Death plays a peculiar role in Spike Lee's 25th Hour. In many ways it is a motif which underlines the entirety of the film but outwardly it goes unmentioned and certainly doesn't physically occur during the two hour run-time. 9/11 is a subtle, but instrumental theme in this film. It get's the Voldemort treatment from Spike Lee the characters of the film occupy a New York city which is still traumatised by the attacks but aren't willing to actively reflect together. Protagonist Monty's best friend Frank got himself a cut-price apartment in downtown NY overlooking the wasteland of Ground Zero but they never actually discuss its impact on his psyche. In the opening seconds of the film we hear a dog being savagely attacked and dumped on the roadside. Monty takes in this dog and nurses it back to health. This is indicative of the entire film. 25th Hour the first major cinematic release after 9/11 isn't a film about death; it's about regrowth and stoic resilience in the face of tragedy and hurt.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
