Why no fiction?

"United 93" tells the story of Sept. 11, 2001, but focuses mainly on the one plane that did not hit its target. Given the content, "United 93" should fill seats. Although the tragic events of Sept. 11 are apparent, does that thought alone equate to a movie being a success? The film opens with the hijackers preparing for what they consider God's will. As the movie carries on, the audience gets introduced to a flurry of characters, most of whom remain nameless. The film suddenly expects us to care for them just because of their predicament. Shot in a shaky manner, which only seems to work at the end and filled completely with unrecognizable actors, one hopes to find a reason to care. Before the initial attacks, the audience walks through simply another day inside an airport: smiling faces, friendly conversation on a bright sunny day. It all has the familiarity of life as usual. Due to this we are also treated to hard-to-hear conversations and simplistic notions that, if not for the horrid actions to come, would make a dull movie. In all honesty, who goes to the movies to see about life as is? Looking at biography pieces and movies based on actual events such as "Saving Private Ryan," Malcolm X," "Munich," or "JFK," the audience find themselves with an experience with real people presented in a larger-than-life sort of way. Yes, the fall of the towers was a terrible thing, but if all we get from this movie is simply a retelling of cold fact, why not just watch the news or the handful of documentaries released about the event? When looking at the movie objectively, it makes sense that people who had some ties to the event would feel something when watching it, maybe some who did not will as well. But, just like in "The Passion of the Christ," filmmakers relied solely on the real events that occurred to suffice, rather than giving us something that will make us think a little different on the subject.

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