Presented in the trailers as a moving account that tells the story of September 11th, the film, “World Trade Center,” was lacking in many of its representations.
The film relates the personalized accounts of two World Trade Center victims, John McLoughlin (Nicholas Cage) and William Jimeno (Michael Peña), who, as police officers, attempt to take part in the relief effort on 9/11. Unsure about the exact happenings, they approach the site hoping to be of some aid, not realizing that they are soon to face a seemingly eternal darkness under masses of rubble. Furthermore, the film deals with the victims’ families and their undying frustrations and anticipations regarding the status of their family members.
Though undoubtedly a film to spark emotion, it seems a bit limited not only in the accounts presented but also in the thought put into creating the movie. Whether this was Oliver Stone’s way of softening a horrific event that some audiences may not yet be able to face, or whether it was simply a rushed attempt to boost box office revenue, the film seemed to hold no regard for many of the relevant and important details of the actual event. Entering the theater, the audience members expect to find themselves overcome with compassion and sadness for the helplessness of the victims. However, in feeling sorry for the two officers, viewers forgot the suffering of the rest of the victims; authorities and civilians, as that was hardly addressed in the entirety of the film. Thus, the film seemed to take for granted the true basis of the plot – the World Trade Center and the extent of misfortune that was experienced.
Admittedly, the film was successful in portraying the experiences of the two police officers. Both Nicholas Cage and Michael Peña were true to their characters and their delivery was what seemed to evoke the most emotion. Moreover, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s presentation of Jimeno’s wife and expectant mother was the film’s prime tearjerker.
However, the plot itself captured only a fraction of the audiences’ interest; a possible result of the lack of suspense throughout the movie. Though the expectation of suspense might have been eliminated, as the story is a relatively known one, more emphasis could have been placed on keeping the audience interested by displaying the broader scope of the event rather than just repeating the same two scenes – the darkness within the rubble and the houses of the officers – with something other than different dialogue.
The producers should have placed more emphasis on numerous events. This technique would have engaged the audience in a broader vision of the tragedy as opposed to a redundant repetition of two scenes.
Overall, other than the statistics provided at the close of the movie, the storyline had little to do with the lots that really happened at the World Trade Center. The film was limited in its executions. Perhaps the non-descript title is what tipped the scale, but either way, for a title that both is eye-catching and seemingly relevant to most audiences, the film itself did little to unify an already unified American audience.
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