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Summary: Mémoire éternelle...
Review: Images can be cut up but they always remain pure and clear : images never lie.They can be sometimes too peremptory but they always contain their own meaning despite any discourse analysis.Tonight for the 2nd time I've seen "In Memoriam" (1st time on CNN a few months ago and tonight on French tv)and I felt the same way : images always have the last word and tears are always the result of a profound pain. The feeling of loss is tremendous and overwhelming at every level...
However the analytical approach of this remarkable HBO film poses the crucial question : WHY and HOW all this could happen ? "IN MEMORIAM" : an honour to the loved ones who had to "leave" so brutally and to those who had so suddenly to live without their loved ones.
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Summary: An archival treasure
Review: It is difficult to think like a historian or archivist when an event of this magnitude is still so raw and recent. But in doing so, and in adding this to your own library, you will be adding a small gem which captures the horror and immediacy of the day. Mayor Giulani, in particular, demonstrates the art of crisis leadership under incredible stress and loss. His story, and those of his staff, are an important document of the day. Perhaps a decade or so from now, all this will fall into perspective. But this disk, along with several others, is an important first hand account of an event that will resonate for centuries to come. This is an excellent documentary, and its use of music and prelude makes it that much more poignant in its viewing.
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Summary: I couldn't look then and I can't look now
Review: It still makes me just as sick at my stomach today as it did back then.
This one will ensure that we never ever forget what those cowards did.
Rating: 
Summary: True
Review: It's one of those "true" thing that are still hard to watch. You're not sure if you should watch... But to compile that much "true" info, comments, pics is to make kind of an historical document. So we never forget. Giuliani has a great way of saying it at the begining of the documentary... you'll see...
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Summary: Support a Good Cause Too!
Review: Net proceeds from the sale of this DVD are donated to the Twin Towers fund.
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Summary: REMEMBER - REFLECT - RESPOND
Review: REMEMBER: This DVD pulls no punches in its graphic depiction of the horrors of 9/11. It shows raw footage of first one, then another plane crashing into the World Trade Center towers. It includes footage taken from an NYPD helicopter that circled the tower but was unable to land on the roof. A man is shown waving a towel from one of the open windows on a very high floor, but there was nothing they could do to rescue him. It has disturbing footage of people jumping to their deaths, as then mayor Rudolph Guiliani and others watch in horror. It shows the first tower collapsing as the person filming it keeps yelling, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" It shows the next tower collapsing and the huge cloud of smoke and debris speeding down the street as people run for their lives. The aftermath of the attacks is also included, showing the streets and people covered with soot and choking for air. REFLECT: The courage of the police, the firefighters, and all emergency workers shines through the dark smoke and rubble, as they rush to the scene to try and save as many lives as they can. The strength of mayor Guiliani and his staff, as they try to restore order to the chaos, is remarkable. The grief and sadness while watching a succession of funerals is heartbreaking. Watching this DVD documentary stirs up many strong emotions, as the wounds from those events have not fully healed. RESPOND: We can't forget the unjustified terrorist attacks that occurred on American soil on that fateful day. We can respond by remaining strong and ever vigilant to ensure that these horrors are never repeated. Rather than respond with anger and hatred towards those responsible, we can respond by donating time and money to September 11 charitable foundations to help America recover from these vicious terrorist attacks. Net proceeds from the sale of this DVD are donated to the Twin Towers fund.
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Summary: A Classy, Moving Tribute
Review: So much has already been said about this atrocious Moment in Time. For all the decent things the media has shown us in the past year, regarding this tragedy, it has shown perhaps more exploitative and senseless moments than anyone would ever care to see. This HBO special is a different story, however. I disagree with some of the other reviewers who say that "In Memoriam" does not give the whole scope of 9/11. On one hand, they are correct...but this documentary focuses primarily on the N.Y.C. moments themselves. It is brief, but powerful, and stands as the most moving tribute to the victims, the survivors and to all Americans who remember that day that I have seen yet. It's put together with utter class and I highly recommend it.
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Summary: This Is Not A Political Commercial
Review: Some reviewers of this extraordinary and powerful document of 9/11 want it to be a political commercial for the Bush administration. Reducing what happened that day to partisan political ends is narrow-minded, unethical, and wrong. Saying that Bush should be re-elected on the basis of what happened that day is ghoulish and especially wrong, particularly when he was the one, asleep at the switch, when this attack on our country happened.
The reviewer who says that we should re-elect Bush and reject the failed policies of the previous administration needs to pick up a book and review his history. He would find two things that undercut his partisanship on this issue: first, President Clinton warned Bush of the overwhelming seriousness and immediacy Bin Laden-Al Queada threat before the latter took office, yet the Bush administration allowed months to go by before holding its first high-level meeting on the matter of terrorism. The facts reside in the bi-partisan 9-11 Commission Report. Consider also what President Bush failed to do when handed the Presidental Daily Briefing which stated, in its title, in unmistakable language, that Bin Laden was determined to attack within the United States.
Second: What did Bush and his security leaders fail to do? Simple: ask questions, put the administration on high alert, alert the FAA, among other things. In other words, *this* Bush failed to do what his father would have done (as his father had *real* qualifications to be President of the United States), what JFK did when confronted with evidence of Soviet missiles in Cuba, and what his predecessor Bill Clinton did when confronted with evidence of impending terrorist attacks within the United States on December 31, 1999. Clinton put his administration on high alert and the attacker who was headed for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with a vehicle filled with explosives, was stopped. Tragedy was averted. So those who wish to turn this amazing document into a political commercial for the failed policies of this president and a misguided "war on terror" -- Bin Laden is still out there, people! So much for Bush's promise to "smoke him out" as it was his imbalanced deployment of soldiers to Iraq (instead of the Afghan border, where Bin Laden was known to be hiding) that allowed him to escape.
So again: failed policies of the past? Dubya's father would have known what questions to ask, what to do, and no doubt would have acted more aggressively and effectively than his unexperienced and grossly underqualified son. Clinton was handed evidence of an impending terrorist attack, acted forcefully and decisively, and avererted an attack directed at LAX. Finally, George W. Bush was warned about Bin Laden and did nothing on the matter of terrorism for months; was handed a PDF which stated directly that Bin Laden was determined to attack *inside* the US, and failed to act. So when the tragedy that is captured in this documentary occurred, and over 3000 men, women, and children lost their lives, how can a thinking citizen look at this as anything other than the result of a massive failure on the part of the people we put into office and trust to protect us? When 3000 Americans die, I, unlike those who say "this is why we should re-elect President Bush," ask questions. Why should we re-elect an administration which failed us so obviously, on such a massive scale, and is led by a man who in the face of all of this remains convinced of his own infallibility? A man of true integrity and character would have apologized for failing the nation on 9/11. Bush never admitted error, or oversight. So what kind of man is he, really?
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Summary: A Powerful Document.
Review: The events of September 11, 2001 marked the first real shock of the modern era, an act of violence that did indeed change the world. It is only fitting that having taken place in the 21st century, the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center is the most documented event in history. "In Memoriam- New York City, 9/11/01" tries to compile as much footage and information possible for a 60 minute film to give us a visual documentation of what took place on that dark, unforgettable day. For many who weren't in New York on September 11 this will be one of the first films that will truly give you a sense of what it was like to be there, some viewers probably won't realize the actual extent of the attack and damage until they view this film. The interviews and eyewitness accounts are priceless and important, one of the key uses of film as a whole is to preserve events and memories for future generations so they can know what happened and what they should prevent from happening. The images are incredible, the film shows us in chronological order the sequence of events. Each event ranging from the first airplane crash to the final tower collapse is shown from various angles, some close, some far away. The original sound is preserved and so when the second plane hits the WTC, we hear the actual crash and explosion, never has such documentary footage sent a chill down my spine. One of the most haunting moments is the section dealing with victims who threw themselves from out of the towers as they burned, the use of "Adagio For Strings" gives this sequence a heartwrenching, visceral feel and you begin to realize the extent of the horror of what people saw. Rudolph Guliani's comments are fascinating and very heartfelt as well as the commentary from members of his staff. What "In Memoriam" does for viewers who are only familiar with the events of September 11 through news broadcasts is give them a true feel of the enormous scope, emotional and historical, of the attacks. It is not a political film, it is not biased (in fact, the filmmakers include a shot of a Muslim funeral for one of the attack victims), it is simply a document of what happened in New York City. This is one of those films that must be shown in schools and sought after by anyone trying to inform themselves. We can never forget the events that change the course of our history and films like these see to it that we don't.
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Summary: Moving...to say the least.
Review: This documentary aired over Memorial Day Weekend on HBO. It brought back everything, making you feel that it was again September 11, 2001. This is somewhat graphic but its real. This is what happened to me, to you, to NY, DC, PA, America. We all lost something that day and we must remember so not to lose it again. Mr. Guilanni is one my hero's along with everyone that day. We are a part of history never to be forgetton and we will win the war.
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