United 93

Rating R Formats DVD Genre drama Starring Christian Clemenson, Trish Gates, Polly Adams, Cheyenne Jackson, Opal Alladin Directed by Paul Greengrass Publisher Universal Studios External Links Official Universal Studios

"It's much too soon!" "We Don't Know Exactly What Happened!" "Hollywood is a sick machine using a great tragedy for the sake of a profit!" These are just a few of the negative outcries directed to United 93, a real-time docudrama that attempts to recreate what occurred aboard the United Airlines flight that did not hit its intended target on the horrifying and tragic day of September 11, 2001. According to sources, director Paul Greengrass and Universal Studios attained an agreement and full cooperation of the families of the passengers. Therefore, if they had this level of consent then I feel that protests such as the above mentioned are null and void.

Even though some degree of artistic license is applied, the information provided by the families and the air traffic personnel is utilized to give United 93 that sense of authenticity. Many of these sources confirm that the passengers of this flight, whose hijackers presumably were planning to crash the jet into the White House or the Capitol building, attempted to subdue the attackers. Although nobody is sure how successful the passengers were in this effort, as the plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, their courage was heavily applauded. While the film documents what may (or may not) have happened aboard that fateful flight, it also entails the tracking of the other hijacked flights via air traffic control as well as the involvement and actions of United States Air Force.

Prior to the theatrical release of this film, A&E presented Flight 93, a made-for-television film that also tackles the subject. While it serves its purpose as a demonstration of the courage and heroism displayed by the passengers, Flight 93 follows a deeper Hollywood narrative and focuses upon more dramatic and personal character development. United 93, on the other hand, is a far more gritty presentation that will either inspire or disturb the viewer. As the hijacks ensue, a shroud of confusion spreads over the atmosphere. The FAA and the air traffic controllers try to piece together the disorder, figuring out a possible solution to halt these hijackings. As viewers, we share this confusion.

As many who have seen the film have noticed, there are no "stars." The cast is compiled of unknown actors and people who were actually involved during 9/11 (such as FAA director Ben Sliney). Much like the actors, not much is known about the passengers or the hijackers. Sure, through the many news reports and autobiographies we got to know about Thomas E. Burnett, Mark Bingham, Todd Beamer and the others. However, United 93 lives in the moment, revealing as much about the people as you would know if you were sitting on the plane with them. From the anonymity of the passengers to the authentic technical practices of the FAA executives, the air traffic controllers and the military personnel, United 93 strives in its attempts to sway from the conventional Hollywood formats. Unfortunately, the realism might be too much for some viewers to grasp, for the tragically grim aura, the brief but inhuman violence and the films expected but undoubtedly haunting final scene are all too real and all too impactful. Whether you find the film to be inspiring and cathartic or downright upsetting, it will definitely move you.

United 93 is available in a single-disc edition and a 2-disc collector's edition. The first disc contains an audio commentary with Greengrass. Rather than discuss the production side of things, the Bourne Supremacy director talks mainly about the film's tone, accuracy and use of artistic license. It's a very candid discussion. Greengrass comes off honest, heartfelt and, at times, a bit overwhelmed with emotion during certain scenes. Also included is an hour-long documentary entitle "United 93: The Families and the Film". The documentary contains footage of several actors coming face-to-face with the families of the victims they are portraying. I have to say that I found many of the encounters to be extremely emotional, for these parents, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, grandparents etc. are meeting with someone who is going to portray their lost loved one. The emotion and the reactions are very real. As a tribute to the fallen, the DVD also includes memorial pages of each and every person on the flight. The single-disc extras are rounded out with a quick preview of Twin Towers, an award-winning documentary that focuses on 9/11 as well. The second disc in the collector's edition contains a 48-minute documentary featuring interviews with the victims family members and members of the FAA and the military. While it is an informative featurette, it does not merit the extra 10 bucks spent for the two-disc version. The single-disc has enough features to declare it noteworthy (unlike King Kong or Munich).

United 93 is a well-made film that does not come off as preachy nor does it point any fingers or show any sense of political bias. Its raw, riveting and will linger in the viewer's mind for days to come. On the other hand, some may find it a bit emotionally unsettling but that is expected from a film this powerful. Hands down, this is one of the best films of 2006.