A surprisingly excellent, thoughtful, and deep film well-deserving of all its accolades

Rating: 10/10 (15 September 2006)

I will note that I say it is a spoiler review because I make some interpretational statements. Obviously, at least nearly everyone who sees the film will already know the plot, but how it will be treated is something you may or may not want to know before viewing.
"United 93" is much more than one might think before viewing. One might expect an overly sentimental piece of near-propaganda showing the heroism of the passengers on-board the flight and demonizing the hijackers, but writer/director Paul Greengrass has the guts and brains to take this premise someplace more interesting and the technical ability to do so in an eloquent way.
The dominant aspect of the film is its direction. First, Paul Greengrass emphasizes how "human" (for lack of a better word) the film is by shooting nearly (if not in fact) all of the film with hand-held cameras. Then, he depicts the confusion of the entire situation by, using a Robert Altman-like series of tricks, forcing the viewer to attempt to place the focus and importance where we wish rather than forcing us to focus where he wishes. While these two aspects do make the film rather a grueling watch, that grueling feeling is completely appropriate and in fact is the main strength of this film.
However, Greengrass also manages to create a film that has a depth beyond what most will see on first viewing. The similarities, ranging from their silence toward the other group to their blind conviction that they must do this even if they die to their desire to let their loved ones know how they feel before they do it, that we see between the hijackers prior to their attack and the passengers before they attempt to retake the plane suggest a number of possibilities. Perhaps Greengrass is suggesting that we could understand these hijackers if pushed far enough--because they are doing what they think will be best for the world as a whole even if it's bad for them, in spite of our emotions toward them. Or perhaps Greengrass is suggesting that the terrorists feel that they are fighting for their lives. No matter the interpretation, it is obvious that Greengrass is suggesting something beyond the thought of "terrorists=bad; passengers=good," which makes this film far more interesting than it may appear.
It is also noteworthy that the film takes care to treat the hijackers as human, showing that one cares for his family enough to call them before boarding and then seemingly has difficulty bringing himself to commit the actual hijacking. Greengrass's treatment of the hijackers again suggests a deeper meaning or understanding of the events taking place, so that the film becomes that much more interesting.
The other aspects of the film are rather dismissible, since the actors have little to work with but do what is required of them perfectly and what little score is used is excellent but again little is required of it. But these aspects are not at all an indictment but rather a simple example of little being required.
All told, "United 93" is a modern masterwork, with far more depth and thought than anyone would expect in a film about such an emotionally stirring event. Paul Greengrass's fortitude and intelligence are on bright display as he uses his camera, sound, dialogue, editing, and all other aspects of film-making to create the most powerful possible effect. The film is not for the feint of heart and is not for quick and simple hero worship, but for everyone else it is a highly recommended masterpiece.