"Seven Days in September"

After watching the film "Seven Days in September" I was particularly struck by the strength shown by the New Yorkers. Through the footage caught while the attacks had just occurred and the towers were falling, I saw how calm everyone seemed. Perhaps "calm" is not the most accurate word to use-- everyone was clearly confused and distraught over the situation that was unfolding around them-- but there was little trace of hysteria or panic. It seemed as though everyone knew that the gravity of the situation as whole superceded their own momentary fears.


This same degree of moral courage was displayed in the footage that was caught a few days after 9/11, especially in the scenes of the crowds debating in Union Park. The intense frustrations that everyone seemed to be carrying was matched only by their levels of compassion for one another. I was particularly struck by the scene in which a man and a woman are arguing, only to realize that they do not understand what they are arguing about and eventually end up embracing each other in tears, admitting their anger as misdirected fear and frustration towards the crisis as a whole. 


While the film masterfully captured the harsh reality of 9/11 and the massive amounts of destruction that occurred as a result, it was comforting to see the focus of the film being on the resultant kindness and unity that was elicited from a group of people who ordinarily lived very isolated from one another.