A shocking, heartbreaking tribute to the victims of 9/11

Rating: 10/10 (23 January 2007)

2006 was a memorable year for movies, for many reasons. One such reason is the fact that for the first time Hollywood had the guts to tackle a painful subject like 9/11, only five years after that terrible day. While Oliver Stone's World Trade Center was a decent film, it suffered from the occasional "inspired" auteur touches, which were meant to add emotional power but actually made the movie more pretentious. United 93, on the other hand, stands out as the better of the two achievements because of its straightforward approach to the events: no contrivances, no hidden messages, no attempt to glamorize the tragedy. Just good old honest storytelling.
The film deals with the hijacking of the titular aircraft, the only one, of the four that were taken on September 11, that didn't hit its target. The reason? The passengers and crew, knowing they would probably die anyway, decided to try and stop the terrorists nonetheless, so that they could have at least one chance to see their loved ones again. This part of the story doesn't actually take place until one hour into the movie, as the director Paul Greengrass builds up the suspense by cutting between the plane calmly flying on its designed route, airports suddenly realizing some aircrafts are missing, and the military wondering what's going on. Then the WTC is attacked, panic breaks loose on the ground and in the air and all everyone can do is stand and watch the images of the Twin Towers falling apart, asking in horror how this can be possible. From this point on, the outcome of the events is painfully obvious.
United 93 is a gripping, staggering picture. Much of its impact is due to Greengrass's documentary-style direction: the film is shot entirely with hand-held cameras, giving it a more realistic tone; the characters are all portrayed by unknown actors, allowing the audience to connect with all of them, not just one or two "team leaders"; and, most crucially, the events occur in real time, adding to the nerve-wrecking tension. All these elements contribute in making the movie an almost unbearably intense experience. Such is the power of the film some might even not be able to watch the last five minutes, where the pain and suspense reach their emotionally exhausting climax. We feel for these people because they were the kind we would run into every day. Unlike the firefighters in Oliver Stone's 9/11 film, the plane's passengers didn't deal with potentially lethal situations on a regular basis, and their sacrifice had nothing to do with patriotism: they did it to save their own lives, perfectly aware of the risks and the slim chances to succeed. And while it's sometimes hard to watch, United 93 is a remarkable tribute to their courage.