United 93

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2006)

United 93 I think this is definitely one of the most difficult reviews I will write, regarding one of the most difficult films I have seen. The events of 9/11 will haunt all those who remember the day. America is still reeling from the terrible tragedy and the effects of it are too profound for me to attempt to summarize. When talk of a 9/11 movie came out I rolled my eyes. Horrible thoughts flashed through my mind imagining Hollywood would exploit another disaster by throwing teen heartthrobs into typical action scenes held together by a flimsy romance hoping to create a conventional thriller to appeal to brain dead audiences. Thankfully director Paul Greengrass has delivered a respectful, profound, emotional, and expertly crafted tale of 9/11. It is a real time account of what occurred on board United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot. The filmmakers were smart enough to know not to exploit. They do not bring forth conclusions or attack anybody. It does not try to portray anyone of the characters in an overly flattering or degrading way, creating straightforward heroes or villains. This film takes the viewer and places them on board the plane with the rest of the passengers awaiting their impending doom.
All of the passengers are based on real people, but never do we learn who they are. No background insight is exchanged, there names are never even mentioned. Only through little bits of chit-chat throughout the movie are we able to learn little if anything about them. The terrorists never talk about themselves amongst each other; they only speak of their mission. They are complete strangers, which is appropriate because on a plane you would not know anyone. The cast of unknown actors were given studies of their real life counterparts from the family members of the victims. Greengrass was then able to partially improvise some of the events. The story also covers events surrounding U.S Military Air Traffic Controllers; real Air Traffic Controllers were used for these scenes. Greengrass films his story like a documentary, using his hand-held cams like a fly on the wall; his style of direction is perfect for the movie. The tension that the story builds up rivals that of the greatest thrillers. The audience brings all their outside knowledge into the theater and knows how the flight will end and all the events that will follow, the characters do not and the ultimate dramatic irony is now set.
I find it difficult to analyze the emotions I felt during my viewing, because the experience kicked up such a whirlwind of them. I feel there is much I want to say, but am having trouble doing such. I will be damned surprised if a 2006 movie comes along that is as well made and powerful. United 93 is a movie going experience I will not soon forget, I suspect everyone who sees it will feel the same way. The climax is especially haunting functioning as a primal, brutal scene that looks into the most basic of all human actions and emotions like few films have ever, as normal men and women fight up an airplane isle armed with makeshift weapons, kicking, punching, scratching, screaming, crying, choking, blinded with survival instincts, as a man throws down a piece of metal into the ground with the intent of killing a fellow being while screaming his God's name in praise. If that does not stir you up, I do not know what could