(Mods: I didn't see a thread for this movie, please move or delete if there is one)

I saw the movie earlier this week, in a nearly empty theater. That in itself is somewhat significant, in that the choice of most people was that they had already made up their minds about the film. For good reasons, perhaps, and to avoid pain almost certainly. (and the next day was a workday)

People are too distracted and busy in our everyday lives, and this sort of ignorance and "not being awake" is what some people take advantage of, everyday. Sometimes with chilling results:

But I'm glad I went when I did. There were no distractions. No goofballs.

Now as to the film itself. Rarely has the power of film to tell a story been so well executed. It's a simple story, but contains many layers to it. The technical construction of the film is flawless.

I felt emotionally drained and saddened, numbed by the experience of watching about as accurate a depiction of the events as could be managed. I found myself grasping at straws of who to blame, as we all do in these kinds of circumstances -- but in the end I came up almost completely empty. Like life itself, the events of 9-11 unfolded at a pace too quick for the reaction times of human organizations to react in a technological age.

There's heroism in every frame of the film, in large ways and small, but it's all hopelessly futile. I could only watch, helpless as the rest.

It's also a movie full of paradoxes. The hijackers go through the motions of life even when they are committed to killing the passengers around them. They were numbed by their dedication before they executed their plan, but some shreds of humanity remained: For a brief moment they allow an attendant to see to one of the passengers they stabbed, possibly an automatic function to calm the passengers, and buy time, but it's hard to say.

If anyone who has seen it thinks they were portrayed as too human, (I hear a lot of "not brutal enough") we can't forget they are made up of the same matter as the rest of us. I found the fact they could drink water, buckle their seat belts and allow first aid and then carry out their plan as almost more evil and calculating: For these simple acts had only one purpose, to further their mission. The people were weapons just as the plane was.

The reactions of the passengers were wholly realistic as they came to grips with the realization that unless they did something, their survival was not possible.

I was curiously elated that the director and filmmakers chose the portrayal of human survival as the main cause for the passengers acting as they did. I was relieved at the lack of foolish patriotic jingoism that usually accompanies these types of documentaries. The only nod to nations was the reaction of one European passenger arguing to reason with the hijackers.

Leave patriotism for the firefighters and police in the next film(s): The people on the plane had no time to think about what history would say about them. They used their time in the only way they knew how.

We can't know for certain what happened, but as I left the theater I felt the cold truth creep in. That's why I couldn't place blame in one place.

It offers no answers. It simply is what it is, and that troubles me too.

It causes me concern for our younger people. They have inherited this flight's legacy of truth of so many human errors. I hope they will know whether to make the right choice when they are confronted with their own decisions that can affect many people.



Five stars of five for achievement on the film.

-Chaleins

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well i'm never ever going to see that film, the idea of it put me off and the trailer confirmed my worst fears.
that film is emotionally twisting (clip in the trailer of someone saying they want to see their kids proves this) and it should never have been filmed.



[Edited by Nienor for slight language content]

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I'm not sure if I want to see this, seeing as I was only ten when the 9-11 attacks occured, and it may bring back memories, but um. I really like movies that show patriotism, and I'm not sure if I saw the whole trailer, but.. I might see it...

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I'm not going to see this movie. I think Hollywood is dead wrong to exploit something as personally heartwrenching as 9-11. I have heard some people around our campus say that it is a good idea, that the movie is like a memorial to the people that died. I disagree.

If I had been in any way connected with the people on that flight, I wouldn't want some celebrity re-enacting his or her struggle. It would just be too painful. There are better ways to remember 9-11...same with the World Trade Center movie, though I don't remember what it's called.
It just makes me so angry that Hollywood would try to make money off of something like this!

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I agreee with Larien. I realize that they probably made this with some good intentions of "honoring" these victims. I don't know. It's only been a few years since the attacks, and already they're making movies about it? Exploitation is right. I just don't think it's right to do this, patriotic or not. Maybe 50 years from now they can do a memorial. But too many emotions and memories are brought up.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it, but I won't ever be seeing it.

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I don't think Hollywood was wrong to make this movie. Yes, it is a emotional and disturbing true story, but look how movies have been made after wars and other terrorist attacks. Its the truth, and I think it is not wrong to make a movie after it. I do believe it should have been made later, at least ten years after it happend. It still seems like it happend yesterday to me, I will always remember that day in great detail, even down to what I ate for breakfast. Anyways, I personaly would really like to see it, but my parents said there would be too much bad language and some of the story is most likly twisted and not completely true. We will never know exactly what happend on flight 93.

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the main problem with this film is, its too soon. 9/11 was only 5 years ago? so everyone remembers it, it might be more exceptable in say 50 years (like the Holocaust films) as people won't remember it as clearly as they do now, and there will be a new generation to teach to not allow stuff like this to happen ever again.
the other problem i personaly have is that this film is being used as entertainment, its not been designed as a documentary like March of the Penguins to inform people. but as an entertainment drama.

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I too felt it might be a bit too much like exploitation, but then I remembered how exploitative our news media (US, anyway) is of all kinds of horrible happenings.

Sensationalism in news creates ratings/viewership and therefore advertising dollars. TV shows that simulate horrible happenings like CSI (verrrry popular) and play to fears are popular. It's a simulation, too.

Once I remembered that, it bothered me less to know I had another source of information on a factual situation.

Celebrities know that they can help shine the light on certain problems, (like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt going to Africa) they know people will pay attention.

I'm not suggesting anyone is wrong to believe that it's exploitative. It is, in some ways. Does that mean its not relevant? My own humble opinion says no, it is very much relevant to have an accurate picture of anything that might concern us, or at least have multiple sources to make a clean judgement.

Anyhow, thanks for all the thoughts. You're all great folks to simply read what I wrote.

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Wow has it really been five years! It doesn't seem that long! At first I thought the move was a pretty good idea, but now that I think about it, if I was in any way related to the attack, I don't think I would be able to watch it. A movie like this is certainly in order, but it should be made quite a few years from now.

I want to see this movie, because some people actually do want to see the story and see what happened. It doesn't matter if it's being played by another person. I think some will have mixed feelings that it's to early, but I believe it should have been made years later. I don't know....maybe 10+. Even fifty years from now if they made the movie, there would still be emotions and wishes they hadn't made the movie. Okay, if we made the movie earlier there would be more people sad, but still. That is how we learn to move on in life even if the worst happens to us all. Many worst things have happened but losing someone or someone(s) is hard and unimaginable. I'm not trying to be rude, but I feel sorry for people still harbouring feelings on that day. There are days that huge things happen from tsunamis, hurricanes, assinations of presidents, to 9/11. Yes, it is hard to move on, but the movie is already up and running. Who knows? Maybe someone is driven to make this movie. There will always be contraverse over Hollywood. That's what movies intend for us to do sometimes, and this won't be the last or biggest one.

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Capt. Jack: Shoot him and cut out his tongue! Then shoot his tongue!..and trim that scraggly beard.

yAAAy! The <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2007/tc20071218_443372.htm">Hobbit movie</a> is back on!!! Movie buffs get excited!

I agree, if any film should have been made at all, especially only five years after the actual event, it should have been a documentary. Documentaries are meant to be objective, present the facts, as few as we have.
Someone pointed out (can't remember who) that movies have been made of other wars and horrific events for entertainment value. That is true, however, most of those battles happened dozens or hundreds of years ago. Some of them, the United States was not even involved in, wasn't even a nation. 9-11 affected everyone in the United States, so I think it's wrong for it's own film-making industry to make one, let alone two, films about this horrific event.
Furthermore...wow, I just can't stop talking, can I? Maybe I'll wait until someone else posts before I continue.

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there i've posted so you can continue now.

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I cant see the movie. But I wish I could. I think its perfect timing. No matter what people belive, many many many people have fogotten. Too often people say, We will not forget. It makes me want to cry. Too many of us have forgotten. If its too soon for anything its too soon to forget.

I dont know if anyone knows this, but family and friends of every person on that airplane where asked, and they said that if one person, ONE PERSON, said it was too soon, they would make it. No one, NO ONE, said it was. Many said it wasnt soon enough. And if anyone should have a right to have a problem its them.

I can remember 9-11 clearly, even though I was only 9. It was one of the worst days of my life. I WILL never forget.

I will not not forget. september 11th 2001. In loving memory of out citizens, firefighter, and military killed in the pentagon, flight 93, and the world trade centers

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Missing Charlie already!