On the 9/11 anniversary, many are turning to social media to highlight a film they believe encapsulates the tragic day.
Today, 11 September, marks 23 years since nearly 3,000 lives were lost due to four co-ordinated al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.
As Americans gather nationwide to honor their loved ones, some are also reflecting on the deadliest terror attack by watching a particular movie, lauded for capturing the ‘immediate mood of New York City’ in the days following the attacks.
“25th Hour,” directed by Spike Lee and based on David Benioff’s book, follows Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) as he faces a seven-year prison sentence for drug dealing.
Although the film doesn’t directly focus on the 9/11 events, it unfolds in the days afterward and has been commended for capturing the ‘feel and heartbreak that convulsed the city’.
In contrast to some movies from that era that removed images of the World Trade Center, Lee took a different approach.
In a 2022 interview with GQ, he said, “Like New Yorkers or Americans aren’t strong enough to see the image of the World Trade Center anymore, which I thought was f**king ridiculous. I thought that was weak.”
In “25th Hour,” Lee turned New York City’s mourning into a ‘character’ within the narrative.
“I always felt art should reflect what’s happening at the time. I was not going to run from that stuff. Hell no,” he continued telling GQ.
Nonetheless, Lee moved forward with caution when depicting 9/11’s aftermath, telling The New York Times he understood it was ‘still very painful’ and ‘will always be very painful for those who lost people’.
Individuals connected to the tragic event have appreciated Lee’s work ever since, continuing to discuss the film years after its release.
One Twitter user wrote last year, “I am sure there are movies which more effectively and comprehensively address #Sept11th but I don’t know if there is a film that better captures the immediate mood of New York City post-9/11 better than Spike Lee’s The 25th Hour.”
Another individual commented, “The music and visuals of the opening credits of 25th Hour directed by Spike Lee perfectly captures the feel and heartbreak that convulsed the city in the days and weeks afterwards. The pain that permeated the city in the aftermath was so palpable it was indescribable.”
As the 9/11 anniversary approaches, people are once more taking to social media to discuss the film.
“As we head towards 9/11, my husband+I rather randomly watched 25th Hour directed by Spike Lee,” someone noted.
“As native New Yorkers, ones who were right in the eye of that nightmare nearly [23] years ago, can’t say I’ve seen a more powerful depiction of that moment. Essential viewing.”
A second commenter added, “Somehow less than a year after it happened, 25th Hour is the only film to accurately depict Post 9/11 America and make it interesting.”