" 102 Minutes That Changed America"
A note from Radarsite: It is the opinion of this writer that The History Channel has just shown what very well might be the most moving, honest and authoritative documentary on 9/11 ever made. Although it may seem somewhat inappropriate to give accolades to a program devoted exclusively to the most horrific event in our history, I believe that in this case they are well deserved. Presented without interruption or analysis, devoid of unwelcome talking heads or dramatic contrivances, delivered straight and unvarnished, no narrative, no music, no fanfare. Just the steady unfolding of the horror as it occurred in almost real time. No previous treatment of this terrible subject has moved me to such a degree. It was riveting and horrifying, maddening and heartbreaking.To me at least, since 9/11 The History Channel has exhibited a definite lean to the left. Antiwar, anti-Bush, anti-blaming-Islam. They have, at times, gone out of their way to draw moral platitudes about the self-destructive effects of nationalistic hubris and the fall of great empires. Simultaneously, they have searched for anything that would help us to see our sworn enemies as just fellow human beings, dealing with those same day-today problems with which we all deal.
Considering that The History Channel had been, prior ot its new political, ideological mission, my favorite of all channels, this was particularly disheartening. And I found myself avoiding THC the same way I had become accustomed these days to avoiding the whole of the MSM.
However, whatever differences of opinion I may have had with THC melted away this evening. I thought I had already formed my opinions about 9/11. I thought I had already fully grasped the extent of the horrors. But I was wrong. This monumental documentary proved just how wrong I was. How much worse it had been than I was ever able to visualize.
This documentary should be made mandatory viewing at all of our schools and universities. It should be made mandatory viewing for all of our teachers and public officials. It is that important.
And finally, the anger. I am incensed, motivated as never before. How can anyone watch this and not be motivated to do something, anything to rectify this outrage.
Thank you History Channel for a job well done. - rg
.jpg)
.jpg)
.BMP)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
There was a documentary made a year after 9/11 by 2 French brothers. They had been filming a documentary about NYC firemen when 9/11 happened and they were the only film crew actually in the buildings at the time. It was shown without commercial interruption and using only the brothers as narrators. It was a miracle they said that neither one of them were hurt or killed and none of the firemen they had come to know and respect were killed or injured.
ReplyDeleteThe film many see of the 1st plane crashing into the tower on 9/11 was filmed by them.
Thank you Findalis. I have seen that particular documentary more than once and you're right, it was very well done. I have also seen quite a few other 9/11 documentaries -- some even by The History Channel. But to me this latest was by far the most powerful of them all.
ReplyDeleterg
Any idea what it was called or if it is available on DVD?
ReplyDeleteARGH! I missed that one, too. I switched over to Fox News to watch the Presidential Forums, which I also missed because I was working on a blog entry the whole time. Oh well. At least I can be fairly certain that THC will re-air the documentary in short order.
ReplyDeleteWhat confused me a little, though, was how you felt THC has turned left. Granted the only show I watch on it is Modern Marvels, but it has got to be one of the most patriotic shows I've ever seen.
I Want to second what findalis said. That documentary by the French brothers has to be one of the most powerful things I have ever viewed. I believe it was simply entitled, "9/11." They set out to do a documentary on a rookie fire fighter's first year and they picked a rookie who was assigned to the firehouse that was responsible for the WTC. It's not a complete picture but it does a very good job of telling the horrors of 9/11 as faced by one group of Heroic Firemen. I'm looking forward to seeing this History Channel Production. Thank you for alerting me to it.
ReplyDeleteIn the days - even weeks - following 9/11/01, we were all completely inundated and captivated by these extraordinary images of terror and heroism. I recall that I couldn't stop watching. I'm not sure when it happened, but eventually the footage went away, and we all - media and viewers alike - made an unconscious decision together to avoid airing and seeing the images, except when it was important to see them again. I rarely see them at all except on 9/11 (and the occasional dirty campaign commercial). Perhaps the fact that we don't see these images is an additional reason this program has so much impact, besides the other reasons you mentioned, that it is just raw footage with no additives. We are perhaps becoming disconnected to the events because we don't see them, or because we avoid coming into contact with them. Or perhaps we are just healing.
ReplyDeleteI fail to recognize THC's "political agenda" that you have pointed out. As far as I know, history is recorded fact - sometimes deliberately distorted or innocently misinterpreted - but fact. And we have all heard the saying, "We must learn from history, or it will certainly repeat itself," or something to that effect. History is full of examples of leaders who have acted out of imperial ambition, or hubris, or emotional instinct, who eventually falter. If THC airs programming about the fall of the Roman Empire, or Hitler, or Alexander the Great, I don't interpret that as making any kind of statement about our national foreign policy and the possible fallout of it. It just is what it is. However, we can make the effort to learn from those mistakes, and not repeat them.
In that moment after 9/11, emotion trumped all things in our desire to respond. It was not possible to take a step back and carefully consider a thorough and meaningful response, one that uses historical precident to guide us around the unsuccessful examples from the past. This event was too big, too damaging for intellectual processing.
I, too, was outraged by the events of 9/11, called to action, and moved to patriotic fervor like all others. As a musician, I was part of many organized concerts and events lifting up our spirits as Americans. I continue to abhor the actions of those terrible evil-doers. But as our desire to lash out began to formulate into reality, I was nervous about the consequences of our actions - even angry about the path we were choosing to take - not because I am a sissy or unpatriotic, but as a student of history. And I think recent history has certainly borne out a number of very misguided blunders.
By the way, I cut way back on my THC viewing years ago, because it was way too much WWII and Nostradamus (which is hardly history, but fun to watch a couple times).
The History Channel has really improved over the last year. It's one of my favorite channels now because they tackle different issues, historical and scientific, in very fair ways.
ReplyDeleteCoyote - Good point. I added the exact title to the article.
ReplyDeleterg
I got to see the tail end of it on THC. They really have gone downhill, becoming the Reality Channel instead. But this and Battle 360 were their best programs this year.
ReplyDeleteHistory Channel is one of my fav satellite channel...I've already saw the documentary made by the two french brothers and it was very touching...but yesterday when I saw 102 minutes that changed america i was on the verge of crying....I reckon that History Channel broadcast worldwide since I saw it on History Channel here in Italy. with the addition of subtitles.
ReplyDelete