United 93

The unreservedly enthusiastic foreign responses did not lie. In the beginning, Greengrass brilliantly gives the viewer a glimpse into the 9/11 shock and awe of what's going on in the flight centers (I guarantee that although you've seen the second plane crash into one of the Twin Towers at least a hundred times, Greengrass's rendition of the visually haunting footage will give you the chills again). The last 40 minutes, starting with the hijacking of the plane, is an incredible emotional ride, at the end of which, in the scene where the passengers break into the cockpit, I had a heart rate of about 220 and was picking my dropped jaw up off the floor; this despite knowing how it all turns out. Brilliant! And if you're worried about the pathos, with shots full of stars and blue-red stripes, you fear is unwarranted, Greengrass is just too good for that. PS: Given the incredible courage shown by some of the passengers, which the film captures so powerfully, I believe their survivors could not have asked for a better cinematic epitaph. (05/06/2006)

To put it in concentrated form: Paul Greengrass and the only logical reaction to a hitherto taboo topic – to keep your distance, not to judge, not to evaluate and, if possible, to present verified facts. If the filmmaker is strong and has well-mastered weapons such as a hand-held camera and a civilian-acting ensemble without stars, then the result cannot be anything other than absolutely suggestive, chilling, captivating. This is exactly what United 93 is like. The film does not spare the viewer in any way with reductions, drawing him into the center of events using all possible technical means, and it presents events with chilling authenticity and narrative distance. But the performance itself is literally devouring and fascination with the story, an unquenchable feeling of the unconstructed, and the absence of classic plot schemes - all this creates a space for a strong to horrible spectator experience. There is no moralizing at the end, an unshakable assurance that good can be delineated from evil, that the border is fixed and that crossing it will be punished. At the end we find out that victims and murderers are still and only human. The most chilling moment of the whole film for me was the prayer just before the inevitable catastrophe. At that moment, all the bizarreness and absurdity of today's world materialized aboard Greengrass's United 93. The value of such a film exceeds the prefabricated messages about real heroes a million times over, because it offers the viewer an intense experience without whispering. It's up to you how you evaluate it. (28/08/2006)

In a way, it is a second Schindler's List. It is equally artistically precise, with thematic weight added. These two aspects together form a unique work that certainly deserves nothing less than full appreciation. Paul Greengrass is able to create incredible authenticity with a smart use of handheld camera, aided by excellently chosen (completely unknown) actors. The tension escalates, the situation intensifies, and the viewer is left astounded in a truly unprecedented way. One of the most suggestive, rawest, and definitely best films of the year, which won't win an Oscar simply because it feels too unlike a movie throughout its entire running time. (22/06/2006)

Greengrass applies the successful recipe from Bloody Sunday here as well (especially his trademark immersion technique, making you one of the passengers) - and again it works out exceedingly well. Almost everything here follows the same pattern and yet it’s so very different. The first 75 minutes are dedicated to reconstructing the chaos surrounding the first plane crashes, and then during the final quarter hour absolutely drains you emotionally onboard United 93. Again, where possible, he uses real characters "as themselves". Once again he revels in unobtrusive yet impressive music, in maximum detail using hand held cameras, and totally apolitically. Impressive, although as a movie it is difficult to evaluate, but the experience is truly powerful. ♫ OST score: 4/5 (25/08/2006)

I finished watching the movie 10 minutes ago... My forehead is still furrowed, my head is still spinning, and my heart won't stop pounding. No movie has really cost me that much in nerves. The atmosphere on the plane and on the ground was perfectly captured beyond measure. Plenty of confusion, emotion, and suspense. I know one thing for sure... this movie is unbeatable! It's like the situation hit me all over again. (26/06/2011)