| There has been much debate as to whether it was | | | | with the images, but a representation of how the |
| too soon to make a film about 9/11, given 'World | | | | people involved saw it is almost more terrifying. |
| Trade Centre' comes only five years after that tragic | | | | The most harrowing sequence in the film is when |
| day in US and world history. One of director Oliver | | | | McLoughlin (Cage) and his team start moving toward |
| Stone's smartest moves in making this film was to | | | | Tower 1 of the WTC and they are on the |
| not have any sort of political commentary, despite a | | | | concourse, moving towards the Tower. Suddenly, |
| hint here or there. Nor does he actively re-depict the | | | | everything begins to shake and then a massive wall |
| actual strikes against the towers or their subsequent | | | | of smoke and debris floods in from outside. Stone |
| collapse. He instead focuses on the human story at | | | | chooses to slow time down through film technique |
| the heart of the tragedy and it is in this respect that | | | | and its a scary sequence, and if it weren't for |
| 'World Trade Centre' hits the mark. Unfortunately, | | | | McLoughlin making a split second decision to enter |
| the film overstays its welcome by about thirty | | | | the elevator shafts, they would have all been swept |
| minutes. After the first forty minutes, the bulk of the | | | | away with the carnage. |
| film is focused on the two men trapped in the rubble | | | | From this point on however, the film changes entirely. |
| and their respective families, and as such we get a | | | | The bulk of the film is set in the rubble with the |
| number of flashbacks and memory sequences that | | | | trapped team, two of which eventually come out in |
| build on the characters but really drag the film out. | | | | the end. This story is intercut with scenes with their |
| There's a subplot about an ex-marine who fakes his | | | | families. I know it's important to fully canvas the |
| way in to the site in order to help, but that's really | | | | tragedy for all of these people, it would have been |
| not as big a part of the story. As such, despite being | | | | more effective to shorten the running time down in |
| based on such an incredible tragedy that has elicited | | | | these sections, particularly when we get memory and |
| so much emotion, the film ultimately leaves you | | | | flashback sequences of the characters day-dreaming |
| feeling a little cold and clinical. It conveys the tragedy, | | | | or imagining happier times. The result of all of this is |
| but it's diluted and as such it doesn't have the impact | | | | to take the steam out of the story because you get |
| that it probably should have. | | | | it, and then you want to move on. The |
| The film starts with a very good build-up, giving the | | | | performances by and large do well at trying to make |
| impression that September 11 was a day just like any | | | | up for this but in the end, what could have been a |
| other day for these characters. They get up, go to | | | | potent, tragic story becomes one that is diluted |
| work, business as usual. We are introduced to the | | | | severely from what it could have been. |
| main players, most of whom don't end the day alive, | | | | Stone does an admirable job with this film, resisting |
| and we are introduced to the event itself through | | | | his instincts to say anything political which he could |
| the characters - you don't see planes hitting towers, | | | | have easily done, especially in light of his previous |
| but you hear tremors and shakes as people hear | | | | films. His technical skills are nothing short of brilliant |
| them inside office buildings. You see a shadow of a | | | | again, particularly with his use of CGI to believably |
| plane fly across the New York skyline. This is the | | | | recreate the 9/11 disaster site and the recreation of |
| best way to handle this material - we're all so familiar | | | | the smoke, destruction and rubble. |