World Trade Center (DVD, 2006, Widescreen Version; Sensormatic)

The events of September 11 left an indelible mark on most Americans, and certainly on those in the New York City area. Yet as fresh as the images seem, it’s easy to forget the actual grit, sacrifice, and uncertainty of that day. Director Oliver Stone captures the essence of 9/11 by focusing on the true story of two Port Authority Police Department officers who were trapped beneath the wreckage of the fallen World Trade Center. Veteran officer Sergeant John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and his team, including rookie Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) are gathering equipment to enter the burning Twin Towers when the concourse comes crashing down around them. Twenty feet below the surface, pinned by debris and unable to reach anyone by radio, the officers must rely on their own will--and on each other--to survive. Above ground, their families watch the towers fall, uncertain whether or not McLoughlin and Jimeno are there, since they are normally assigned to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Like so many that day, Donna McLoughlin (Maria Bello) and Allison Jimeno (Maggie Gyllenhaal) wait for news at home surrounded by their families, fearing the worst and praying for the best. Stone’s film depicts the horror and heartbreak of the victims, survivors, and their families with an understated, subtle touch. From the ash and dust covering everyone and everything to the dazed expressions of the workers leaving the towers to the steaming twisted metal remains of the World Trade Center, attention to detail is exceedingly realistic. Rather than being political or sensationalistic, this is a film about everyday heroes--men and women doing their best in the face of an unspeakable event. It may be just one story of many from September 11, but it represents the efforts, emotions, and reactions of so many on that fateful day.

Never exactly a timid sort of filmmaker, even Oliver Stone must have felt like he was walking into a no-win situation in making World Trade Center. Coming off the critical and commercial drubbing of his (underrated, as far as I'm concerned) historical epic Alexander, the cantankerous director wasn't exactly in Hollywood's good graces, and attaching his name to this particular project seemed like a move designed to upset just about everyone. The event itself still a raw, open wound in the American consciousness, putting the notoriously heavy-handed Lefty in charge of a movie about 9/11 certainly raised the hackles of the 50% of the public on the other side of the political spectrum. On the other hand, the film's trailers were off-putting for even Stone's own fans, looking distinctly like he'd sold out his values to play nice with Hollywood, churning out a feel-good "triumph of the human spirit" glorified TV Movie of the Week. However, the finished product turned out to be not quite what anyone expected of it. The movie didn't win over everyone, but that it could be released to favorable reviews and respectable box office business surprised many, and stands as a testament to the director's talent.
Recounting the true story of officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno, the film stars Nicolas Cage and Michael Peña as two NYC Transit Authority cops who, on that fateful morning in 2001, walked into the World Trade Center to help evacuate the building and were almost instantly trapped under debris from the falling towers. Neither of them quite understanding the enormity of what had happened (they both assumed that only the shopping concourse had collapsed), the two men remained crushed and unable to move for a full day before rescuers eventually discovered them, two of only a small handful of survivors to be pulled from the wreckage. In the meantime, we also witness the agony of their families waiting for news and expecting the worst.

The film is a restrained, even-handed reenactment of the single most important event of most of our lifetimes. It's emotional without being maudlin, and respectful without turning sanctimonious. Although the director depicts the bravery of the rescue workers on that day, he doesn't overplay it. These men were heroes simply for having the courage to walk into the building, but never actually had the chance to save anyone. They were trapped before they could even get off the ground floor. Stone also resists the temptation to force any great political messages, focusing instead on capturing that specific moment in time when all of America awoke to the realization that their world had just instantly, starkly changed, without anyone comprehending how or why it had happened.

As a movie, World Trade Center really could have been a travesty, dishonoring the memories of those who died by exploiting their losses into a preachy diatribe for the director's political views. Fortunately, that never happens. Nor does it go the opposite route, selling out a tragedy for the sake of shallow Hollywood melodrama (witness Pearl Harbor for example). Is it a masterpiece, or the definitive telling of the 9/11 story? Probably not, but World Trade Center is a fine, worthy drama and probably the best movie that could be made at this time about that day the world will never forget.

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September 11, 2001.

A day of infamy. One of needless pain and suffering.

An act of man that not only changed the lives of millions, but also changed the world through aviation and security, as we know it today.

I’ve always respected the work of the talented Oliver Stone (Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, JFK, and Scarface (Screenwriter) among others).

But this movie—was one that should have never been made.

Not that it would be impossible to give a factual account of the events surrounding the WTC tragedy (according to Wikipedia.org there were a number of glaring inconsistencies in regards to the race, contributions, roles, and dangers faced by the WTC rescuers) or even truly believing in Stone’s and the film’s producers intentions to simply focus on the “heroism and sadness of the day with little-to-no political themes.”

Sadly, there are always politics involved (despite the donations)—no matter how you look at the situation.

Stone made money. The production company made money. The actors made money.

And what of the 2,749 who lost their lives?

Need I say more.

I have had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero in 2006 and 2008. The WTC occupying about 13 square blocks and the gaping hole wherein it once stood was unreal. It was a sight that no television could ever truly explain and give justice to. Imagine, it takes a good fifteen minutes (or more) to walk from the Temporary WTC PATH Station to Battery Park.

Which is around the corner.

In all honesty, Stone’s film did nothing more that attempt to give an insiders perspective of the damage caused within the concourse between the South Tower and the North Tower as they collapsed in September of 2001.

Lives were lost. Glass from a number of buildings shattering. Billowing smoke and dust. Trees that have stood the test of time—felled by this single act of terror.

Stone will get his three stars rating for the cinematography and acting.

But this is one event that should only be immortalized in memory…and not in any other capacity.

This is a good movie that every one should watch. Although thousands lost their lives that day, this movie shows how two New York City Port authority police officers were saved that day.

This movie is good, if you think of it in terms of just a movie about a building collapsing on a few people. The movie focuses completely on the events surrounding the entrapment and rescue of a handful of people. Not that their story is heart-wrenching, but this movie was NOT about 9/11, it was about a small group of men caught in the rubble of the WTC.

There was too much about 9/11 that wasn't touched. That was incredibly dissapointing. I was expecting more about the attack, not just a search and rescue.

World Trade Center will have you close to tears if not in tears at moments, but looking at your watch at other moments wondering how long the movie is.

I'm glad that I finally saw it, but I would have been upset if I'd payed any more than the rental price to see it. I won't be buying this one.