World Trade Center

WORLD TRADE CENTER
Directed by Oliver Stone
Produced by Paramount Pictures

August 11, 2006 - The film may rekindle traumatic moments for some, but I believe that the WORLD TRADE CENTER has a powerful message that can heal painful memories and and bring about a deeper, livelier spirituality.

It is a story of 2 Port Authority policemen who try to save people but they fall prey when the Twin Towers collapsed and they have to be rescued.

The recreation of the burning WTC was superbly done, the animation blending seamlessly with the actual place. Michael Pena and Nicholas Cage performed realistically the roles of Will Jimeno and Sgt. John McLoughlin. The screenplay uses everyday language. The feeling was right for every scene and the whole film is not about how it was made but rather about the what happened and how everyone felt as they recounted everything that transpired during that fateful day. Recreating the tragic event is the main challenge for this film and much more; it is actual experience of going through the ordeal until the two policemen would be saved.

WORLD TRADE CENTER is an actual event that caused sorrow for the Americans and the entire world. But we only knew it from the news, from the footage of the collapse of the building and the thousands of people who have died in the tragedy. But we haven't known what it means to actually go through the entire experience trying to save people and becoming a victim oneself. This film enables us to go through the actual experience of one trapped in the pile, of someone who hopes against hope that his/her loved one is still alive, and the process of going through the whole ordeal until one is saved by others.

Moreover, I feel that a spirituality just came out of the film. It is not just a story a tragedy. Nor is it a story hating the offenders and asking for justice. It becomes a story of hope that sooner or later, a person in danger of death would have to be saved. It is a story of heroism, a triumph of the goodness of men and women who risked their lives to save others. Most significantly, the highlight of the film is openness attributed to the Almighty, the Lord who is sustaining them and saving people from dying. This is not a film about whether he believes in God or not. WORLD TRADE CENTER showed us an obvious, decisive reality - in the midst of a tragedy, God is still there to be with His people.

I therefore feel that the WORLD TRADE CENTER transformed from an event to a breathing life form. From two tall buildings, it tansformed into real people with concrete experiences to tell. Whether dead or alive, each has a particular, unique place in this with a message of hope to give to others simply becuase of nothing else except faith.

Rating: 5/5