So, I went to see the first in a series of movies coming out this summer that they made about the 9/11 attacks. Initially, I was opposed to the idea of making movies about the attacks, but it was inevitable that they would and curiousity got the better of me. I was glad that I did because this was very well put together and helped to put the events into perspective. If you’re got over 4000 planes over the US on a September morning, it takes a lot of work to figure out when you’re under a co-ordinated attack and track down the bad guys. They didn’t have enough time or resources to do this properly – and I doubt they do now (since it’s not glamerous enough in the “war on terror”).
“United 93″ is more of a documentary than an action movie and wasn’t over dramaticized either, which is a good thing. In fact, it was a very good movie, though it did seem to be based purely on the official 9/11 report – I guess that’s better than sticking in a few conspiracy theories or something. The movie shows how these Islamic extremists took over various planes and the FAA response to each of the hijackings, obviously with a focus on United 93 (the only plane to miss its target). The heart wrenching bits are how well the movie portrays the people caught up in the hijackings as just ordinary people trying to get home/to work/wherever. The people on those planes weren’t making US foreign policy or trying to alter the lives of those who blew them up, they were purely innocent bystanders that served as an easy target. That’s what makes it all the more shocking.
As I watched the movie, I reminded myself how damaging religion can be in the world today. I’m aware that religion helps many people get through their lives, but the fact remains that you’re very unlikely to see atheists going around blowing up planes and crashing them into buildings. Only someone who believes in an eternal reward for their actions is going to consider doing something like that. Too much fighting takes place around the world every day for extremely stupid reasons.
Jon.
The expression of religion in United 93 was fairly even-handed, I think. On the one hand, there were the hijackers praying that they would complete their mission; later on, there’s a moment when simultaneously the passengers are praying they’ll get through this.
Belief in a cause inspired both into action, but it’s not the faith that’s the problem, it’s the cause. One side believed that by incapacitating the lives of four people, proven to be violent and destructive, they would be doing good. One side believed that by killing more than a thousand people whose natures were unknown and who were unaware they were directly under attack, they were doing good.
The latter side were wrong. They were extremists. They became obsessed with destroying an undefined enemy, and thus became the enemy.
This is not a fault of religion; it is the result of extremism.
It was a good movie. I was surprised by the presence of a dozen individuals who either chose or agreed to play themselves and re-enact their own actions during the day.
It’s also one of the few films where, when looking down a credits list, you realise the names of the “characters” are far more interesting than the names of the actors who played them.
I think that’s a bit of a sweeping generalisation. Many communists are atheists, but there have been atrocities committed in the name of communism. Equally, there are _by far_ more religions that don’t perform acts of terrorism than those that do.