The true story of the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 on
September 11, 2001 and the passengers who attempted to fight back. BIOPIC/DRAMA
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United 93 (2006)Written and Directed by Paul Greengrass
Starring Christian Clemenson, Cheyenne Jackson, Polly Adams, David Alan Basche, Khalid Abdalla, Lewis Alsamari, Ben Sliney, Patrick St. Esprit, Omar Berdouni, Jamie Harding Oscar Nominations - Best Director, Best Film Editing |
September 11, 2001 was the darkest day in American history. Thousands of people lost their lives in the attack on the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon, and the attempted attack on the White House that was thwarted by the passengers of United Flight 93. This film tells their harrowing story with poise, dignity, and respect, and accurately portrays the fear, confusion, and utter disbelief that affected every American on the morning of 9/11 when the planes hit the Twin Towers. United 93 is a tough watch. Not once does it feel like a dramatization, nor does it add any sort of Hollywood flair to make it more dramatic. Paul Greengrass tells the story of what happened, and that's more unsettling than any film exec could spin.
The entire cast is mostly unknown actors and real-life air controllers who are playing themselves. That's pretty remarkable on its own, and it adds to the harsh realism of the film. All of the dialogue is natural conversation and sheer panic. It's the way people would talk in this situation. All of this makes United 93 a truly difficult film to get through, as it feels like you're watching the morning of 9/11 unfold in real time. I admire Paul Greengrass for going out of his way to make the film as respectful as possible. United 93 tells the story of the passengers who realized their fates were sealed and decided to use their last moments alive to wrestle control of the plane back from the terrorists. The plane ended up crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania instead of its intended target, the White House. Everyone on board lost their lives and this film commemorates their brave sacrifice and senseless deaths. Like I said, it's a hard watch, but the experience is worth it in the end just to feel a sliver of what America felt when they turned on the news that morning to find that their country had changed forever. |