controls. The final scene is a riveting and relentless experience, which provides the viewer with a deep sense of inspiration and sadness. Greengrass has crafted one of the most tightly paced and plotted stories in recent memory. His handheld cameras and cast of largely unknown actors also add an unmistakable sense of realism and immediacy. He has also crafted something that is constantly tear-inducing and deeply unsettling. The scene in which some passengers call their loved ones for a final time is more staggering and heartbreaking than anything like it previously depicted on film. Many people will not want to see "United 93," because the memory of 9-11 is vivid enough without a Hollywood reenactment to reinforce it. Regardless, it is a movie that forces us to remember the people who risked their lives on that plane to save others on the ground. To remember the people who seemed to have died so needlessly. To remember what it is that is important in all our lives. It is never too soon for movies as respectful and powerful as "United 93." (Five out of five stars)  Add as favorites (85) | Views: 2115
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