On Sunday I attended a special preview screening of World Trade Center, directed by Oliver Stone. Naturally, after seeing United 93, which I felt was more a propaganda piece for the "War On Terror" than anything else, I was curious to see how Hollywood rebel Stone would treat this controversial material. Although "World Trade Center" is not what one would expect from Stone, it turned out to be an powerful, engrossing film-going experience.
Review of "World Trade Center"
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Michael Pena, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Stephen Dorff, Jay Hernandez, Michael Shannon
Screenplay: Andrea Berloff
Directed by Oliver Stone
In Paramount Pictures "World Trade Center," director Oliver Stone has tackled one of the most significant events of our time -- the 9/11 attacks on New York City and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Similar to Universal's "United 93," which ostensibly was an accurate cinematic depiction of the events that took place on that flight, this film attempts to tell the true story of people who actually heroically participated in rescure efforts during the earth-shaking events of that day.
"United 93" played more like a propaganda piece for the so-called "War on Terror" than an accurate document of the events that occured on that flight. The difference in "World Trade Center" is that while "United 93" maintained a stark tone of emotional detachment and an eerie sense of impending doom, Stone's film inspires hope and provides us with a light at the end of the tunnel, where Greengras left us with only darkness.
After reading a little about "World Trade Center" in advance I was curious to see if Stone really had created a film, like "United 93," that would function as a sublte cinematic justification for the Bush admnistration's systemic attempts to strip away our civil liberties and create a fascist state in the 21st Century -- all in the name of national security. It would be hard to imagine that a man who made such brilliantly piercing exposes of American political corruption as "JFK" and "Nixon," as well as the colorful hallucinogenic rant against mass media culture and violence, "Natural Born Killers', could participate in such an undertaking.
Oliver Stone obviously took great pains to make a factually accurate film in "World Trade Center." He even reportedly went so far as to enlist the services of the actual rescue crews who worked to save surviovors in the aftermath of 9/11. He simply felt this would be more believable.
But Stone does not venture into the tempestuous world of politics, or explore any of the background or possible motivations that the perpetrators of this infamous day's horrors might have had -- and with good reason. With the box office and critical failure of "Alexander" hanging over his head, Stone must have been hyper-aware that his ability to secure financing and a studio "greenlight" for any significant project would be questionable at best. Hollywood has always been a "what have you done for me lately world," and in this regard Stone is no different from anyone else. So, it is easy to understand why Stone might soften up a bit, and perhaps give in to studio demands about not only the kind of film he would make, but more importantly, its tone.
"World Trade Center" is indeed a very important film for Paramount and new President Brad Grey, who is certainly trying to establish himself as a legitimate Hollywood Heavyweight.In addition to the $63 million it cost the studio to make the movie, they reportedly spent $35 million on marketing, and enlisted the services of Creative Response Concepts to, as Peter Travers of Rolling Stone says, "curry favor for the film among conservatives and the Christian right." There is clearly alot at stake on this project.
Bearing all this in mind, it is no small feat that Stone managed to create an emotionally potent and technically masterful testament to the heroism displayed by many brave souls on that fateful September day. He focused on the stories of two Port Authority Police Officers, John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena). Both officers were at Ground Zero and thier stories are real, rather than dramatic fiction. Cage reportedly lived with McLoughlin for a week to learn about the man behind the uniform, and his performance is strong and steady and carries the narrative along. In contrast to Cage's stoic courage, Pena conveys a boyish charisma and even shares his dream with his Sgt. as the two men bond, struggling to survive while trapped in the rubble of the collapsed towers; "All I ever wanted was to be a cop," says Jimeno -- and we believe him.
Ingmar Bergman once said that film begins with the human face. Apparently Stone understands this well. He uses close-ups not excessively, but plentifully and to great effect in this film. Aside from the moments that McLoughlin and Jimeno share underneath tons of concrete and steel, their wives, Donna (Maria Bello) and Allison (Maggie Gyllenhaal) deftly portray the desperation these women must have felt watching the news reports and not knowing if they would ever see their husbands again. Bello, in particular also shines in several flashback scenes in which McLoughlin recalls meaningful moments shared with his wife. Stone is to be credited here as well, as his direction surely helps this ensemble tread that delicate tightrope thread of pathos, tetering, but not falling into sentimentality.
Perhaps the films' most fascinating character is that of Karnes, a former Marine who feels that God has called him to duty. He inexplicably drives from Connecticut to New York on a kind of Christian Vision Quest to help find and rescue survivors. His character, like those of McLoughlin and Jimeno, was actually there on 9/11. When Karnes arrives at Ground Zero clean shaven and in uniform, he gazes at the mountain of burning metal and cryptically proclaims that "It's like God made a curtain of smoke to protect us from what we're not ready to see."
Andrea Berloff's screenplay is essentially a story of hope, and it is this aspect that apparently attracted Stone to it. Stone says he wanted to make a film that transcended 9/11 and that speaks to people in crisis all over the world. He seemed determined to transmit this vision; that compassion and self-sacrifice are human virtues that often thrive in an environment of suffering and despair.
There are subtle moments of jingoism and some metaphorical flag-waving that were surely designed to increase the films' appeal to Middle-America and the Right. Although these snippets of dialogue are transparent and often irritating, the overall emotional power and dramatic thrust of the film are not really diminished.
Both the visual and sound design of "World Trade Center" are fantastic and contribute to the visceral impact of the piece. While watching it all unfold, I really felt like I was trapped there along with the heroes. At one pint I actually had olfactory hallucinations and thought I could smell dust and pulverized concrete as McLoughlin and Jimeno encouraged eachother to hang on to life in the desolate ruins of the Towers.
For those seeking answers and illumination,"World Trade Center" is likely to leave you feeling empty and unfulfilled. It is more or less a straightforward narrative drama and totally lacks the detailed analysis and historical exposition of a film like "JFK." But if it is an emotional and engaging film going experience you are after, then "World Trade Center" does deliver. Its redemption lies in its life affirming message of hope and the familiar but nonetheless valuable praise for the strength of family, and the transcendent power of self-sacrifice and human brotherhood.