The Problem with 9/11 Movies in USA

By Jeffrey Imm

This weekend, yet another 9/11 docudrama movie, "World Trade Center", is being shown in theaters to dramatize the history of the first Jihadist terrorist mass casualty attack on the USA homeland. It has been tastefully done, certainly in comparison to Oliver Stone's other controversial films, and reminds that Americans in crisis can display extraordinary heroism and courage. I also saw "United 93" which in grim near-documentary style depicts the events of that tragic 9/11 flight, and dramatizes the courageous efforts of Americans to bring that flight down, sacrificing their lives to stop the terrorists’ attack. And there have been similar television movies, "Flight 93" (A&E), "DC 9/11: Time of Crisis" (Showtime), etc.

In theory, these should be inspirational films to Americans to remind them of the need for vigilance, courage, and sacrifice today to fight the ongoing threat today of the Jihadist terrorist enemy. But is that really what these films do? Not likely. And that is the problem with such films.

Oh certainly, for a few minutes, American hearts may sadden once again, and feel a rush of anger and outrage at the evil Jihadists. And I confess to shaking my fist at the dramatized Jihadists on the big screen, during the screening of "United 93", as actors portraying the brave American passengers wrested control of the plane.

But how does the making of the 9/11 attacks into a HISTORICAL docudrama help us with the war now? Because that is precisely what the 9/11 films are doing - displaying the 9/11 attacks as something that happened once, a long time ago.

"Never Forget" is not the same as "Never Again".

As such 9/11 films continue to make 9/11 a symbol of "ancient" American history in a nation with nano-second attention span, the challenge is that the ongoing and very REAL war of Jihadists against USA is increasingly forgotten.

And what the 9/11 films lack are context - the acknowledgement and recognition that 9/11 is not simply some terrible part of history that happened 5 years ago - but that 9/11 was an opening salvo in a long and protracted war of Jihadists on the USA and its civilization that is going on right now - today.

As 9/11 films dramatize the history of that Jihadist attack, Americans need to be more concerned about "Never Again", rather than "Never Forget". The foiled August 16 British terrorist attacks against USA are a reminder that the Jihadist war on the USA homeland is very much alive and very much active. It is not yet time to write cinematic historical tributes to an ongoing active war that Americans should be more focused on winning instead, and focused on making whatever sacrifices are necessary to defeat the Jihadist enemy.

The war is not over.

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