Film Summary And Film Analysis: World Trade Center

World Trade Center
By Nicomi Kloempken
Liberty University
April 2014

World Trade Center Years after the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York city, Oliver Stone (1946-) directed the movie World Trade Center (2006 version). The movie follows the various characters thru their seemingly normal day of work; Except this day the terrorists fly two planes into the two towers. Nicholas Cage stars as the lead Port Authority Police officer, John McLoughlin. He says to his gathered men during a briefing, “Protect yourselves and watch your back.” (Cage, 2006). Shortly thereafter plane one crashes into the World Trade Tower #1. The police officers have planned and trained to react to any other kind of disaster: bombs, car bombs and the bombing in the
past.
There was no special equipment available to help them deal with the devastation that happened that day. In 1993 a terrorist car bomb was set off in the parking garage of one of the towers. One must note that they did have plans to deal with disasters, someone on sight was in charge of the initial response, and the officers were deployed quickly. The chaos that Director Oliver Stone depicted was very much realistic compared to the actual available news footage of the sight. A group of men chose to enter into the crash site of their own free will. They borrow the firemen’s gear from the available pile. They had been trained in the past on how to use the breathing apparatus. They received their flashlights, and to their credit, they checked to make sure they worked properly before continuing. John McLoughlin (Cage) kept his team gathered together, calm, and focused on the task at hand. As a first responder I can say that as you train, or practice, that is how you will perform in a real life emergency. Although the team did not have current or up to date
communications, and the radio problems added to the confusion, the team stayed together. Instead of committing to a blind panic, the men resorted to their training when the towers collapsed onto them. Sgt. McLoughlin (Cage) knew the area well, and lead his team into a safer, more solid part of the building. The act of “sounding off” is a military term. Each officer, or team member calls out his name and his or her situation for everyone to hear. They are keeping in contact with each other. A crisis counselor arriving at such a scene must be in mentally fit and physically fit condition…otherwise they usually add to the problem and become a liability not an asset to the team working the crisis. As the building collapses and fires break out, the leader changes the thought patterns of the survivor to a more positive thing and gives William Jimenos a job to do…signal for help by banging the pipe. In the realm of human imagination, the thought of burning to death is one of the most fearful things I could imagine going thru. The movie shows the awful fear that inspires the men in the movie to survive. The human body and mind can only take but so much, and the breaking point is unique to each individual. Sgt. Jimenos claims to have seen the Lord Jesus Christ offering him water. Meanwhile and worth mentioning is the Marine in the movie. Staff Sgt. Dave Karnes is a retired Marine who feels the call to go help the people in New York. He made the drive from his home in Connecticut. He was prepared as all first responders should be with a “Call out or a ruck up bag” ready to go. The pouch on his shoulder seen in the movie is a universal first aid kit, and his bag had a Marines tool at hand…the K-Bar knife, a virtually indestructible steel knife. He displays the best qualities a crisis counselor can have. Being prepared. He showed mental strength when he used his cell phone to connect to someone outside the crisis area to relay information for him, he was physically fit and a welcomed member of the team that rescued two of the survivors. At the hospital, a non-denominational chaplain or crisis counselor was needed, but not provided, to the families waiting news of their loved ones. A crisis intervention and situational debriefing was needed there and at the site of the disaster. Some of the survivors PTSD and anxiety issues could have been headed off if they were dealt with on the spot. A counselor available at the hospital could have ran interference for the family with news of the survivors for them. It is admirable that the Marine went to the site to help, but in reality, I must point out that without proper training and ID, an outside agency is not welcomed at a crisis or disaster sight. Please note that some religious organizations have a high level of training and they are welcomed at the majority of crisis sights. The IFOC, or the International Federation of Chaplains is a non-denominational highly trained group. They are CPR trained, CISM trained, and prepared for long stays. CERT (community emergency response team) team members are highly trained in disaster crisis interventions, and they are in place in thousands of communities. They are both highly deployable. IFOC (international federation of chaplains) members were on site in New York within hours. Their credentials and training certifications allowed them on to the site. Organizations such as these can alleviate the crisis by their onsite counseling and help.
After 9-11 happened, many organizations came together and worked on eliminating the conflicts of communication that happen on a crisis scene. FEMA is now in charge of most domestic sites, and they work with coordinating teams. Most, if not all, fire departments now have monthly classes that teach about how to avoid PTSD and stress related problems. The Army developed a hotline for soldiers to call for help with PTSD issues. Developing resiliency is shown at the end of the movie when we see the survivors having a reunion after 20 plus surgeries to repair the damage to their bodies on 9-11. Four phases of a crisis are recognized in the book, The Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling (2011) by Dr. H. Norman Wright. “…the impact phase…withdrawal-confusion…adjustment phase…and finally, the reconstruction phase…” (Wright, 2011, p143-159). All are explored in the movie, World Trade Center (2006).
References
Stone, O. World Trade Center, (2006). By Paramount Pictures Film Company.
Wright, N. (2011). The Complete Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling. Ventura, CA: Regal Books Publishers.