United 93

Interesting comment from Warren Bell in The Corner this morning, on United 93. Warren's seen it, and, along with most of the critics that I've read, thought it was excellent.

United 93 is a harrowing, gripping, and at times unpleasantly intense experience, and with that caveat, I genuinely believe everyone needs to go see it....this is no "thrill ride of the summer" to be enjoyed with a large popcorn and soda. This movie is a wake-up call, a reminder of Why We Fight, a stark and chilling testament to the horror of that day, which I fear has faded too fast in our collective memory bank. As I watched the second plane slam into the South Tower, seen from the perspective of the Newark Airport control tower, I experienced again the same feeling that shortly begins to grow among the passengers huddled in the back of Flight 93: we must fight back.

My wife and I had a conversation about this the other day. Here's where I stand: I think that the people who most need to see it, the people who need the "reminder of Why We Fight," are unlikely to see it, and, if they do, they're unlikely to come out of it with the same reaction that Warren had. It's not only possible, but likely, that some could come out of it thinking "we've got to reach a peaceful compact with these guys."

As for me, I don't want to see it. I remember Why We Fight, I understand that we must fight back, I thought it took us years and years too long to understand and get started. This has been an festering problem in the world for many years, and it's been obvious to anyone watching ever since the fall of the Shah of Iran. I hope that the movie does well, I hope that people who need to see it see it AND take the right message out of it. But I don't want to sit through it right now...

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