United 93 (Full Screen Edition)
by Paul Greengrass
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: David Alan Basche, J.J. Johnson, Liza Colón-Zayas, Olivia ThirlbyDirector: Paul Greengrass
Brand: CLEMENSON,CHRISTIAN
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Arabic (Original Language); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; German (Original Language); French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 111 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-05
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of United 93 (Full Screen Edition)
Movie Review: An Understated Technique Works in Recalling a Great Tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
Like many, I waited a good long time to see this film. Not only was I worried about reliving the horror of 9/11 in any form again, but I was squeamish about how it would be handled, perhaps especially by a director who was not from the US himself. Would it be a "Blame America" affair? A political affair in general, either of which, I believe, would have detracted from the story of that day itself, when we had no idea of the suffering the people aboard the four planes driven to the ground and those in the Pentagon and WTC were about to undergo?
Not only was I relieved, but I feel I've undergone a film class watching Mr. Greenglass' oeuvre, one on how to use the ordinary sounds and sights of what might occur on a simple business trip to show how these ordinary people went from living a normal life to taking an incredibly heroic action that might have saved many more lives
90, perhaps 95% of the film takes place in the body of the airplane, in the aisle. The flight attendants (many played by actual flight attendants) play a large role. Shots are taken down the aisle to show the terorists in first class, sometimes sitting quietly, sometimes nervous and sweating, sometimes arguing with each other in Arabic about when is the right time to strike; and up to show the other passengers in first and coach. Except for two of the terrorists, and the flight attendants, Greenglass has chosen not to name the passengers. If you know the story well you will be able to recognize Todd Beamer and possibly wildlife refuge supervisor Richard Guadagno by their dialogue with others, but that's about it.
Other scenes are limited to aircraft control and military centers, where immediately after we learn American Airlines 11 has been hijacked, it is clear no one, anywhere, is sure what to do, and who is in charge....and throughout the course of the film, military personnel never are sure they have permission to shoot anything down, even after all commercial airlines are grounded, even if they know an airline is being hijacked. To me, these scenes gave me more chills than anything occuring on the United flight.
The choice to use actual flight attendants, flight controllers, and military personell where possible enhanced understatement and lack of hyperdrama and worked beautifully. The interaction, mood, and emotional intensity was high but believable on the ground and the sense of panic is palpable without being histrionic.
Of course, no one knows exactly what went on in that big aluminum tube; Greenglass extrapolated a lot between knowing passengers told loved ones during phone calls that they were going to storm the cockpit, and that the plane crashed into the ground, not into any American landmark. So he used some artistic license to sketch what one presumes he likes about Americans, and why they chose this ending (after all, it was their choice) over several others. One device is a German passenger who insists on a different way. He is unceremoniously vetoed.
Not that this is a xenophobic or should be seen as "America's way and America's way only" film. As noted above, one must squirm to see the lack of communication between the various flight agencies, the military, and other branches of government. Nor is the film anti-Muslim or anti-Arabic, or does it suggest in any way that all Muslims or Arabs are terrorists (although it doesn't shy away from portraying the terrorists themselves as murderers). It is simply a film which shows us what began as an ordinary day, where a handful of people, who happened to be Americans, encountered the face of evil, and how they dealt with it. This scenario has happened in real life over and over in the Middle East, and now in London, Madrid, and Beslan, and Moscow. Tomorrow, who knows? It could be Berlin, or Buenes Aires. I think that might be part of Greengrass's point.
Summary of United 93 (Full Screen Edition)
Tells the story of the people on United flight 93, one of the four hijacked planes on September 11, 2001, and how they foiled their hijackers' terrorist plot.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 5-SEP-2006
Media Type: DVD
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