The Unforgettable Contrasts of "United 93"

Last week I had the opportunity to see the film "United 93", a docudrama about what "might" have happened aboard the ill-fated plane that was hijacked by terrorists on 9/11, only to plunge into the a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board. The experience of watching the film was quite unlike any I've had with previous films; knowing the story was true (at least broadly so) made me feel an incredible sense of connection and empathy with not only the people on board the plane but also those on the ground who scrambled wildly to deal with the increasingly horrible news that was filtering in. It was a sobering, riveting, deeply sad and troubling and also shockingly resurgent experience.

Like so much about 9/11, "United 93" painted in graphic terms the wide panoply of human morality, from the abject dehumanizing attitude of the hijackers to the inspirational, nearly unbelievable resolve of the passengers and crew NOT to become pawns or victims in this unfolding drama. The story became "larger than life" in so many ways. It was hard to imagine (and still is) a plot so insidious and treacherous as to use innocent passengers on commercial flights as sacrifices in order to murder thousands of OTHER innocent people who were doing nothing more malicious than going to their daily jobs and living their lives. It was likewise hard to imagine the strength that issued forth from these intended victims to rise up and defy the plans of the hijackers. People who an hour before hadn't even known each other came together from all walks of life to pursue the common goal of survival in the face of what had to be unimaginable fear and pressure. Think of the situation they were in; not only were they on a plane that had been hijacked, but they realized they were about to be killed and also that their nation was under attack and their plane was about to be used to further that attack. I simply cannot imagine being able to function given the stress of that knowledge, let alone act in the heroic way that they did.

The film works not only because it eschews most of the typical Hollywood trappings of fictional suspense films (it uses minimal music, the camerawork in not intrusive or self-indulgent), but because we feel this gradually building sense of dread that the participants feel. On the ground, flight control and NORAD personnell begin their day just as we all did, weary and assuming this would just be another day in their lives. Then as the news reports come in it becomes clear that things are going to be anything but normal and the disbelief and horror that slowly comes over them reminds us of our own when we experienced that fateful day.

9/11 was a watershed day for so many reasons, but one of them is that it seemed to represent the best of the worst of mankind's impulses. This is not a particularly original thought on my part, but "United 93" really reminded me of that facet of the day with it's portrayal of the hijackers nearly unbelievable conceit that their religion was worth the brutal murder of thousands contrasted with the heartening humanity of the passengers and crew. In the years since that day, we have seen moral ambiguity resurgent once again, with public debates over the way to prosecute the war on terror, questionable tactics in imprisoning and interrogating suspects, the wisdom or lack of it of waging war on Iraq, the inevitable blame game of Washington regarding the attacks, etc. In that sense, I suppose, things have gone back to "normal". But for a short while after that day, the whole world watched a situation which broadly and clearly painted the polarization of the human experience in the brightest, most vivid colors. It saw depths of depravity and disconcern for human life on a scale we had either never seen or simply forgot was even possible existing alongside selfless heroism. This dichotomy played out not only on that doomed flight, but also in the drama that unfolded in New York City, where thousands died in a despicable act that also summoned incredible self sacrfifice and humanity from countless firefighters, policemen, paramedics, and everyday citizens who heard the call for decency and compassion and answered without a second thought.

If I took any one salient thought from watching "United 93", it was that it is so important to remember that day, not just because of its historical importance or because we need to be vigilant in protecting ourselves and our loved ones from similar attacks which could occur in the future. Both of those reasons are perfectly valid reasons, but there's an overarching rationale that trumps even these two reasonable ones. We need to remember 9/11 because it is a signpost, a marker if you will, of the full gamut of morality we as humans are all capable of, from wanton brutality to undreamed of bravery and kindness. Most of the time, we all exist somewhere on that infinite continuum between good and evil, but once in a while, once in a great while, we see events that illuminate the boundaries of that line.

9/11 was such a day, and "United 93" does a great job of revealing it.