The Day the World changed…forever
9/11 was one ghastly event which changed the trajectory of the world forever in the 21st century. Two decades later, the echo of two planes colliding into the twin towers still reverberates in some corner of the world. The magnitude of the attack was such that the scars it had left behind have still not healed.
How can films and books be left far behind when an incident of such magnitude occurs. Hollywood gave prominence to 9/11 through its films and covered virtually all the shades that it had to offer in two decades. Just as the Vietnam War spawned films like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Coming Home, Full Metal Jacket and The Deer Hunter, 9/11 did the same to American filmmakers in particular and world filmmakers in general.
Let’s look at a few of the titles that explored 9/11 in great depth and demand multiple viewing owing to its sheer depiction of the carnage.
ZERO DARK THIRTY (Netflix)
The plot of Zero Dark Thirty revolved around the hunt to capture Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attack. It’s an extremely tense film where Jessica Chastain in the role of Maya delivers a knockout punch. The portions of the film which have been fictionalised appear jarring and give away the fact that they have been incorporated only to layer the film in a commercial format. But keeping this aside, Zero Dark Thirty is a great follow up to The Hurt Locker, the film which helped its director Kathryn Bigelow win an Oscar.
FAHRENHEIT 911
In Fahrenheit 911, renowned and controversial documentary filmmaker Michael Moore goes a step further and tries to investigate and dig out things that went behind the curtains. Michael Moore through his documentary tries to probe the angle of Bush administration’s agenda of pushing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. At the end, Fahrenheit 911 remains an eye opener and full marks to Moore for digging the dirt.
THE LOOMING TOWER (Amazon Prime Video)
The Looming Tower is based on a book by author Lawrence Wright which also won a Pulitzer Prize. The miniseries spread over eight episodes deals primarily with the event in the Middle East which led to the attack on the twin towers. A major part of the series deals with the infighting between CIA and FBI. It might come as a surprise to many that the CIA had the intel but it was never shared with the FBI. Jeff Daniels and Tahar Rahim look immersed in their respective roles. The series is a complete binge watch.
9/11 INSIDE THE PRESIDENT’S WAR ROOM (Apple TV Plus)
9/11 Inside the President’s War Room was released recently on Apple TV and this 90-minute documentary is more like a ticking clock. In other words, with every passing minute the suspense mounts. The documentary mentions only the incidents that were involved on 9/11 and deals primarily with George Bush’s whereabouts and the actions he took that day. The excellent narration by Jeff Daniels only adds to the viewing pleasure.
WORTH (Netflix)
Worth is a starry affair with the presence of Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci. This film is completely unrelated with the attack part of 9/11, on the contrary it covers the aftermath when Congress appoints an attorney to look after the Victim Compensation Fund. Later on it becomes a Herculean task for the attorney and his team to calculate the worth of a life for compensation. The film asks a very simple question — what is the value of life? And when the events unfold in the film, it’s almost like a floodgate.
THE REPORT (Amazon Prime Video)
Adam Driver has been delivering some great performances in the past few years with films like BlacKkKlansman, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Marriage Story, Star Wars and Annette. But one film which quietly came and people failed to notice was The Report. Directed by Scott Z Burns, The Report talks about a Senate staffer who is assigned the task to lead an investigation into the CIA post their 9/11 detention program. The film exposes another side of the government similar to Fahrenheit 911 which was not known to the common public. It’s a pity that this film escaped many eyes. If nothing else, watch it for Driver’s performance.
THE HURT LOCKER (Amazon Prime Video)
The Hurt Locker was the film which brought director Kathryn Bigelow and actor Jeremy Renner in the big league. Not much was expected from this low budget thriller at the Oscar but it managed to trounce heavyweights like Avatar and Inglorious Basterds. The film is about an American sergeant who has recently been assigned to the bomb disposal squad in Iraq. The Hurt Locker is more of a war film which shows the futility of war. The finale of the film when Jeremey Renner comes back home is heart wrenching. The Hurt Locker sits comfortably with other great war films.
TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE
Alex Gibney, another documentary filmmaker after Michael Moore exposed US administration. Through his Taxi to the Dark Side, Alex Gibney talked about the America’s torture practices during the war in Afghanistan. The documentary takes a close look at US’s policy towards terrorism and without beating around the bush, Gibney calls them faulty. It’s a difficult watch and yes, it also won the Best Documentary trophy at the Academy Awards in 2008.
UNITED 93
On 11th September four planes were hijacked by terrorists. While two crashed against the twin towers, the third one collided into the Pentagon. United 93 was the fourth flight in which the passengers overpowered the hijackers but fate had other plans as it finally crashed. Released in 2006, United 93 was the first film to pick its plot directly from the 9/11 attacks. Paul Greengrass was nominated in the category of Best Director at the Oscars. United 93 is a powerful story of grit and resilience.
TURNING POINT — 9/11 AND THE WAR ON TERROR (Netflix)
Turning Point: 9/11 And The War on Terror was released recently on Netflix and kudos to this documentary for exploring the incident in detail. It’s in-depth and holistic. The span that’s covered is from 1979 to 2021 meaning the time when the Soviets intervened in Afghanistan till Biden’s announcement of withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. It’s well researched and in the end it makes you humbling.
It’s been two decades since this ghastly and cowardly incident occurred and filmmakers from across the world have either depicted or interpreted the incident in their own fashion. Do let us know if you can recall any other 9/11 film which appealed to you.
