Review: Hard-to-watch ‘United 93’ needs to be seen

In the immediate post-Sept. 11 world, while country artists were unleashing a seemingly endless stream of patriotic/jingoistic “anthems,” Neil Young was the only musician around who addressed the situation by paying tribute to the brave passengers of United Airlines flight 93. His song, “Let’s Roll,” sings to this group of people who thwarted a suicide mission that was to end at the U.S. Capitol Building.

I was alive when JFK, RFK and MLK were assassinated. I remember The Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” Woodstock and the first moon landing. All of those events were quintessential life-changing moments. But none of us are likely to have a more memorable moment than the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

In the wake of that tragedy, many Hollywood films were put on hold; some were edited to take out shots of the World Trade Center or scenes that were too close to recent reality.

Slowly but surely, filmmakers began to believe enough time had passed and the myriad stories born that day could now – SHOULD now – be told.

In 2002, a documentary TV release, “Let’s Roll: The Story of Flight 93,” aired in England.

First out of the gate in the United States was “Flight 93,” earlier this year.

Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” is the first major motion picture release dealing with Sept. 11. More specifically, the title refers to the only one of four hijacked planes that failed to reach its target. This was due to the heroic actions of the passengers on board. Many of the details here are well-reasoned speculations to be sure, but thanks to the modern cell phone, many facts about what happened on the flight are a matter of record.

Greengrass, who also wrote the script, does an incredible job conveying this terrifying flight. He wisely chose not to use any “name” actors. Ben Sliney, the Federal Aviation Administration’s national operations manager, plays himself. Some of the air traffic controllers who were on duty on Sept. 11 play themselves as well.

Greengrass, an Englishman, has no political agenda. He didn’t make “United 93” as a message movie.

The film unfolds in approximate real time. We see the terrorists awaken in their hotel and say their morning prayers. We see the air traffic controllers coming on to the day shift. We see the military readying for a day of emergency simulations.

Since we know what is about to take place, every action is permeated with a sense of doom. This feeling is strongest when the camera enters the waiting area at the airport.

In the first two acts of “United 93,” we constantly cut away to air traffic control centers as the events that precede flight 93 slowly, painfully, unfold.

Two flights drop communications with air traffic control. When one blip on the radar screen disappears somewhere over Manhattan, the controller is puzzled. He doesn’t yet know his blip has crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Then the second plane hits. Then the Pentagon is attacked. The FAA shuts down all flights in the United States.

Act 3 takes place on Flight 93. The passengers, unaware of the other attacks, assume they are merely being hijacked and will be held hostage. As phone calls are made, the horrible truth is revealed.

Eventually a group of passengers decide it’s time to take action.

There are those who complain it is still “too soon” for a film like “United 93.” That might be true if the work in question was exploiting the situation in any way. But there isn’t a hint of that in Greengrass’ film.

“United 93” is a powerful film.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician. He can be reached at info@wunderlesound.com.[[In-content Ad]]