I'm all for being uncomfortable. Six Feet Under is my favorite show, the most memorable scenes of which have me clutching the couch cushions or bring me from zero to crying in under 30 seconds. I think there's value in getting shaken-up and in being downright upset, as long as what's doing the shaking is honest and respectful of reality.
That said, I don't know why this movie, based on one of the flights hijacked on 9/11, was made. I guess because it's the flight where the passengers banded together and brought down the plane -- so there's heroism and sacrifice involved -- so it could be inspiring. But still. I watched the trailer and it gave me chills. Not in an exciting way, but in an "I don't want to watch this" way. There's a fine line between the discomfort I'm willing to see and the discomfort I want to avoid. It's the line between showing fictional people going through real things, and showing real people going through real things. I don't know why those two are so different, but they are.
4 comments:
I just watched the trailer, too. I gave me goosebumps. I think it's too soon. It's about courage, yes. But, the wife and child of one of the man featured in this movie is still alive. She has to see her husband played by an actor. It doesn't feel uncomforable because it's a subject matter that's unsettling. It's uncomfortable because it seems wrong and exploitive. Let the flame wars begin.
woah. my mouth was hung open the whole way through that....
kinda messedup too, discovery already did this didnt they?
I don't know what to think about this. I guess maybe it's like how veterans felt watching Saving Private Ryan, or survivors feel watching The Piano or Schindler's List. Those movies are upsetting to us, but not as much as they would be if we had firsthand knowledge. I feel like this movie shouldn't come out for another 70 years or so, so those watching would learn about the heros, but not have to recall what that day felt like, even for those who didn't lose someone.
My problem isn't that they made a movie about it... it's that they only waited five years to do so. Our impulse is to make movies and build memorials/monuments within a week of a tragedy. We never allow any time for perspective.
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