UNITED 93

Review: This is the story of the real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on September 11th, 2001 that had been steered into the World Trade Centre towers. It focuses on all the passengers who have a sudden realisation that their plane was being steered towards Washington D.C.
Director: Paul Greengrass
Actors: David Alan Basche, Olivia Thirlby, Liza Colon-Zayas, Polly Adams, Opal Alladin, Starla Benford, Trish Gates, Nancy McDoniel, Richard Bekins, Susan Blommaert, Christian Clemenson, Lorna Dallas and Denny Dillon
Year: 2006
Genre: Drama, History and Thriller
Conclusion: 4/5
This is the first major film to be released about the events of 9/11. I have to say that this is a very brave film to make. When the trailers were first released for this film the Americans were shouting saying that it is too soon for a film about 9/11 to be made. They really were not happy about this and obviously feared the worst. In Mark Kermode’s book The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex he talks about is film and says that once American audiences accepted this film saying “Greengrass’s rigorous film overcame initial audience anxieties to find solid support in the US”. For Paul Greengrass to capture the separation, fear and hostility between the two groups he kept the hijackers and the actors who played the passengers separate and were kept in different hotels, different gyms and did not eat meals together. In the Radio Times Guide to films 2016 it is quoted “Greengrass crafts a credible and moving film about ordinary folk forced into one extraordinary act of courage”. Also in the late Roger Ebert’s review he stated at the end of his review which I thought said it all “The movie’s point of view reminds me of the angels in “Wings of Desire.” They see what people do and they are saddened, but they cannot intervene.” At the Bafta Awards in 2007 this film won an Oscar for Best Editing. Also Paul Greengrass at the Bafta Awards won the David Lean Award for Direction.