World Trade Center Directed by

¶ … World Trade Center directed by Oliver Stone [...] theme behind this film. It is not what it seems from the title. The film is not about tragedy and terrorism, but rather it celebrates life and the importance of it. It graphically shows the heartbreak of loved ones and others only realizing how precious life is when a horrific event occurs. World Trade Center" is not an easy film to watch, but the overwhelming message is one of love, life, and treasuring each and every moment in time.

It tells the true story of two New York Port Authority Police Officers who respond to the Twin Towers on the morning of September 11, 2001 shortly after the horrific terrorist attacks. What they see is appalling enough, but what happens over the next hours brings the true tragedy of the terrorist attacks home to film viewers. These are average, everyday men, who have families, friends, jobs, and normal lives.

One film critic notes, "World Trade Center establishes the normalcy of its first responders by introducing them as guys who get out of bed, go through their early morning routines, like everyone else. McLoughlin [Cage] looks in on his sleeping kids before leaving the house to make his daily commute to New York" (Wirt 20). Their situation has quite suddenly become critical, and their reactions are both brave and memorable.

The film shows their loved ones reactions, as well, as they are suddenly thrust into a horrific situation out of their control. They have no way of knowing if their loved ones are dead or alive, and their reactions and tense waiting times are some of the most emotional parts of the film. What the viewer gets from watching this film is how fragile life can be, and how life can change forever in a split second.

The two men reflect on their lives and accomplishments, and simply on staying alive long enough to be rescued. Their families realize how important they are, and how much they love and need them. The film makes anyone watching think about the loved ones in their own lives, and how remarkably precious they are. It also makes the viewer think about how much is taken for granted every day.

Often, the ones who are the most important in life never know how much they are loved and appreciated until it is too late. The viewer cannot help but think about the 3,000 people who died on September 11, and how many truly knew how much they would be missed, valued, and appreciated by those who were left behind. This film makes the viewer melancholy, but also makes them want to tell those who are important just how special they are.

It gets the message across that "tomorrow" may not come, and everyone should take the time to share his or her love and feelings right now, before another second passes. Life is precious, and this film makes that abundantly clear. Some reviewers found the film too patriotic and flag-waving, and too religious in nature.

Another critic writes, "The visual approach of 'World Trade Center,' heavy on the intense close-ups and fervent in its embrace of the characters' religious and patriotic strains, flies in the face of everybody's preconceptions about what a Stone film feels like" (Phillips). However, these are some of the things that helped the two men remain alive, and this seems as if it is a natural reaction to the unnatural events surrounding them.

They turn to their spiritual side and introspection to help make some sense of their predicament and their lives. Above all, they realize they have everything in the world to live for, and they do not want to die. They realize they have made mistakes, and they want another chance to make things better if they survive. At one point, Officer McLoughlin realizes he and his wife have issues to work on if he makes it out alive.

He says, "Somewhere along the way, I guess we stopped looking at each other" ("World Trade Center"). The story shows that life (and love) is not perfect, but the alternative is much more unbearable to consider. These men do not want to die, and watching this makes the viewer look into their own life and see what needs to change. The message is meaningful and clear, time does not always stand still, and it passes all too soon.

Life is precious, and it should be treasured, enjoyed, and shared with those we love and respect. It is clear another message in the film revolves around personal transformation and development. As another reviewer notes, "WTC delivers the goods of spiritual uplift and transformation in the rescue scene with an unusual stylistic flourish: the camera rises up out of the ground with Jimeno, then keeps going, up into the air for an aerial view of the smouldering wreckage, and onward, up and away, through the earth's atmosphere" (Rich).

This is clearly an image of being reborn and given a second chance in life, and that is one of the most enduring aspects of the film. This film shows that people can change, and that events can occur that make them look inside themselves and reevaluate their relationships and their own emotions. This is an emotional film,.