United 93

Paul Greengrass’ United 93 (2006) recreates the events that occurred in the fourth plane that terrorists hijacked and that crashed into Pennsylvania on September 11th. And this wording is important. Though the film acts as testament to the resistance and heroism that the passengers showed, the actual descent is administered, according to the film, by a terrorist crew that slowly understands they will not make their destination. Working under the confines of a docudrama, Greengrass documents the way in vital information was spread back and forth between passengers, but always haltingly, in spurts, which slows the effectiveness of a counterattack. Indeed, bureaucracy is Greengrass’ biggest target as he implicitly, and through the character of Ben Sliney (playing himself), head of FAA National Center, condemns the lack of response by the political and military administrations.

Past critiques of United 93 involved how the reviewer was upset over Greengrass’ political commentary, or in fact by the lack thereof. But these instances of political and military inadequacy do bear the mark of a critique. Additionally, Greengrass’ critics attack how the film humanizes both passengers and terrorists and so develops out a muddled message, but Greengrass humanizes for two reasons. Firstly, he wants the audience to be disturbed into an epiphany that the terrorists have the same anxieties and apprehension as the passengers. Secondly, he wants to juxtapose how prayer is used for destruction and murder in one context and, alternately, used for comfort and as an agent of salvation.

Moreover, Greengrass does attack the human weakness as flight attendants betray the flight by giving the proper knock to the cockpit and doom pilots and passengers, as well as how the Americans are willing to silence any oppositional voice (the European) in order to gain an advantage on the terrorists. This latter single-mindedness is celebrated in the film, but asks the audience to question whether or not they now celebrate that same narrow-minded focus.

Ultimately, a film like United 93 is judged on how effectively it utilizes the drama of the situation, and the last twenty minutes of the film are among the saddest and most heartrending in contemporary cinema. The passengers have no chance to wrest control of the plane in time, since the terrorists have taken the plane so low to the ground, yet the film effectively exploits the human desire to change reality.

Why does this film exist? Because it can, and that is enough. History and film will eventually offer a fuller portrait of 9/11, but this film has an immediacy that future films will almost certainly lack.

United 93: 8/10