United 93: A Tale of Terror and Hope

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2006)

"United 93" is the first movie about the events of September 11th, 2001. Some critics have speculated that, after nearly five years, it was too soon to make such a movie. But the surviving family members of those who had perished had nothing but support for director Paul Greengrass. And ultimately, the movie proves to be respectful and well-crafted. One good thing about "United 93" is the flow of the story. It starts steadily, as we see the terrorists calmly preparing for their mission, the crew and passengers boarding the airplane. Then the tension builds as reports of the other hijacked planes surface, and chaos reigns in air traffic control centers. Finally, the story reaches its climax as the passengers rise up against the terrorists. Admirably, there are no exaggerated performances or characters. The terrorists are not stereotypical villains, and the passengers are not over-the-top heroes. The immortal words of Todd Beamer, "Let's roll," are not presented as a catchphrase, but underplayed. The cast consists of unknown actors, and also includes air traffic personnel who were actually on duty that day, including Ben Sliney, supervisor at the National Air Traffic Control Center at Hearndon, Virginia. "United 93" presents a shocking moment in American history, a tale that simply had to be told.