UNITED 93 - Blu-ray review

The September 11 attacks that have forever changed the way we live our lives. It has been almost a decade since the attacks and the wounds are still raw. It was inevitable that movies and fictionalized accounts of that tragedy would be made not long after. I don't think that was ever in question. The real question on everyone's lips was, "Is it too soon?" An even bigger question, in my eyes, would be, is there really an appropriate time to relive those events? I don't have the answer. I had a hard time sitting through "United 93", not at all because it was bad filmmaking, but because of the subject matter.

Director Paul Greengrass has done a superb job in depicting the events of 9/11, specifically the fate of United Airlines Flight 93, the only hijacked airliner that did not reach its intended target thanks to the efforts of its passengers. "United 93" isn't the first film to deal with 9/11, but it is the first major Hollywood film to do so and has the full support of the families (except one) of the Flight 93's passengers. In fact, A&E produced its own made-for-TV movie, "Flight 93", with the same subject matter around the same time.

The film begins with the four terrorists as they prepare for their suicide mission. Through voiceover, we hear one of them reading a prayer from the Koran. The terrorists arrive at the airport and they, along with the passengers and crew begin to the board the plane. No one has a single clue what is about to happen. While they prepare for takeoff (which is later delayed by heavy air traffic), traffic control in Boston begin to suspect another aircraft (American Airlines 11) has been taken. Air traffic contacts the FAA, who eventually gets in touch with the military. Everyone jumps at the word, "hijack." Nobody believes it and nobody has any idea what is going on. It is only when somebody turns on CNN that they realize the World Trade Center was it.

Still, it is just not conceivable that somebody would purposely crash into the Towers. It must have been an accident. They ask themselves, why would anyone deliberately crash the plane. Until the film's midpoint when a second plane crashes into the remaining tower. The traffic controllers scramble to raise pilots and crew on the radio. The FAA attempt to discern which planes have been hijacked and which are false alarms. The military, aware of the situation, tries desperately to get permission to activate fighter jets. When jets have taken off, they are sent in the wrong direction. There is confusion amongst themselves as communication between departments is no better. No one is prepared for this.

The final act of the film follows the passengers of United 93 as they contact their loved ones using air phones and cell phones. They learn that the Towers and the Pentagon have been hit, that the pilots have been killed. Spurred on this knowledge, they make the decision to rush the hijackers and retake the plane. We already know how this ends.

Greengrass brings as much of a realistic take as possible. Using handheld cameras and a majority of medium shots and close-ups, he puts us right in there with the passengers and everyone involved. Much like Greengrass did with "Bloody Sunday", there is a heavy documentary feel to "United 93." Greengrass cast relatively unknown actors to fill out some of the roles, particularly the passengers of the flight. A few faces you may recognize such as Olivia Thirlby ("Juno"), Cheyenne Jackson ("30 Rock," "Glee") and character actors like Corey Johnson ("Hellboy"), Gregg Henry ("Payback," "Slither"), and Christian Clemenson ("CSI: Miami"). For the most part, Greengrass utilizes non-professional actors. The flight attendants are played by real flight attendants. The pilots are real pilots. Many of the traffic controllers and military personnel were played by people who were actually on duty that day. Ben Sliney, the FAA's Director of Operations, plays himself and September 11th was actually his first day on the job.

All the events are simply presented to you, without any outside voice or influence stirring it towards one interpretation. The passengers' final goodbyes are juxtaposed with the final prayers of the hijackers. Neither side is portrayed as super-heroic or super-villainous. The terrorists aren't the cackling type you've seen before in films like "True Lies." There is fear on their faces as they prepare to take the plane. No passenger is singled out as a ringleader or superman. They are all in it together.

I kept thinking about the conventional Hollywood approach to a film such as "United 93." Typically, you would pick a handful to be the main characters and introduce them to the audience, showing their quirks and habits. None of that is present. These people aren't shaking each others' hands and trading baby pictures. We don't even learn their names. They are a singular entity held together by tragic circumstances. The film's climax shows the passengers overwhelming the terrorists and breaking into the cockpit. By this point, the camera is so tight on the action that the passengers are a sea of arms moving as one, reaching for the same goal.

We are really just thrown into these events with the same confusion and lack of knowledge as those caught up in them. Although, all the families provided the cast and crew with bios of the passengers, the widow of German Christian Adams refused to participate. His is the only character to try to dissuade the others from their course of action. At one point, he tries to warn the terrorists before being taken down by the others. Obviously, we'll never truly know what went on in those final moments and maybe somebody really was against the idea. But, it just felt a little mean spirited and out of place to portray that person is such a light.

At first, I felt the same way with John Powell's score. It isn't a bad score at all and it never ever overwhelms the scenes. The worst thing you can do with a score is detract from what's occurring onscreen. Powell's score does mimic the motions of a plane and the labored and frightened breathing of the passengers. It's well-done, yet I still couldn't help but wonder if it was really necessary?

Those are about the only complaints I had for a film that is, otherwise, thoroughly gripping and heart wrenching.

VIDEO:
The video is presented in 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The transfer is highly detailed with a distinct layer of grain that doesn't blemish the overall presentation. Colors are bold and skin tones are natural.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Also available are alternate DTS Surround 5.1 tracks dubbed in French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Japanese. Despite being a dialogue heavy film, the sound is incredibly busy with voices coming from various channels and accentuated by the rumbling of jet engines.

EXTRAS:
The bonus materials from the single disc and 2-disc limited edition have been ported over for the Blu-Ray. This includes the audio commentary from Paul Greengrass. The director discusses the improvisational style employed in the making of the film, working with non-actors, and other aspects of production.

United 93: The Families and the Film (59:51) is a documentary that features interviews with the cast and families as they meet with one another across the country.

Chasing Planes: Witnesses to 9/11 (48:03) is another fascinating documentary featuring interviews with the actual personnel on duty during the attacks.

Flight 93 National Memorial (8:39) is a brief featurette about the construction of the memorial placed at the crash site in Stonycreek Township, PA.

Finally, there are biographies of the crew and passengers onboard United 93 and a trailer for the Academy Award-winning short documentary, "Twin Towers."

FILM VALUE:
My viewing of "United 93" on Blu-Ray is only the second time I've seen it. This has nothing to do with the quality of the movie, but everything to do with the emotionally taxing experience. "United 93" is heart-wrenching, mesmerizing, and one of the best films of the last decade.