It was still hard to believe these tragic events occurred as I watched the recreation of what took place aboard United Airlines flight 93 on September 11th 2001. United 93 written and directed by Paul Greengrass takes us on an emotional roller coaster through the lives of the thirty- three passengers and seven crew members who departed Newark for San Francisco, unaware that their flight would be high jacked by four terrorists.
We already have a brief idea of what this film is about before we even begin to watch it, but the intensity that this film delivers almost makes it seem as if you are aboard that flight yourself. Greengrass uses hand held cameras to shoot this memorable documentary giving the audience an inside point of view and the level of emotion that you are bound to feel is far more extreme then you could have expected.
As you lean over the edge of your seat through out the 111 minutes of the film, you are forced to remember the disturbing images of the two planes crashing into The World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon. Greengrass demonstrates his outstanding cinematographic style when the passengers make their final phone calls from the plane phones to their loved ones, and the mood and emotion become indescribable.
Of course everyone has their own opinions when it comes to film, for example; According to British film critic Matthew Stogdon “This is a movie, As all those involved died in the incident it is a complete work of fiction, I am not heartless, I just don't get as emotional as American's do”, I was irate with his comments and I could not disagree more with Stogdon, regardless of nationality, the harsh truth is that innocent people died and lives all around the country were permanently shattered. If death, pain and sorrow do not call for emotion then I am not sure what would. The looks on the actor's faces in United 93 assure us that this was not a complete work of fiction, but a terrible reality.
United 93 is straight forward in its plot and is based on a piece of history. Greengrass uses trained actors, but gives us a taste of the chaotic events that took place in the air traffic control center with Federal Aviation Administration Operations manager Ben Sliney who plays himself. Sliney's role is both bone chilling and honest as we know he had a first hand experience.
This film brings feelings of anger, trepidation and despair, as it triggers at already painful memories. United 93 gives us a look at all of the events that took place on 9/11 and it does not hold back by any means. United 93 is a film that will leave you heartbroken and speechless -- all over again.
