We’ve been talking on and off on the message boards about films like Flight 93 and World Trade Center. I am forced to deal with the internal conflict of whether it is ‘too soon’ to be seeing movies such as this. When I consider of some of the great films that have chronicled horrific tragedies in the history of man, Schindler’s List comes to mind, and I think about its timeliness and relevancy. Schindler’s List was made in 1993, long after the Holocaust had been over. And even though there are some in this world who are forever scarred by the events that took place during that time period, there was a significant gap needed before a very powerful and honest film could be made portraying these events.

I believe the same is true about the tragic events of 9/11, indisputably the most horrific tragedy in the history of the United States. And while some us were there in New York, every American was impacted on that day more than any other day in their lives. It changed so much of the way we live, and for a time took us hostage with the fear that it may happen again. So why relive that fear now? Why bring back the vivid images of such an unnerving event to the generation that lived through it? I understand wanting to tell the stories of all the heroes, and wanting to shed light on what really happened on board Flight 93 and inside the WTC, but maybe we should leave it to the documentaries for now.

The other emerging problem in my mind is that with every new trailer I see for one of these films, no matter how disturbing it may be, I also see the gross potential to turn the events of 9/11 into a collection of scenes from movies like Air Force One. The potential to cheapen the film and make it another action flick is almost strikingly apparent in the Flight 93 trailer, which depicts clips of a control room where the decision is being made about whether or not to shoot the plane down. Disaster lies in the common sense of it all: Big director, hollywood budget, big name actors- a sciprt written by history that already sits in the hearts of millions. Such an easy film to make for Oliver Stone, and such an easy way to pull at the heart strings of America. I’m just not impressed- and when I see a poster of Nicholas Cage in his fireman costume from the movie for sale on the net, I think even less of the entire affair.

Damien mentioned the following, which sparked this blog post, on the message board:

well, i read a lot of reviews, and a good majority of them are positive…..if you head over to Aint It Cool Quint has a review
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=24064
You can also read Harry’s review as well.
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23899
I know a lot of you guys, especially Mike are screaming “TOO SOON” when seeing the commercials or the near mention of this film, but i personally don’t feel like it is too soon. I would really like to see a good story about bravery and unification….and i think World Trade Center has that. And remember, the focus is not the burning towers, but the brave firemen who risked their lives to save others that day.
Well at least i’ll be seeing it.

I wouldn’t expect a movie site to give the movie itself a bad review- like I said, this wasn’t exaclty a hard movie to make. When i want to hear/see a brave story about that day, I can just watch one of the many quality documentaries or tributes available to us, whether it be on TV, on DVD or in a book. I might also simply talk to the people around me at my work, my neighborhood and on the net. There’s no shortage of what Damien calls ‘good stories’ about this day. By the way, www.september11news.com lists some excellent historical videos and historical books on the subject.

In the end I believe that these films may be met with resistance from the American public. In fact, I hope they do. No matter how great their production value, no matter how compelling their story, and no matter how accurate they are, the questions will remain unanswered, at least for now, as to whether the American people are really ready to relive such a deeply wounding event with such a short time of healing; and, do we even need these films at all? The success of these films will not rest on the question of their quality, but the question of the readiness of the minds and hearts of the people of America. I, for one, am not sure whether I am ready to see such a disturbing display of inhumanity on screen again, as I have already seen it once- you know, when I lived through it. It all just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I leave you to your own opinions- which you can share below or perhaps in our more movie topic specific discussion on the message board.

Filed under: Movies