Grim but useful reminder of an awful day

Rating: 7/10 (2 May 2006)

United 93 definitely brings back the emotions of 9/11--possibly even more so because at the time there was so much confusion that no one could be sure what was happening. Now that I know what happened, and even though there's no real suspense in the movie, my stomach was tied in knots for almost two hours. The confusion of the day, for almost everyone involved, comes through clearly. There is an implied--and often explicit--criticism of the government response to the day's events, particularly the FAA and the military, as if they should have been immune to the confusion surrounding such an unprecedented attack. Don't get me wrong--this is no Michael Moore type slander, and probably most of the criticism is deserved. But I can't help but remember watching John Ford's "Battle of Midway", filmed in June 1942 during the darkest days of World War II. I was probably 11 years old in about 1960 when I saw it, and I still remember the pride I felt in our Marines as they defended that tiny island, even though they ultimately were overwhelmed. Lots of mistakes were made then, too, but we had a war to win; it was not a time for pointing fingers. Maybe United 93 would have been as inspiring, if John Ford had made it. As it is, the movie is a grim, but useful, reminder of an awful day. I just wish it had been more than that.