United 93: Sobs And Applause

FoxNews.com ^ | April 26, 2006 | Roger Friedman

[veronica]

"United 93" is a movie of firsts. It was made from the heart and not to make money, certainly. It’s a short movie but one that you never want to see end — not because the story is so appealing, but because you know what the end is, and you never want it to come.

That must have been how the audience sitting in the balcony of the Ziegfeld Theater felt last night at the film’s premiere. When the 93-minute movie ended — in silence, not an explosion — the people in the balcony sobbed in a way I have never heard before in a movie house. It was gut wrenching, and it was terrifying. I don’t know if "United 93" has given them closure or permission to keep reliving this horror.

Peter Greengrass has made an extraordinary document for them of what their relatives must have gone through in their final hour of life. “United 93” is beautifully crafted, thoughtful and precise. There is nothing wrong with it. In fact, it has the polish of perfection, hitting every note, dotting every “i,” crossing every “t.” You have to admire the stamina of everyone involved that they were able to pull off such a feat.

[beaversmom]

Well many Muslims are just psyhotic. They kill innocents.

[Wurlitzer]

"I don't know why we should forgive them if they stopped doing what they did tomorrow. Also, one can say 9/11 affected us all, and it did, but I can't forgive the trespass of murder as I wasn't the one that was murdered. Forgiving is way oveused/misused."

Well said beaversmom.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Liberals and especially "traitor" Democrats, all of them have no idea that we are at war. This movie shows what happens to regular people when politicians like Bill & Hillary Clinton run the country. They did not protect our military, and they did not protect our citizens, IMHO, they are murderers of American innocents, they along with their treasonous vermin Democrat Party!!! America, wake up!!! Your time is running out!!!

[freepertoo]

Jimmy Doohan (Scotty of Star Trek fame) was there, too.

[Les_Miserables]

The pain of seeing this movie pales in comparison to the pain endured by the passengers of 93 and their families. We all owe it to them (and ourselves) to see this movie, not just once but periodically, to keep fresh in our minds just what we are up against. (Just as SPR reminds us years later of the sacrifices made by our father's generation.)

[GBA]

Nice tag line!

[BrewingFrog]

That is a question that I have long wondered about as well.

These heros have been referred to numerous times as the first soldiers in this new war. President Bush can easily recognize their service retroactively and award them posthumous medals. Even if he did not choose this route, there are still other awards he could bestow.

I haven't looked lately, but who has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom these last 4 1/2 years, anyway?

[JLAGRAYFOX]

F911 did absolutely nothing for the Democrat Party. The onl;y thing it did was to put $119M bcuks into "Fat Boy" michael Moore's pocket. The Swift Boat Vet ad that cost $100K did more damage to the Democrats in 2004 then they ever could have dreamed of. Remember GW Bush spanked that retard John Kerry by over three million votes. United 93 will move the entire country for a long time to come, just as SPR and the Passion of the Christ did. The Democrat scum and their vermin MSM cannot stop this one!!!

[beaversmom]

Still using your example, can a parent be a surrogate forgiver for a child? If my child is the one abused/hurt in whatever manner can I forgive on his/her behalf? Say like in the case of a toddler. I'm not sure that I can do that. Also, if a child was old enough, I wouldn't pressure them to automatically forgive an abuser.

[VOATNOW1]

>Why doesn't Congress resolve to award posthumous medals to the passengers and crew of Flight 93?

Because they were only citizens. Terrorism was no big deal until they started killing the public sector.

[Psycho_Bunny]

There's no contradiction at all, in my statement.  I see "horrible" movies and TV shows - and hear "terrible" music and read "lousy" poetry - all the time that possess moments and flashes of astonishing brilliance.

The truth is that quite often the difference between someone we recognize as being a genius in say - music - such as Beethoven or Bach, and some no-name composer is not that the no-namer didn't have moments of brilliance every bit as powerful and overwhelming as Beethoven or Bach but rather, he couldn't maintain the moment.  Where the no-namer might carry a thought of genius for 5 measures, someone like Mahler could carry that plateau for 50.  Hence, we recognize Mahler as a musical genius and say, Piston as a guy who could write music. 

Not to slam on Piston but let's face it, his moments were few and far between: but when he hit them, no other composer in history could improve on them.

There were brilliant, stunning moments in Saving Private Ryan, but it went melodramatic and lost it's power in several scenes, as compared to Band of Brothers, which was not quite as powerful in its climaxes but, at the same time, never descended into melodrama nor felt contrived for emotive effect.

 

 

[Cathy]

"You have to remember though, they didnt have those kind of special effects when Wayne was around. His movies might have had the same patriotic impact on the Americans of his day."

I agree - technically John Wayne movies and SPR are apples and oranges - but in their day those movies made Americans proud.

Personally I love all the old WWII movies, including Dirty Dozen, Stalag, The Longest Day, The Great Escape. My dad used to watch them and I still watch them when they air on Veteran's Day or D-day. SPR was one of the hardest movies I have ever watched, but I still cry when Jim Brown gets killed running at the end of the Dirty Dozen, or John Wayne gets it at the end of Sands of Iwo Jima.

[RetiredArmy]

My female attorney boss took me to see Saving Private Ryan for my birthday. She cried like a baby throughout the film. Afterwords, she apologized. I told her it was not necessary because I was crying inside as she was outside. The scene where they show all the bodies on the beach and the dead Ryan brother, tells it all to me. How a bunch of men, most knowing their odds of living to see the sun set that day, crash ashore against all odds, to start the first step in defeating an enemy who wanted to destroy and rule the world! Sound familiar?????

[Cathy]

"The pain of seeing this movie pales in comparison to the pain endured by the passengers of 93 and their families"

I agree. If they can sit through this movie, I sure as heck can.

[tgusa]

Double ditto.

[HungarianGypsy]

Do you mean as in someone else that you do not know or someone else as in not yourself? Even though he has not asked for it, I have forgiven the guy who killed my dad. Doesn't mean I like him. Doesn't mean I want him to get let off easy. It is more for my own sanity and peace.

[abercrombie_guy_38]

Even though I still believe it is way too early for a movie about September 11, 2001, I plan on going with my mom to see it this weekend. I would recommend going this weekend because money will be donated to the families and I believe it is the only time it will.

I have never fully watched SPR, mainly because I was young when it came out. I have seen most of it, though, and was even more inclined to look upon the Greatest Generation even more greatly. Something like that will never happen again in this country.

[Protagoras]

I had to turn Private Ryan off after the first 10 minutes. It was so extreme. I just couldn't bear it.

Imagine how hard it was to bear for the people actually there.

[RobertP]

I guess I had a moment of temporary insanity. I went to IMDB.com to read what they are saying about the movie. Of course it is nothing buy anti-American crap coming out of their mouths such as these people are not heros because they failed, and they still died. I almost kicked my computer it made me so mad. I will be seeing this movie when it comes to my area.