re: why "United 93" is a must see film

My wife and I took in the film "United 93" this past weekend partly because I wanted to see it and partly because a portion of the box office take of the opening weekend went to the families of those murdered on 9/11/01.

Now I understand it's not usual fare for most people. Movies are escape from the every day realities we all share - work, family, commuting, bad pizza etc. but this is a film I think everyone should see. Not only for it's historical importance, but it seriously puts in perspective who and what we face with Islamic fanaticism. This movie is neither sympathetic to them nor overtly hateful to the United 93 hijackers. It shows them realistically. These were young men driven by a twisted, religious conviction to their faith. These were not automotons or robots but flesh and blood people who believed what they were doing was righteous for their faith and their God. To conceive that people in this world consider the outright murder of innocent men, women and children a holy ideal is downright scary enough as it is, but this film shows you that these men believed in it, were sure of it and were willing to kill and die for it.

The film is done is a semi-documentary style, cutting back and forth between various flight control towers, the military air command and United Flight 93. The pace is brisk, swift and tense and filmed in a "you are there" sense of perspective.

There is only one shot of a plane hitting the World Trade Center. That's all that is needed. It brings it all back home for everyone. I heard gasps in the theatre. Every major news agency has this ridiculous standing order to not show the planes hitting the buildings or the towers falling. Why? I do not know. They will show unspeakable aftermaths of murder, fire, natural disaster but an act of overt terrorism is off limits? Huh?? It has to be shown. People get complacent too easily. They need to be reminded of who and what these people are.

Too soon? Not soon enough I say. People have short memories of why we are in Iraq and Afghanistan. This film reminds them why we are there. For some this film will make them sad, for others like me, it will make them angry all over again. The rage I felt on that day came rushing back when I saw the shot of the plane hitting the south tower. There is nothing more shocking, more visually caustic than that explosion as the plane vaporizes upon impact. I gripped my armrest in anger.

The naysayers of this film, the Bush administration and the war against terrorism have another thing to contend with. Those 8min. This film clearly shows how unprepared we as a nation and defense force were on that day. Liberals and Michael Moore types love to bring up the 8min Pres. Bush sat in that classroom after being told we're under attack as being the defining moment of George Bush's imcompetence. Well this film puts that baby to bed once and for all.

The sheer chaos, confusion and inability to gather valid information by not only civilian air control but also by the military air command make those 8min of inaction by the President a non-issue. We didn't know our ass from our elbow on that day. When Mohammad Atta's plane refused to answer and a controller heard a suspicious transmission from the cockpit, there was disbelief from his superiors that it even could be a hijacking. There hadn't been a hijacking of US aircraft in almost 20 years. There is confusion on anything and everything and an amazing inability to compile accurate data on the whereabouts of Atta's plane. Hijackers don't normally turn off the ability to track their plane. No one had even seen this before - because no one had ever done it before. There was no rule book for this kind of hijacking.

When the President was told a second plane had hit the World Trade Center and we were under attack, there was literally nothing - nothing - he could have done to change anything. The first plane attack was still considered an accident - by some reports by a small, single engine plane - until the 2nd plane hit. By that time, the murderers plans had succeeded and any action we could have taken would have made no difference.

Al Qaida's simultaneous attack plan brought confusion and an inability to react effectively. There plan is this - once your enemy realizes he's actually under attack - it's over. Sheer, simplistic genious.

Those 8min will always be used to haunt President Bush but he should feel no shame or regret. It would have made no difference whatsoever. Did you know the govt. didn't even realize Flight 93 was a hijacking until 4min after it had already crashed? Did you know, the military couldn't get clearance from the FAA to move in and protect NYC airspace after the second plane attack? That most air traffic centers and the military learned of the attacks from CNN?

It was only by sheer luck that United 93 was delayed out of Newark allowing the passengers time to realize who their hijackers were and what their mission was. They were only ones given any time to do something.

Therein lies the strength of this film. It shows what we as Americans will do if faced with the choice of life or death - we'll die fighting. Those brave souls knew the risks and took the only avenue they had - they fought for their lives. The passengers on the other three doomed flights never knew their fate or I am sure they would have done as the people on United Flight 93 did. Fight.

Go see "United 93". It's important.