The Horrific Events of 9/11 (World Trade Center (DVD))

Member Name: rleigh

Product:	World Trade Center (DVD)
Date:	17/03/08 (98 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Assists in educating those that know not of the events that took place.

Disadvantages: Poorly scripted, makes a mockery of the great effort that went into rescue.

'World Trade Center' is the touching tale of the events that took place on September 11th 2001, but is this film actually any good? In all honesty it's not too great at all and is in fact one of the most disappointing films I have seen in a long while. Whilst I appreciate the subject matter and understand why Oliver Stone may have seen it fit to make such a film, I just don't think that such a feature film as this should have been made about such a terrorist attack that killed so many.

September 11th 2001 was of course the day that planes were crashed into each of the twin towers and they resultantly collapsed, many people dying in the process. It was a truly tragic and horrible event, one which I do not feel the world has ever truly recovered from even near on 7 years later. Released in 2006, I feel that the subject of 9/11 was still a little too raw when this film emerged and I personally did not wish to see the film when it was first released. I did however purchase this on DVD a couple of months back as I wanted to see what Oliver Stone made of 'World Trade Center' in turning such a horrific event into a feature film.

Much of the film is set inside the World Trade Center itself with two men trapped inside and covered in rubble. They were venturing inside to attempt to rescue others when the infrastructure of the centre gave way and thus they are buried deep inside and as the film unfolds these two policemen are left fighting for their lives and hoping and praying to be rescued. It is a horrible film that charts the 'true' story of what World Trade Center survivors John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno went through on the day of the attack.

What I dislike most about this film is that it seemingly glorifies the events that took place on September 11th 2001, almost ignoring the great effort and display of bravery that went into rescuing these two men from the twin tower wreckage. The film makes their rescue seem quick and easy, something that clearly it was not. It makes a mockery really of the great effort that must have gone in to making sure these two men emerged alive from the World Trade Center, everything is made to seem a little too simple and although it is made clear here that time is passing; I do not feel that the painstaking effort that went into their rescue is portrayed at all well on film here.

The most horrific thing about this film is that whilst you watch on it is easy to think of 'World Trade Center' only as a feature film and nothing more, and yet you know that the unthinkable genuinely did happen and that many were killed as a result of this horrific terrorist attack. It's not nice to be reminded of this event, it's something that I'd rather seek to dislodge from my memory but truth be told this may never be possible. It was a horrendous event that effected many people around the world, a lot of people all over the globe had friends and family that died that day at the World Trade Center and to have made a film about such a subject is really quite inconsiderate. I'm sure there will be some out there that appreciate the film having been made, in a way it shows respect to those that died that day and great appreciation to those that helped out in attempting to salvage survivors from the wreckage. The film does not account for everyone that helped out that day though, these two policemen that lived to tell the tale having been inside the World Trade Center at the time of its collapse are made out to be the heroes here and yet many of those that helped in having these two men emerge alive and well are entirely ignored here. The focus of the film is flawed and in my opinion it is an extremely odd angle for Oliver Stone to have taken here.

Never again will I be watching the Oliver Stone film that is 'World Trade Center'. It is exploitation at its most foul I feel of a tragic world event. The story is poorly told, the film focuses far too heavily on the two surviving police officers of this event and makes far too small a deal of the effort that went into their rescue. The scripting of 'World Trade Center' is bad throughout, it doesn't ring true when played out by those involved and this I feel is grossly unfair on those whose story is being told here. The terrorist attack of the World Trade Center is a very real and truly tragic event in history and this film I believe puts forward an inaccurate portrayal of how it really was for everyone that day. This film did not sit well with me and all the way through I could not help but think that Oliver Stone had done terribly in portraying on film this 'true story of courage and survival'. Those that lost their lives in the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001 will always be fondly remembered by all, this film however is poorly put together, an absolute monstrosity of a feature film from the three-time Academy Award winner Oliver Stone.


Director: Oliver Stone
Year of release: 2006
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Runtime: 124 mins
BBFC Rating: 12

Summary: Oliver Stone's 'World Trade Center' is a poor film of a terrible true event.