Dominatio Per Malum

United 93 (2006) 8/10

Its been almost 5 years, but the imagery of the burning towers still remain etched in one’s mind. Paul Greengrass’s film inevitably provokes the question of whether it is too soon for a movie on 9/11. But United 93 proves to be a film worthy of tackling the subject, and the direction of the film is subtle and yet wrenchingly powerful. United 93 is devastatingly visceral and deeply moving. Its one of the best films of ‘06.

Its very rare that for a film in which you already know what will happen and where you already know the ending, remains gripping and mesmerizing. The sense of unease and the powerful foreshadowing begins early in the film, with what is really just a typical day on Sept. 11 2001 unfolds like any other. People go on upon their daily chores, unware of the upcoming tragedy.

Filmed in documentary, cinéma vérité style, director Greengrass does away with overt stylistic devices in favour of a realistic depiction of the actual events. There is no posturing, no deliberate shots of the twin towers, which a lesser director might be tempted to do. Greengrass depicts the day as it is; there is no underlying moral, no Fahrenheit 911 kind of slant inherent. The hijackers are just ordinary folks, as are the passengers. There is no demonising. There is no excessive heroism attributed, no flashy “lets roll” sequence when the passengers decide to revolt. They are just regular folks, scared but wanting to do what’s right.

It is impossible not to be moved when the passengers relay their last messages via the airplane phones. It is especially poignant to know that these are probably what the actual passengers said on that day. Further enhancing the realism is that many of the cast members on the air traffic control stations as well as the members of the FAA and military are played by their real life counterparts who did experience 9/11.

It is in particular impressive that Greengrass manages to maintain tension in the control room. There is alot of talking, as confusion reigns in the early hours of 9/11. It was particularly frustrating to see how the military was handicapped by misinformation and the lack of authority to engage the hijacked planes.

Some may quibble about the lack of characterisation of the plane’s passengers, such that we know very little about them. In another film, this would have been a valid criticism but here, it is infact a plus. We know as much about the passengers as if we were just someone on board- which is to say very little apart from small snippets of info, which futhers the docudrama feel of United 93. The film puts us into the flight cabin of United 93 and there is a sense of immediacy to the film.

Ultimately, United 93 is a deeply moving, and superbly directed film that is relentlessly gripping despite the audience knowing in advance what will happen. The film brings back the horror, the shock and the devastating loss of 9/11 in a sobering manner that is nothing short of masterful. This is a film that could easily have been tacky, commercialised or didactic like Pearl Harbor or Fahrenheit 911, but isn’t. A beautiful ode to heroism and one of the year’s best.

“But the film doesn’t depict the terrorists as villains. It has no need to. Like everyone else in the movie they are people of ordinary appearance, going about their business. “United 93″ is incomparably more powerful because it depicts all of its characters as people trapped in an inexorable progress toward tragedy.” -Ebert

“United 93 is palpably tense and uncomfortable to watch but nonetheless compelling. The film also is terrifyingly suspenseful, especially since we know the outcome. But it’s not the denouement that keeps us transfixed. It is the exploration of events that lead to it that shatter our emotions and mesmerize us.”- USATODAY.

“At no point during United 93 does it feel like you’re watching a movie. It feels like you’re there.”- Philadelphia Weekly.

United 93 Trailers here.