Generally, cinema can be quite a non-interactive process for me.
This film was one of the few that were different.
It is hard to describe this film. It's not patriotic or gung-ho - it's not Die Hard II or Passenger 57. It's not a poster boy for the war on terror - it's too factual and it's depiction of the terrorists is nothing like what I expected it to be. It pulls no punches in showing just how little anyone knew; confusion ruled.
Confusion was a common theme in this film; there was no joined up response to the situation; air traffic control couldn't speak to the military; the military couldn't find someone to make the difficult decisions; the fighter jets they got up in the air were in the wrong place and were
unarmed. No one quite knew the extent of the situation; 4200 planes up in the air on Sept. 11th over the US - which had been taken over and which hadn't?
No one really had anyone else to turn to. The people on the plane were scared; they'd seen people murdered in front of them; they were afraid of the terrorists but the true horror of what was to happen didn't become apparent until information started to leak onto the plane; the twin towers had been hit - the pentagon blown up; their plane was not going to land...
The film wasn't about saving the world; and it's tasteful, factual portrayal of events for me seemed to serve as an excellent condemnation of what those men did in the name of others. By displaying the facts, showing the weaknesses, by making no attempt to hide mistakes, fear or anger, by telling the story of what happened on that day it should become a memorial to what happened.
There was a scene where a mother talks to her children over the plane phone - telling them goodbye. You might think it was schmaltzy, that it was a blatant attempt to win the audience over with sympathy maybe, until you realise that this conversation - one of many - happened - it exists on tape, and really was the last contact with her family that this woman had, word for word.
The headlong rush towards the ending is so brutal; you know it's going to happen but it doesn't leisurely spiral towards it; it feels far too realistic. When the film finished, I found it hard to speak - although it probably isn't the whole story - it's presentation of what happened - the humanity of everyone - was powerful enough to emphasise the terror of the events.
Watch this film if you want to. I can't find the will to recommend it - it's not that kind of film as it isn't entertainment.
Yet it is powerful.
