luvdownunder
I couldn't stop crying. It brought back that day like I was seeing it all again. Yes it is hard to see, but important to remember the people whose lives were lost and the horrible decisions they were forced with that day.
Michael_Elliott
9/11: The Falling Man (2006) *** (out of 4) Any documentary on 9/11 is going to be hard to watch because no matter how many times you see the images, you still can't quite believe it happened. It's still hard to believe that so many innocent people lost their lives to such a horrendous act. Throughout that day there were thousands of images shown all over the world where everyone saw the heartbreak. Over the upcoming weeks and months there were images shown to show how strong America was. There was one picture that was placed in a newspaper on 9/12/01 that seemed to upset people the most and it was a singular image of a man falling from the tower.That image is the subject of this documentary that tries to identify the man who jumped out the window. The documentary talks about all the controversy that started because of that picture being printed and while watching this film you can't help but wonder if you should really be watching. There's a certain voyeurism nature to seeing someone in this state and the documentary covers both sides of the coin. There's also a strong discussion concerning one man believed to be the person in the image. We hear from his family and we learn how his family hoped it wasn't him due to their religious beliefs surrounding suicide. There are many fascinating topics brought up on the subject.Again, no 9/11 documentary is easy to watch but this here is certainly one of the most disturbing because one has to put themselves in the falling man's place. I mean, select to burn to death or fall hundreds of stories? Not an easy thought and it doesn't make for an easy subject.
Ted MacDonald
I just finished watching this film on a streaming service. Strange I'd not seen it before. Apparently, since it is a British production, it must not have gotten much distribution in the outlets I frequent. Its minuscule list of nominations and awards reflects a much undeserved lack of attention in the U.S., to my mind. Of all the stories I've seen on the 9/11 attack, and there have been many, this film puts the most honest and telling human face on that horrendous tragedy. Before seeing this film, the thousands of people who died that day were a mass of faceless unknowns to me. Through thought provoking interviews with eyewitnesses, coworkers and family members of lost ones, ones who died in the most horrible of circumstances and were filmed jumping to their deaths, the film brings to life real everyday people consumed by this horrific event. As its title suggests, the story unfolds around an iconic picture taken of a man falling from high up on the Trade Center building and the investigation by the photographer who took the picture to try and determine the identity of the falling man. With the twists and turns of a mystery tale, the story of the investigation is told with great humanity and artistry and impact. This film should be counted as a classic in its coverage of what really happened in peoples lives on that day. A day that will live forever in the minds of not just Americans but people everywhere.
jazzpiano-
This documentary was excellently constructed, but is not easy to watch. Sometimes it made me feel a bit sick, sometimes I felt just plain empty. The ambition of the documentary is worthwhile, to find the falling man's identity, and that is what originally got me interested. It was exciting - as exciting as it would be to know who the Unknown Soldier is.But the message at the end of the documentary is what really counts.Some of the interviews with the family members will make you cry, and the raw emotion - the cries of people on the streets of New York watching people jump out the windows is heartbreaking. Hearing the horror inside people's throats is something that makes me shiver, because it is very real.Sometimes this documentary is unbearable, but it was important to watch. It was a tasteful and moving depiction of life and death and I personally found it very poignant.