Movie Review: United 93
I just got back from seeing United 93 with a contingent of the Delaware Conservative Blogger Alliance (DCBA). In attendance were Hube (and spouse), Paul Smith, Jr., Mark Levin Fan (and spouse), Miss AO, and Anna Venger. Delaware2006 will have a roundup of reactions to the movie. Yes, it is after 2AM, but I wanted to do this while the film was as fresh as possible in my mind.
First, I was not sure I was "ready" to see this movie, but I nonetheless thought that it was important to see. As it turns out, I doubt I will be ever be "ready." The day of September 11, 2001 will most likely be forever imprinted upon my consciousness in the same way my parents remember when JFK was assassinated. United 93 incorporates CNN footage into the movie, as those not on the plane see the events unfold before them. It may have been the first time since that day that I watched the second plane streak across the sky and hit the World Trade Center. I remember exactly where I was, and the realization I felt that we were under attack. I do not believe it was "too early" to revisit that experience.
United 93 provoked a visceral reaction that I have never felt while watching a film before. Sure, I may get a little choked up when I watch Field of Dreams, but this was far and beyond the definition of gut-wrenching. This was even beyond what I felt when I saw The Passion of the Christ. I do not say this to demean Mel Gibson's movie or the Passion itself, but United 93 certainly hits closer to home.
The movie starts out with a very "everyday" feel. For most people, it was going to be just another day at work. However the plot unfolds in a way that is now crystal clear to those of us who remember watching the events unfold, but is completely baffling to the people experiencing these events for the first times. Many of the air-traffic controllers and NORAD peoeple appeared as themselves, reliving a role that they once played for real.
As the movie builds towards its climax, it is readily apparent that these are real people caught in ths extraordinary situation. They have no coheasive plan of action. None have military training. Yet they act in a heroic way. One of the passangers, a German-speaking European, attempts to reason that this is just a hijacking for extortion, and the plane will land somewhere safe. Through the use of the plane phones and cellular phones, the passengers discover that the Rules of Engagement have changed, and that "this is a suicide mission." With this, they deicide to retake the plane. United 93 crashed as a result of their action, saving countless innocent lives.
Thoughout these events, I kept asking myself, "What would I do in that situation?" I can only hope that I would have the courage to do what those brave people did. In the Global War on Terror, it was civlians who were first attacked by the forces of evil, Islamofascists, and it was American civilians that made the first anti-terror strike, at the sacrifice of their own lives. The passengers of United 93 deserve their place in American history next to Paul Revere, Jimmy Doolittle, and others. George Will believes it is everyone's civic duty to see this movie. I am inclined to agree.
If it were up to me, United 93 would get Best Picture at every award show this year. Delaware2006 will have a link to all DCBA reviews as they get posted.
First, I was not sure I was "ready" to see this movie, but I nonetheless thought that it was important to see. As it turns out, I doubt I will be ever be "ready." The day of September 11, 2001 will most likely be forever imprinted upon my consciousness in the same way my parents remember when JFK was assassinated. United 93 incorporates CNN footage into the movie, as those not on the plane see the events unfold before them. It may have been the first time since that day that I watched the second plane streak across the sky and hit the World Trade Center. I remember exactly where I was, and the realization I felt that we were under attack. I do not believe it was "too early" to revisit that experience.
United 93 provoked a visceral reaction that I have never felt while watching a film before. Sure, I may get a little choked up when I watch Field of Dreams, but this was far and beyond the definition of gut-wrenching. This was even beyond what I felt when I saw The Passion of the Christ. I do not say this to demean Mel Gibson's movie or the Passion itself, but United 93 certainly hits closer to home.
The movie starts out with a very "everyday" feel. For most people, it was going to be just another day at work. However the plot unfolds in a way that is now crystal clear to those of us who remember watching the events unfold, but is completely baffling to the people experiencing these events for the first times. Many of the air-traffic controllers and NORAD peoeple appeared as themselves, reliving a role that they once played for real.
As the movie builds towards its climax, it is readily apparent that these are real people caught in ths extraordinary situation. They have no coheasive plan of action. None have military training. Yet they act in a heroic way. One of the passangers, a German-speaking European, attempts to reason that this is just a hijacking for extortion, and the plane will land somewhere safe. Through the use of the plane phones and cellular phones, the passengers discover that the Rules of Engagement have changed, and that "this is a suicide mission." With this, they deicide to retake the plane. United 93 crashed as a result of their action, saving countless innocent lives.
Thoughout these events, I kept asking myself, "What would I do in that situation?" I can only hope that I would have the courage to do what those brave people did. In the Global War on Terror, it was civlians who were first attacked by the forces of evil, Islamofascists, and it was American civilians that made the first anti-terror strike, at the sacrifice of their own lives. The passengers of United 93 deserve their place in American history next to Paul Revere, Jimmy Doolittle, and others. George Will believes it is everyone's civic duty to see this movie. I am inclined to agree.
If it were up to me, United 93 would get Best Picture at every award show this year. Delaware2006 will have a link to all DCBA reviews as they get posted.
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