Oliver Stone's moving account of two 911 rescues

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2006)

It's been 5 years since the atrocity of 911, and with the publicity over the last 5 years one could become a little numb over it. In terms of screen presentation, there was "United 93" which focused primarily on the crashed hijacked plane and the BBC TV special, the premise of which is very similar to that of WTC, the true personal stories of survivors. It's a remarkable job that Oliver Stone has done with WTC, which moved me more than either of the other two mentioned, in more than one scene. And it is an Oliver Stone who has been at one time all fire and brimstone.
WTC started with the hustle-bustle of a morning in Manhattan, just like any other one, except that it was September 11th of 2001. Stone gave so much detailed attention to this opening sequence that even to an occasional visitor like this one, there is a warm, homely feeling. Moving from scene to scene via total blackout underscores an ominous note even this early in the movie. We are then introduced to two police officers, taciturn veteran John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and enthusiastic rookie Will Jimeno (Michael Mena). The attack of the WTC is brought onto the screen as abruptly as it happened in real life, and the rescue effort as chaotic. Only a quarter into the movie (about 30 minutes), the collapsing building brings the protagonist to 20 feet under the rabbles, where they act primarily with their facial expressions, and sometimes only with their eyes, for the remainder of the movie. It's also around this time that the respective wives (Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal) first appear.
It is not easy to keep the audience's attention in the remaining 90 minutes (particularly those with claustrophobia) on two half-buried victims' mental struggle to stay alive. Here, Stone does a remarkably good job (even though not 100% successful). Cutting back and forth to show the agony the wives are going through is a must. Gyllenhaal is particularly impressive, a pregnant young wife driver to the verge of breakdown trying to hold together. The various levels of her psychological turmoil surge and submerge like tidal waves. Bello's is a more subdued and intense role, which she handles well. I understand that her performance in "A history of violence" is Oscar-worthy (she was nominated only for the Golden Globe) and would love to see that film. It's the superb acting of these two actresses that make the re-union scenes in the hospital so moving. Hard-core cynics may still find faults, such as when Jimeno asks that his leg be cut off to make room for McLoughlin's rescue – a tad over done. But in general, the heroism is honestly and squarely reflected, as when a rescuer tells his colleagues his wife's name before plunging down through the rabbles, knowing full well that any remaining structure close by may crush down on him any minute.
In the end, the key message rings true – in atrocities such as these, needless to say, we see the evil side of Man. But at the same time, it also brings out his best.