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War on Terror

After the events of 9/11, many Americans wanted to voice their opinions regarding what they thought the attitudes and actions of the United States should be. During this time period, numerous propaganda films appeared that were either for or against the War on Terror. Among them were "United 93,”“Fahrenheit 9/11,” and “World Trade Center.” These three films sparked debate across the country and helped to shape and form opinions of what the United States’ government was doing in regards to the events that occurred.

Propaganda films are created in such a way that the audience is unaware that they are being persuaded to form a viewpoint one way. As Nancy Show stated in her book, propaganda "begins where critical thinking ends." Michael Moore, in regards to his film "Fahrenheit 9/11," is among one of the films that critics consider propaganda for this time period. Moore is often criticized for using "techniques of persuasion" in this blockbuster. For instance, one of the techniques Moore uses in his film is omitting some of the truth so as to create a certain feeling within the viewers. For example, he omitted the footage of the planes hitting the Twin Towers, instead he just shows the aftermath. Because he films it this way, he fills the audience with anguish rather than with feelings of revenge . However, Moore is the filmmaker and he reserves the right to present the effects of 9/11 in whichever way he chooses because he has the creative right. But, on the other side, the way that Moore filmed "Fahrenheit 9/11" was done in a way for the audience to feel compassion towards the attack and to be against the War on Terror. Since Michael Moore succeeded in portraying his opinion in such a passive way that the audience isn't using an objective lens when viewing the material, Moore's blockbuster is considered a propaganda film against the War on Terror.

In a means of counter-attack, after "Fahrenheit 9/11" was released, "Fahrenhype 9/11" was then released by director Alan Petersen. Although this film did not receive nearly as much press as "Fahrenheit 9/11," it was created in an attempt to fight back on what Michael Moore tried to persuade his audience to believe. Alan Petersen, among others, believed "Fahrenheit 9/11" to be a film that was "the Road Runner of manipulation...removing all avenues of thought through over-determination...leaving no room for the viewer's own judgement". However, other critics will view Moore's film as a cinematic masterpiece.

Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center, released by Paramount, was being showcased in theaters as well. However, unlike Michael Moore's blockbuster, Stone's movie is not portrayed as upfront and political as Moore's. According to some film critics, Oliver Stone's mosive "depicts few events that blatantly contradict official explanations of what caused the Twin Towers to come down." However, just because the film is not as blatantly political as Michael Moore's, that doesn't mean that it is not a propaganda film revolving around 9/11 because "in a hidden society, such as the U.S., the hidden and integrated nature of the propaganda best convinces people that they are not being manipulated". In Oliver Stone's film, he portrays that the victims of 9/11 were all loved by their families so that it was a devastating loss. He does not touch upon the idea that perhaps some of those people in the building may have deserved to die, committed some horrible crimes in their lives, or, in fact, were not loved by their families and that no one missed them. As horrible as it may be to contemplate this idea, omissions such as these make "World Trade Center" a propaganda film for the War on Terror.

Paul Greengrass's film "United 93" is yet another film that was released regarding the attacks of 9/11. "United 93" was originally titled "Flight 93" up until a last minute change when there was a creative decision to change it. By changing the title to "United 93," the film is given a more sympathetic reflection as to the events that happened in this airplane during the chaos of 9/11. Also, for this movie in particular, the families of those on board gave their approval for this film being made and produced, but, one thing to keep in mind, is that the families of those terrorists' did not have any say in this production process. Since the families of those are board gave their approval, it is inevitable that the screenplay for "United 93" will favor the opinion of those who lost a loved one on "9/11." Therefore, even before the production process of the film has begun, the message of the film is already biased and skewed.

One thing to keep in mind when viewing "United 93," is that what happened on board this flight is mostly a mystery. Because no one is exactly sure as to what happened on board, a lot of what is seen on screen is a creative reenactment as to what possibly could have happened. Although the audience is watching this film thinking that it is based on a true story, especially since the families are advocating it and because the events that happened surround this film are both true and happened relatively recent, the audience may be being misled to believe that what they are watching on screen is incredibly truthful and an accurate account of the events on that fateful day.

After the attacks of 9/11 many filmmakers and storytellers rose up to state their opinions, emotions, and reactions to the events that followed regarding the War on Terror. Among these creative geniuses, Michael Moore, Oliver Stone, and Paul Greengrass created their masterpieces to tell the nation of the United States what they believed. These films were then used as propaganda for leading the nation to feel one way or another about the attack that happened and the debates that followed.