Movie Review: ****9/11 2002

This is a 2002 made for t.v. movie which I have watched through Netflix DVD.  It is a bit graphic, and the language is not always great, but it is an important movie.  Two French film makers, Jules and Gedeon Naudet, brothers, were making a documentary of a rookie firefighter, Tony Benenatos, and were embedded with a fire station close to the World Trade Center, Engine 1 Ladder 7 in lower Manhattan.  The rookie had only had one fire in his few months with the department, and that was a car fire.  And then when 9/11 came he was not out with the unit, but at the station.  A fire truck from the unit, was at a call when the first plane struck.  The photographer actually recorded the plane flying into the WTC.  He also recorded the team when they moved to respond, and there is actually footage from inside the WTC lobby.  One thing he noted is that even though the plane hit many stories above, the lobby looked damaged.  This is because burning jet fuel had come down the elevator shaft with such force that people burst into flames, and all the windows were burned out.  The photographer stayed in the lobby, and recorded as people came down the stairs.  He also recorded the sound people were making as the jumped from the windows above.  There was lots of debris falling as well, but people jumping from the tower made the loudest bump as the hit the ground.  Jules recorded what happened in the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed.  The dust was incredible.  Everything went dark.  He used the light on his camera so people could see.
His brother, Gedeon, meanwhile recorded events outside.  He recorded the second plane hitting, the collapse of the towers, people running from the wall of dust, the effects of the dust.
After the second collapse, the next line of business was to gather back at the station, and make sure everyone was all right, and count those that were not.  Gedeon thought Jules was dead for sure, but they got out of the lobby before the collapse.  Miraculousy, all members of the station escaped.  They last to report was Tony, as he was looking for survivors.
During the next few days they helped with rescue efforts.  Hardly anyone was rescued from the mess.  They found one person alive.  Mostly they found body parts.  Finding a body in tact was very rare.
The interviewed the rookie at the end of the show.  He said in essence, that even though he liked his new job, he would go to the military if asked and fight against those who had done this.