United 93

international | arts and media | opinion/analysis Sunday June 04, 2006 13:56 by Ulrich

A tribute to selfless heroes

I went to see this move yesterday expecting a special effects laden epic and disgusting American jingoism and was violently slapped in the face and kicked in the guts for my complacency.

Instead I experienced a film such raw realism showing the utterly horrifying depravity of the hijackers such as Siad Jarrah, their utter contempt for human life especially the passengers of United 93 and their revolting sociopathic Islamic fundementalism.
The moving protrayl of how ordinary people such as Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, Mark Bingham, air hostess Sandy Bradshaw and others threw themselves upon the terrorists and saved hundreds perhaps thousands of other human beings from indiscriminate slaughter.

The film begins with the "pious" Jarrah babbling over a Koran while his cohorts kneel facing Mecca or shave their body hair to "purify" themselves before commiting murder. One is reminded perhaps of how Waffen SS soldiers felt before liquidating the Warsaw ghetto.
As they sit in the departure lounge they look around uneasily as the other passengers arrive and take their seats blissfully unaware of what awaits them. Jarrah can only think of himself and a loved one who he says farwell to by cell phone. His goodbye is that of a man free to act and choosing his fate while his victims will later say farwell knowing their fate is sealed against their will.
When the hijackers take control, at first the passengers do not know what to do. Many of them break down in tears and comply with their captors.
But when they hear that the WTC has been hit and that the lives of thousands of strangers and the fate of their country and the entire world depend on their actions, they're fear turns to anger and rage.
The hijackers are cowards waving knives at "helpless" people and arrogant of certain victory.
When the tables are turned the passengers charge up the aisle beating and strangling the open mouth Al-Qaeda terrorists to death knowing they have right on their side and prepared to face death defiantly in the face.

The message of the film?

It is a two fingers to Ossama Bin Laden and his goons.

Cowardly bullies are defeated by ordinary people who are perpared to stand up for what is right.

The people of Europe recoiled in shock and horror on 9/11 and today many of them would advocating cutting and running, making peace with the terrorists and apologising for existing to primitive barbarians while criticising America was responding with sanity - exterminating these rats!

Al-Qaeda are an inhuman enemy who deserve to be crushed without mercy or apology.