9/11 (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Directors:

James Hanlon
Rob Klug

Writers:

Tom Forman (writer)
Greg Kandra (writer)

Release Date:

10 March 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

A real life documentary following the events of September 11 from an insider's view, through the lens of two French filmmakers who were in Manhattan that one day.

Plot Keywords:

Firefighter | Twin Towers | New York City | Manhattan | September 11 2001

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Tony Benatatos	...	Himself
Jamal Braithwaite	...	Himself
Steve Buscemi	...	Himself in TV Broadcast
Joseph Casaliggi	...	Himself
Robert De Niro	...	Himself / Host in TV Broadcast
James Hanlon	...	Himself
Gédéon Naudet	...	Himself
Jules Naudet	...	Himself
Joseph Pfeifer	...	Himself
Tom Spinard	...	Himself
Dennis Tardio	...	Himself

Also Known As:

New York: 11 septembre (France)

Runtime:

112 min | USA:128 min (video version) | Argentina:131 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:6 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Ground Zero, World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Remarkably, the firehouse featured in this documentary lost no lives, although the firefighters and cameramen were separated into three groups. Some were among the first firefighters on the scene.

Quotes:

[Capt. Tardio is inspecting Tony's uniform]
Capt. Dennis Tardio: You have an iron at home?
Tony Benatatos: Actually I do not, sir.
Capt. Dennis Tardio: You don't?
[Another firefighter jumps into the shot]
Firefighter: Probie in a lot of trouble. Take two.

Movie Connections:

References The Towering Inferno (1974)

Soundtrack:

Danny Boy

A must see...not just for Americans

I was one of many that expected to see a glorified, Yankee-doodle dandy portrayal of a day that (as famously quoted) should live in infamy, rather than glory. How wrong I was. These guys were there, right in the middle of it, and the pictures they returned are both amazing and heartbreaking. And yet it all occurred on a chance trip to the world trade centre on September 11, 2001.

Two French filmmakers were compiling a documentary about life as a NY firefighter, particularly from the perspective of a young rookie coming up through the ranks. At the beginning we see much of this footage, just to remind us that there was no thought to producing a film about terrorism. This was intended to be a film about regular people earning an honest living helping others, and the beauty of the film is that it never loses this edge.

While investigating a suspect gas line (I think, my memory's a little hazy on that), we suddenly hear a plane fly overhead. The camera pans up to reveal a commercial jet torpedoing itself into one of the towers. What must the cameraman have been thinking at this time? Recognising the importance of the footage the camera stays on, and possibly realizing the same thing, the FDNY allow the camera to follow them into the building.

What follows is a true view from the front-lines. We see the commitment of the FDNY, their reactions (the stunned silence after hearing the first person fall to their death is chilling) as well as the collapse of the one of the buildings from the inside, while a second camera captures the events from the outside.

If it wasn't for the horrific event they were covering, the footage alone would be any young doco-maker's dream come true. Quite simply, the footage deserves to be preserved for all time. But what really sets this film apart is the genuine humanity that it brings to the viewer. We see firefighters charging in without hesitation, people of different races helping one another escape to wave of rubble and even the concern of the filmmakers for one another (they are brothers) as they cannot reach one another in the confusion. There are amazing sights as well as amazing human stories in this film, something Hollywood could never duplicate (even though it's trying).

9/11 isn't a film about politics. Nor is it a film about religion, nationality or even jihad for that matter. 9/11 is a film about people, and a true indication of the best and worst that we are capable of. 9/11 is quite simply one of the most important films I've ever seen, and would be the only film to be born from this event if it were up to me. You can't duplicate this.