United 93
UNITED 93 (15)
D: Paul Greengrass
Universal/Studio Canal/Working Title (Tim Bevan, Eric
Fellner, Lloyd Levin & Paul Greengrass)
US/UK 2006
111 mins
Drama/Historical
W: Paul Greengrass
DP: Barry Ackroyd
Ed: Clare Douglas & Christopher
Rouse
Mus: John Powell
Christian Clemenson (Tom Burnett), Cheyenne Jackson (Mark
Bingham), David Alan Basche (Todd Bearner), Peter Hermann (Jeremy Glick), Daniel Sauli (Richard Guadagno)
United 93 is amongst the first films to deal with the
subject of 9/11, but rather than focus on the act of terrorism, instead it honours the heroes of one of the darkest days in modern history.
Directed by Paul Greengrass in a semi-documentary style,
using lesser-known actors as though not to detract from the actual events and done in a tasteful, unexploitative fashion, the film focuses on the passengers of Flight 93, a hijacked American
Airlines commercial flight who unite together to overcome the four terrorists who have seized control.
Though the events on the plane are marginally
fictionalised for dramatic purposes, the events on the ground are meticulously faithful to real events.
It's a film which isn't designed for entertainment, but is
hugely powerful all the same, but would still probably be best avoided by those who were truly affected by the real events and sneering YouTube conspiracy theorists.
8/10
