An Oliver Stone film about 9/11 conjures up many images in the mind. None of them, however, are anything like what we got. This is the director of Born On The Fourth Of July and JFK, a man who delights in examining the political structure of America. Surely he has some radical thoughts on the dominating moment of the early 21st Century. If he does they're not to be seen in World Trade Center, Stone's 2006 film that tells the story of two police officers trapped in the rubble after the Towers collapse. The film steers clear of any political comment, instead keeping its focus squarely on the situation the two heroic men find themselves in. Upon release it looked hokey and gimmicky, particularly when compared to other 9/11 releases that year (more on that later) and while the film isn't the most probing of the men on the ground it does highlight some of the small, personal stories that took place against the backdrop of the tragedy, as well boasting a very forward thinking ending. Most disaster movies (which, despite its loaded setting, WTC is) end shortly after the threat's over, but Stone shows us the survivors two years later, showing the attempts to move on from the tragedy.
