Login
A real time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.
Paul Greengrass: Director of Flight 93.
Paul Greengrass's bold dramatization of the horrific events of September 11th 2001 was one of the biggest undertakings taken in cinema in the first few years of 21st century. The importance of the event was undeniable, but the emotions which it had naturally aroused in those personally involved in the story and the vast majority of the world's public made this subject incredibly delicate. However, with United 93, Greengrass met the many obstacles that came with the project; thus establishing himself as one of the most talented and important filmmakers out there.
The power of United 93 comes almost entirely from the genius of Greengrass; the script, the style and his execution of a brilliant and sensitive piece of film-making. The film is not a simple documentary drama.
It is a true to the events but takes the steps necessary to turn it in to a story with intelligent perception of what happened and helps us connect with all the people involved; which isn't just everyone on the plane. Bravely, however, this film takes on the subject of the hijackers without reducing them to inhuman psychopaths but portrays them as misguided human beings. Before one boards flight 93 to carry out their terrible plan; he uses his phone and simply says "I love you"; a touch of genuine class from Greengrass whom shows us the tragic humanity of the hijackers yet cleverly never sides or goes against them; this is a genuine account of what happened from various sources.
Starring many unknowns, and even some of the real people involved at the airport, including Lewis Alsamari as Saeed Al Ghamdi, J.J. Johnson as Captain Jason Dahl, Gary Commock as First Officer LeRoy Homer, Trish Gates as Sandra Bradshaw, Polly Adams as Deborah Welsh, Cheyenne Jackson as Mark Bingham, Opal Alladin as CeeCee Lyles, Starla Benford as Wanda Anita Green, Nancy McDoniel as Lorraine G. Bay and David Alan Basche as Todd Beamer. The real events inside the plane will never be known, but the authentic feeling aroused in United 93, from the phone calls made by the doomed passengers, is convincing, gripping, moving and dignified, a magnificent drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Editing, and it won the BAFTAs for Best Editing and the David Lean Award for Direction for Greengrass, and it was nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound.
Due to Greengrass's sensitive handling of the story it is not hard to see why it won so many Awards and Nominations, he is to be praised (he only proceeded with the film once he had gained the consent of all the families of United 93, whom co-operated with his research),but his realization of the story on screen is the real triumph. His hand-held style, which is exhilarating in the Bourne series; a style he contrasts with the scenes on the ground where the chaos is viewed through a far more stable and controlled environment. The sheer lack of order and control that occurred on the ground that day with the air-traffic controllers and the federal government is brought to our eyes effectively; with some of the crucial real life figures re-enacting what happened that day.
All of this would still have been rather pointless had it not been for the power of the story being told. The courage of the passengers is incredibly powerful and a testament to the human spirit which seemed so absent that day. The final part of the film in which the passengers fight back happens is a glorious piece of cinema. Moving, chilling, haunting; it is an absolutely perfect ending to an important reminder and recording of events.
9/10
