How 9/11 Changed the Movies
It shouldn’t be overlooked that the terrorist attacks on America in 2001 affected the movie industry in many ways. Of course, this isn’t as important as the many lives that were lost that day. The attack was also responsible for launching the war in Afghanistan and changed the way security procedures world-wide have operated since that fateful day. But as the movies have the job of reflecting the world as it currently is, I thought it would be worth looking back over the films of the past decade in a post-9/11 world.
Firstly, when New York and Washington were attacked on that Tuesday morning twelve years ago, the whole planet stopped what it was doing and watched. TV’s around the globe replayed the moment two planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, showing the destruction over and over. Viewers also saw the buildings collapse and rain fire, smoke and debris onto a vulnerable city beneath.
Once the dust had settled and life continued, things began to change. Of course, the movie industry in America being what it is acted quickly and many films made the decision to either delay their release, edit or cut out entire scenes or even cancel productions entirely, due to the events that unfolded in America on that ninth day of September.
In late 2001, the first teaser trailer for “Spiderman” was released into theatres. It showed armed robbers fleeing a bank and making their escape via helicopter. Confident they were getting away, their flight was interrupted and after quickly losing control, their helicopter was stuck in mid air; suspended between the two towers of the WTC by a giant web. It was a terrific trailer but obviously, it had to go. Around the time the terrorist attacks occurred, certain blockbusters scheduled to be released in 2002 were still being filmed. One of these was “Men in Black 2”. The original climatic ending was set to take place at the World Trade Centre, involving the towers opening up to reveal an alien spaceship inside. This was then changed to take place in the Statue of Liberty instead. And Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new film, “Collateral Damage” ran into trouble. Due to be released right after the 9/11 attacks, the movie portrayed the story of a fireman who loses his wife and son to a terrorist bombing that takes place outside a building in Los Angeles. Arnie and the studio decided to delay the release of it, eventually sending it to theatres in February 2002.
This initial reaction was Hollywood’s way of honouring the many lives lost and showing respect for the iconic buildings that previously towered over New York’s city skyline. Several films fell victim to the new reality bestowed so suddenly upon America (and the world) and creatively. Some films survived and adapted to the change. Other films weren’t so lucky.
As the saying goes ‘The show must go on’ and with countless new films due to be written or produced after 9/11, the creative powers of Hollywood were faced with a question; how do they make movies relevant and reflective of a world forever changed by the terrorist attacks on America? A tough question to answer.
At the 2002 Academy Awards, a new direction was set when the ceremony took away one of its main drawcards for audiences to watch the event. The traditional red carpet arrivals for all the actors and filmmakers attending the Oscars were cancelled, with guests being ushered directly inside the theatre instead of parading themselves outside. Once inside, a prominent actor of the time walked out on stage to address the audience. It was Tom Cruise, who gave a short but moving speech that showed what the movies meant in the aftermath of September 11th.
Telling the story of how he grew up, Cruise quoted several movies which played important parts in his growth. He talked about where he was when he saw such classics as “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Jaws” and “Raging Bull” to name a few. Inspiring him to be an actor, he also recalled how in good times and bad, movies were his life saver. In the silence that followed this introduction, Cruise then said…
“…but in the last September, came an event that would change us. An actor friend of mine said to me, ‘What are we doing? Do we matter? Is it important what I do?’ Should we come together on a night like this and celebrate the joy and magic that movies bring. Well dare I say it? More than ever!”
The audience resounded with strong applause, and rightly so. Cruise delivered this monologue with passion and heart, emphasising in the dark times the world was now facing, movies were still important; an escape from the reminders of a harsher reality and a chance to experience that magic again.
Films depicting escapism, fantasy and adventure reigned supreme at the box office in the first few years after 9/11. It was the time of Harry Potter and The Lord of Rings, which released instalments every year and drew audiences in to leave the real world and journey to a better place for a few hours. Then in 2006, some filmmakers decided it had been long enough since the attacks on America and brought out two films depicting the attacks. The first one to come out was “United 93”. Choosing the story of the fourth plane which crashed in a remote filed in Pennsylvania (which apparently was headed for the Whitehouse). Directed by Paul Greengrass of “The Bourne Ultimatum” the film was stark and gritty, depicting the incident very realistically.
Perhaps the more controversial film of the two came in August 2006, focusing directly on the heart of the attacks themselves. “World Trade Centre”. Starring Nicole Cage and directed by Oliver Stone, told the story of two Port Authority Police Officers who responded to the attack on the twin towers. Being among the first emergency services to arrive at the site, the police men enter the building to assist any survivors. Told from the perspective of those on the ground, the film accurately depicts the experience of these men who were so deep in a situation they had no experience in, and didn’t realise what was about to happen. Suddenly, the first building starts to collapse. Bringing itself down on top of the police men, the movie spends the majority of its running time under the rubble, as these two men struggle to stay alive while a city in shock works tirelessly above to pull them out.
Many people were angered over the release of these two films just five years after the attacks. Some saw it as a money grab by the greedy film studios of Hollywood. Others saw the films as well-made and respectful tributes to the lives lost on that dark day. Either way, the movies were starting to show that they wouldn’t hide themselves from what happened on September 11th, choosing instead to face the facts and start sharing the stories of those who fought, lived or died when that evil act came upon them.
As the years rolled BY, the continuing affect of 9/11 on the world continued. Air travel was changed forever, with security and screening processes become tighter and stricter than ever before. America had been made vulnerable to attack on its own soil, and decided to retaliate by sending troops to the Middle East. This conflict would last for a decade. By about 2007/08, people had accepted (although not embraced) that the world was at war with terror. The movies then started to turn to this for inspiration and several films were churned out directly as a result of the aftermath of 9/11.
2007 saw the release of “In the Valley of Elah”; a highly commended and awarded film about a retired military officer investigating the truth behind his son’s disappearance from a tour of duty in Iraq. 2008’S “Stop Loss” told the story of a veteran soldier who returns from his completed duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he’s ordered to return to duty. But it was in 2009, when two films came out which cemented their place in the movies and garnered strong attention and buzz.
With the Academy awarding escapism and entertainment films with their gold statues in the first few years after 9/11, they decided enough time had passed and they should acknowledge the world as it now was. “The Messenger” depicted what happens to those who’ve served overseas when they return to their home soil. Ben Foster played an injured soldier recovering back home, who is assigned to the Casualty Notifcation Team. Delivering the news of service men and women who had been killed in action to their families, this film took on a tough and confronting subject matter delicately and sensitively. It also earned Woody Harrelson an Oscar nomination.
Despite their honesty and accurate depictions, most of these films did not perform well financially, even with their glowing reviews. Had Hollywood jumped the gun too early? Maybe audiences still weren’t interested in films about the conflicts in the Middle East, as it was too much of a reminder? Or maybe movie goers just weren’t interested?
But it was the Little Film that could as it was known, that would break through and earn its place in movie history. “The Hurt Locker” dove straight into the middle of the situation at its most brutal and current. Directed by Katherine Bigelow, it told the story of a bomb disposal soldier joining a new unit, dismantling devices of every size and sort on the dangerous streets of Baghdad. The Hurt Locker was intense, brutal and dramatically involving, filmed in a way that was almost too real and left nothing out of context. I suppose the Academy voters decided it was a high calibre picture, regardless of its subject matter or timing, and awarded it the Best Picture of 2009.
Towards the end of the decade, as the fighting and deployment of troops in the Middle East started winding down, it seems as if the world was really starting to move on. Most people asked the question, “Why are we even over there anymore?” Saddam had been captured and executed, ending his long regime. The big win for the war on terror came when the worlds most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, was killed. Much controversy surrounded the events and intelligence resulting in his death, but it was the outcome needed to turn the course of the conflict, and over the next two years, more and more troops began returning home.
Around this same time, New York had built itself up once more, reclaiming its position as the mighty city it once was. September 11th hit New York like a sledgehammer, and even though life continued as normal, the city would never look or feel the same. Where the former World Trade Centre stood is now home to a new set of buildings, including the recently completed Freedom Tower. The movies have always loved New York, and this relationship continued after 9/11, perhaps now being stronger than ever. It was just over a decade later when "The Avengers" chose to stage its climatic battle scene in the city, destroying most of it in the process. Many scenes show buildings on fire, objects raining down from the sky and large clouds of black smoke hovering above the buildings. Could this have been done on screen in the few years after the original attacks? Not likely.
It just goes to show how in time, painful reminders can be easier to bear, but the memory is always there. The movies don’t ignore this. In fact, they use it to their strength and through their power of being a creative medium, somehow find the balance between paying respect where it’s needed but also pushing the envelope every so slightly to let us know they won’t always play it safe. Movies will continue to be made and reference 9/11 for many years to come. That event changed our world forever, and the films made since then have taken that on board. They can’t ignore how the state of world is, for it is the purpose of the movies to connect us to the world and life as we know it. And in the process, they will throw in just a little entertainment and escapism to remind us that it’s all just make believe after all.
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