The following review is a comparative analysis of two films: Flight 93 (2006) A&E and United 93 (2006) Universal Studios
I have never before cried during or after watching a film. My eyes were filled with tears and my chest felt heavy. I cried and clenched my fists until I felt comfortable again, which took longer than I would have expected. My tears were real, as real as the events on the screen. These weren’t just films. These were real people who led real lives and had real families. These are not films, they are tragic events that need to be honored.
When time passes, wounds are supposed to heal. The wounds never heal though, our memory only fades. Possibly two hundred years from now, when all of the people who could remember 9/11 have passed, people will look at these films and say “what a pity” just as we watch films depicting the Revolutionary War and feel the same minor sentiment. I hope that day never comes and Americans all remember September 11, 2001 for what it was, a tragedy that would forever change the face of American culture.
Today is a new day though, and people are asking “is it too early to talk about it?” or “is it too early to make films about it?” It is not too early, but when depicting the real life situations of 9/11 one should take extreme caution. Whatever their intents, the makers of these two films have made possibly the best films you would never want to see.
Flight 93 (2006)
Flight 93, which you can obviously tell was on a smaller budget, is a modest film that depicts the possible happenings of United Airlines Flight 93. While it doesn’t seem as if this film is openly exploiting the events of that day, the film was clearly produced for entertainment value.
The film begins with awkward scenes, manufacturing suspense in a situation that already is thick with tension. A scene that was particularly tacky showed every person board the plane, one by one, and zoomed onto their ticket stubs to highlight the name of the passenger. Heroes have names and faces, and Flight 93 wanted heroes. Even though I was feeling extremely emotional during this film, I still knew it was just a movie. One aspect that was surprising was that the terrorists were depicted as being very hesitant and unsure at times. I did not feel as if the terrorists were in control or convincing throughout the depiction. The film focused on the passengers though, and their last moments speaking to their loved ones. Frequently showing scenes on the ground, this film was concentrating on developing a relationship between the characters and the audience.
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