9/11, minute by minute

Rating: 9/10 (16 July 2006)

On September 11th, 2 planes crash into the World Trade Center after being hijacked. Before news of this spreads across the country, flight 93 has taken off, carrying on board 4 terrorists intent on crashing it into the White House. As news of the other targets reached the passengers, they fought back.
"United 93" is a minute-by-minute reconstruction of what happened in the tower, control room, air traffic control and - crucially, the plane itself from the security checks to the fatal crash. Fittingly, British director Paul Greengrass opts for a documentary approach, setting aside sentimentality and assembling a cast of unknowns. He also received approval from all all involved and the passengers relatives, no mean feat considering the recent nature of the events depicted on screen. The result is a fluid film that feels very authentic and is, in its final moments, unbearably tense (expect to find yourself in an unusually silent cinema at the end of this film).
As respectful as "united 93" is and as much as it is admirable for sidestepping jingoism or being manipulative, it is not without flaws. The first, that will largely affect cinema audiences, is the unpleasant photography. Fuzzy focus and (often useless) breakneck movements do a disservice to the film. If Greengrass wanted a documentary look, why not just shoot it raw and have it that way, rather than add these contrived and unpleasant elements? The film also has too broad a focus for us to be emotionally involved. Rather, we are left horrified by the last scene and the fact that it is grounded in reality. Exploring the terrorists and passengers more might have given this more human dimension. Nevertheless, it remains very interesting and well made, with great detail and effort put into scenes that do not take place on the plane. Unexpectedly rousing our sympathy is the confusion in the air traffic control center. Thankfully, the director opts for archive footage whenever possible for sights of the twin towers and silence rather than music to underline a strong scene.
These strengths outweigh the weaknesses and make "United 93" an important piece of contemporary cinema and, for non-Americans, a good insight into the confusion our American friends experienced on that surreal day.
Well worth a look.