I have spotted United 93 in the DVD shelves of my local library several times. But I had always been hesitant to pick it up - I knew the ending, it was sad - what was the point?
Nevertheless, two weeks ago, I persuaded myself to borrow it. I am glad I did. This movie is one of the most hard-hitting movies I have ever seen. The director has shown the sequence of events on 9/11/2001 which throws ordinary people into an extraordinary situation. Which is partly why it makes such a powerful impact - it is a true story about normal people.
Nowhere in the movie is there any superhuman act. After all a man with a red cape, saving the world, does not fly around in real life. Instead, the Air Traffic Control people on the ground, when first put in an unfamiliar hostage situation, flounder as they try to come to terms with the crisis. You can feel their terror and vulnerability as they view the horrible events unfolding in front of their eyes.
In the United 93 flight, as the door closed for the last time, the term "flying coffin" popped into my head unbidden. I don't know how I would react if I was told the plane I was flying on was hijacked. Maybe I would have hoped that everything will work out fine and I would get out of it alive. The passengers in the movie do too.
Until they realize that it is a suicide mission. The passengers call their loved ones to bid adieu. And then get ready to not give up. The passengers fight as long as they can. How would it feel to know that, though you impossibly keep hoping it would not be true, you are going to die soon?
I knew the ending - still, in the last frames of the movie I was fervently praying that the passengers will regain control of the plane and everything will be hunky dory again. If only real life could always have happy endings.
United 93 brought back thoughts about how innocent people tend to be the target of hatred. Who gets benefited? Does the violence make any sense at all? Are lost civilian lives supposed to be collateral damage in the wars between nations? How can that be justified?
6 comments:
I'll get that movie to watch. All these situations are created over a fight of supremacy, but ofcourse the targets are always the innocent people. When there is a war, everything is in stake. Nothing can be justified. It is just reality which hits us hard.
Ive been putting it off too, just like Cage's movie on 9/11
I remember the day all too clearly, and have been waiting for a clinical frame of mind to watch something as sad as this. Definitely not the next few weeks.
Nicely written :)
That Flight 93 photo is fake!
Arch, Check out my blog for a surprise :--D
Joy - do watch it, it is pretty good! I know :-(!
Rads - hope you get into that frame of mind - it is really worth watching.
Anon - which photo?
SK - thank you girl - I am grinning, can you see :-D?
I have a problem in that, I cannot see sad movies. I feel heavy for days, almost at a loss. So, if I can I avoid heavy movies, and that is one reason, I have steered clear of this one.
You know what? I felt so bad about terrorism etc especially when I was pregnant. It takes so much to bring a human being into the world, and how SENSELESSLY people are killed. I choke up everytime I read about these insane attacks.
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