World Trade Center (2-Disc Commemorative Edition) [HD DVD]

     Regardless of whether it was "too early" in 2006 to dramatize the events of September 11th, 2001, World Trade Center succeeds as a tribute to the courage and sacrifice of those who served at "ground zero" in the wake of terrorist attacks on the WTC's twin towers in New York City. Removed from the politics of war and terrorism (yet still, like all films, inherently political in expressing its point of view), Oliver Stone's potent drama focuses on the nightmarish ordeal, and subsequent rescue, of Port Authority policemen John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), who were buried deeply within the rubble of the WTC after the twin towers collapsed. Granted, it's only the film's historical context that distinguishes it from any other dramatic rescue story, but in focusing on the goodness of humanity in response to the evil of terrorists who remain unnamed and off-screen, Stone and first-time screenwriter Andrea Berloff create an emotional context as powerful as anything Stone has directed since Platoon. Even as he resorts to some questionable tactics typically lacking in subtlety, Stone refrains from much of the blunt-force filmmaking that has made him a critical punching bag, rising to this challenging occasion with a heartfelt and deeply American portrait of unity - personal, familial, and national. Flaws and all, World Trade Center serves an honorable purpose, reminding us all that for those fleeting days in September 2001, America showed its best face to a sympathetic world. World Trade Center is a film about heroism and the best in all of us," raves Good Morning America's Joel Siegel. Academy Award winner, Nicolas Cage stars in the unforgettable true story of the courageous rescue and survival of two Port Authority policemen who were trapped in the rubble on September 11, 2001 after they volunteered to go in and help. Academy Award winning director, Oliver Stone reveals an intimate look at the events of the day as seen through the eyes of the survivors, their families and their rescuers .

Comment:
    This movie is awsome, I am a big fan of Nick Cage and he played a good part in this movie.I have viewed a number of Oliver Stones' films. World Trade Center ranks right up there with Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July. My senses were jolted when this picture received no nominations for oscars, I felt that this picture was oscar worthy. Hollywood politics played a hand in shunning this very moving film. The events of 9 - 11 unfold before your eyes, as New Yorkers and subway riders go to work that day. Director Stone shows the confusion and chaos of that fateful morning. This is a family drama tied around a tragic event. Two families awate the fate of their husbands/fathers, police officers trapped in the building rubble of the collapsed towers. World Trade Center is based upon true events, the story of two survivors waiting for rescue. It is a miracle that anyone survived beneath the epicenter of the 9 - 11 blasts. This is a salute to the rescue teams involved in searching ground zero for trapped survivors. Oliver Stone reminds us about those dedicated persons in uniform who were trying to make a difference on that fateful day.Anyone in their teens when the attack on the World Trade Center occurred should vividly remember seeing the images on our televisions at our homes, schools, caf?ﾩs, etc. I know I will never forget sitting in my classroom that morning and watching the live reports and coverage. However, what makes this film more than just a playback of tragedies past, it offers a fresh, unique perspective on the event by retelling the story from the point of view of a pair of brave fire fighters. It is a story of friendship and loyalty, bravery and courage, and above all... a country in the face of adversity. No matter what kind of genres you enjoy, this is definitely a must-have for anyone who even vaguely remembers September 11, 2001.I'm not an Oliver Stone fan, but I have to give him credit for this film. The terrorist attack on 9/11 is the background, but this story transcends that and becomes a universal story of large-scale tragedy and individual courage and survival. There is nothing gratuitous or overdone in this film, and it somehow manages to be both sensitive and direct. However, there is one point I am confused about, and perhaps another reviewer can clear it up. When the first tower collapses and the port authority police team are trapped under the rubble, there is a roll call. It seems to me that four or five men call out their names, but shortly after we only see three men, with no clue as to what happened to the others, and the story continues from there.