Old friend Jon Weisman has turned in a very personal response to seeing United 93 on his site Dodger Thoughts.It’s an essay which ties up the national trauma of 9/11 with grief of a more personal variety, as well as a consideration of the reasoning behind even wanting to sit through such a grueling cinematic experience such as Paul Greengrass’s well-regarded movie.
My thanks to Jon for an excellent piece, which I hope you all read right now. I haven’t mustered up the nerve to see United 93 yet myself, but Jon’s writing makes it painfully clear why at least one man might feel compelled to endure it.
Hey, just found your sita and have now killed even more workplace productivity. I just wanted to implore you to see "United 93"; as difficult of an experience as it was (I found myself crying at odd times in the film, not just during the most obvious moments of emotional trauma), I feel like I am a better person and lover of cinema for the experience. Paul Greengrass honors the memories of all those who died on 9/11 without tying their deaths to an explicit political message. In "United 93", the lack of reason that brings about all the death from above is treated almost as a force of nature, and Greengrass conveys the waste of it all because of the humanity with which the doomed humans in the air and their confused allies on the ground are allowed to display. Wrong and right isn't nearly as important as the struggle between life and death; the terrorists are death's agents, that's all, and the passengers do what any rational human would do when face to face with death himself - fight until the last breath. I seriously recommend this film and will force myself to see it at least once more when I've recovered emotionally.
ReplyDeleteMy goal: death to all workplace productivity! Thanks for stopping by, Tully. I'll hope SLIFR will become a regular destination for you.
ReplyDeleteI trust Greengrass as a filmmaker, so there was never much doubt in my mind as to his integrity or seriousness of intent. It basically all boils down to my own sensibility at the moment. It's strange to feel like seeing a movie is somehow one's responsibility, but it almost feels like that with this one, whether that's wrongeheaded or not. I'm quite sure I'll see it-- but seeing films in theaters is something that usually takes a full-on orchestration effort, so I have this feeling that it may be later, on DVD. I did, however, manage to get a ticket to see Three Times Saturday night-- it'll be the first time I've been to an indoor cinema since I saw V for Vendetta on March 18-- so maybe I can build on this momentum. I appreciate your comments on United 93, and I think you've convinced me to try and see it on the big screen, perhaps next week. If I do, I'll let you know.