Civic Duty: Go See 'United 93' - George F. Will

"The hinge on which the movie turns are 13 words that a passenger speaks, without histrionics, as he and others prepare to rush the cockpit, shortly before the plane plunges into a Pennsylvania field.  The words are: 'No one is going to help us. We've got to do it ourselves.'  Those words not only summarize this nation's situation in today's war but also express a citizen's general responsibilities in a free society."

George F. Will, Civic Duty: Go See 'United 93', Washington Post, Sun. May 7, 2006, p. B7.

Comments

[Lokisfur]

I just came from watching UNITED 93. I am still shaking.

George Will nailed it when he said viewers, "will find an almost unbearable menace in the small talk of passengers waiting in the boarding area with those who will murder them"

There were no stars in the movie. There were no political statements. There were no cheap shots at anyone. There were no attempts to provide cloyingly sick tender moments to heighten the drama.

It was just the facts. Clinical. Mundane. No poetry. Pedestrian in every way. The facts taken from the 9/11 commision report. The Facts which were vetted and approved by all the families of the victims of Flight 93.

Powerful. Inspiring. Terrifying. Exhausting.

I saw it in Manhattan, in a theater in the East Village on 12th Street and 2nd Avenue. About 1 mile from Ground Zero. There were approx 75 people in a 300 seat theater....a very multi-cultural group of people from teenagers to seniors. There were no outbursts from the crowd at all during the movie. There was some clapping at the end.

It was very well done.

I am wiped..from the experience.

9/11/2001 has affected everyone in this nation in dramatic ways whether we want to admit it or not. Each of us, has internalized what happened that day and cobbled together some semblance of a reassuring viewpoint of the world around us so that we can just feel safe enough to go on a plane, or walk into a building, or feel that we have a fighting chance to survive on this earth just one more day.

Because of that, I hope that everyone sees the movie and does not pre-judge it. I hope that even those people who are against Bush, and against the war will be open minded enough to view this powerful film. I know that when Farenheit 9/11 came out, I was eager to see it and discuss it with people of all political persuasions....and I did. And whether I agreed with "Farenheit 911" or not, I could not deny the power of message it was attempting to deliver.

And I submit that anyone who sees "United 93" cannot helped be moved by it---whether moved to anger, to fear, to hate America,to love America, to hate our government, to love our government...you will surely be moved by it.

[RC of strangeculture]

That's a very interesting quote...i absolutly loved this movie...it was wonderful...

although i wouldn't say it's your civic duty...

i just say...it's worth it.

--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com