The website for United 93 – the Paul Greengrass directed film about United Airlines Flight 93 that was formerly known as Flight 93 – seems to have gotten an extensive update, which also features a new trailer. It will be the first major motion picture to deal explicitly with the events of 9/11.
The teaser trailer was eerie and the new trailer seems to suggest that the film will be well made and sensitive. Greengrass demonstrated with both Bloody Sunday and The Bourne Supremacy that he is a director who can tackle a difficult political subject whilst also crafting an intelligent mainstream thriller. He would seem to be an excellent choice to direct this film.
In just over a month (April 28th) it will open at US cinemas (it opens in the UK on Sept 1st). Will it be accused of insensitivity to the victims? Will right wing bloggers attack it as liberal Hollywood rewriting history? Will left wing commentators accuse it of not providing enough context on the events since 9/11?
Watching the trailer is disturbing. Although the events have been covered many times in numerous news programmes and documentaries, there is something quite different about seeing it as part of a motion picture. In a strange way it feels more ‘real’ than the news images we are now so familiar with.
I’m sure that in the next few weeks there will be more discussion about this film but in the meantime do leave some comments about the trailer and any thoughts you might have about this and the other 9/11 film out this year – Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center. Is it too early for these films to come out? Or will they be sensible meditations on a recent historical event?
> United 93 Official Site
> Watch the trailer
> Official Site for World Trade Center
> The September 11 Digital Archive