A question for those who've seen F-9/11

[belladonna]

Today I'm taking my daughter and my mother to see the movie, and I feel very comfortable with my decision to let her see it. I've discussed the fact that there are some graphic scenes in it and she feels confident that she can handle it.

Despite the fact that she's very mature and that she's assured me that she can handle this, I worry about the beheading scene. Hell, I'm not sure that I can handle the beheading scene. So for those of you who've seen it, can you give me an idea of when to expect it? As in, a point where I can turn to her and say okay, close your eyes and I'll tell you when it's over... that point.

Anyone?

[GOPisEvil]

1. There is an on-screen note of what you are watching before it happens.

The film is grainy and is shot from a distance, so it's not really gory. But, there's also no doubt about what happened. There are far more emotional and bloody scenes.

Edit - the beheading scene is also over really quickly.

[LTR]

2. Does she watch the news?

Lots of violence there. It's all murders and fires, it seems.

Just be ready to explain it to her.

I can't wait to see it. I've got the day off, and I'm going this afternoon.

[belladonna]

10. Yes, she does

She just turned 15 and is very politically aware and perhaps more qualified to vote than some adults, so I'm pretty comfortable with my decision. I think it may just be the Mommy instinct, that urge to cover her eyes when things get too scary or gory, overtaking me at the moment.

[Carni]

18. I saw nothing in the film a 15 year old shouldn't see

In fact I think kids that age SHOULD see the film!

[DenverDem]

3. It's a very long shot in black and white and while obvious what happens

is not that graphic.

The footage of "collateral damage" is much more troubling, but should not dissuade you from taking your daughter. This is important stuff that needs to be internalized by every citizen.

[lovedems]

4. There are worse scenes then that one.

I agree with the post above. It is grainy and shot from a distance. Be prepared to explain the kids. That was the hardest for me. (Trying not to be a spoiler).

[SaveElmer]

5. It is disturbing ...but

It is a very long distance shot so it is not very graphic...you see a guy take two swipes with his sword and you see the head come off and the body slump. It is all from a long distance and is very short. And as has been said there is a label telling you what is occurring before it happens.

The scenes of war dead are more up close and graphic than the beheading scene, particularly of children. It earned it's R rating, but doesn't dwell on the graphic stuff unecessarily.

[emulatorloo]

6. Beheading is from VERY VERY far away, fuzzy B&W footage

However she may need to close her eyes during some of the scenes of injured Iraqis and Americans in Iraq -- the scenes are brief, not overdone, and have a point to make about the hellish nature of war and suffering of people.

[libertad]

7. I forgot about that scene! They give you plenty of warning so you

have time to avert your eyes. I chose not to see the beheading.

[supernova]

8. The beheading shot was so far away

I didn't even know where to look in the fram and so missed it because I was so busy trying to figure out where to focus.

I agree the closeups of injuries and dead bodies are much worse on the graphic scale.

[liberalitch]

9. Nothing worse than she's already seen on CNN....

Jeeeze remember the Rwanda footage?
THAT was rough!

[Kahuna]

11. The beheading scene is a very long shot. It happened so fast..

my brother missed it. No blood. But you can seen the head bounce when it came off. I'm an extremely squeamish person. Can't stand to see violence, or blood and guts of any kind. I survived.

[moof]

12. Here's a post moof wrote for another site that is more populated by fragil

more populated by fragile folks.

Someone mentioned children seeing F9/11 here on the CB so here is a mini review geared towards possible issues on the film for mini people.

Warning this review attempts to give as clear an idea of what was seen and heard in F911 that may cause any parent some pause where younger children are concerned. It is not all that graphic
but if you are easily offended or the topic is not one you have an interest in there is no reason to read further.

This is not meant to be a recomendation just what was observed that might cause concern for parents taking their children to see it.

Here are the main issues for concern

1. Language - there is not all that much and the worse is a short 30 to 40 second spot where some soldiers are discussinf a song that they like to play thru their headsets. They sing the lyrics a couple times and after that the actual clip of the song is played and the lyrics are heard again.

basically the three lines that are heard 3 times
are along the lines of
burn motherf**er Burn
chanted several times

aside from this rather profuse exchange the number of instances of words of profanity in the balance of the film did not seem to be more than ten or twelve.

2. Graphic images

The beheading scene is shot from such a distance that only a very sharp adult would even catch what happened. It is a film of one of the public executions carried out in Saudi Arabia by the government. There is no lead up or narration to give you any any clue it's coming and at first it looks like a person standing over another kneeling person and swinging a bat or club that hits the person in the back of the head knocking them on to the ground. It's that far off that you can not tell what the attacker is hitting the prisoneer with.

The US soldier/prisoner sexual abuse scene.

Personally this has to be the most blown out of context scene. Everyone appeared fully clothed and the humiliation that took place was basically some talk and laughter about a prisoner that appeared to have been aroused causing his pants to "tent".
maybe Truth was not watching close enough but except for the dialogue there was nothing image wise to see.

Now here seems the most disturbing parts.

at the beginning a man is holding what looks to be a two year dead child in blood covered clothing. It happens very fast as the man lays the child in the back od a small pickup truck with 5 or 6 other
clothed and draped bodies.

For about a minute scenes of the four american men that were killed, burned, dragged and hung from the bridge was shown in detail.

There was a brief 10 to 20 second close up image of two different young Iraq women who had been badly burned by some naplam type stuff.

There is another 5 to ten second close up of a person's arm that has a severe wound that has opened up most of one of their arms.

There is a scene that takes a minute or teo and is a live shot from the instant a bomb/landmine type device goes off and the panic,confusion of seeing how hurt the 2 or 3 people involved are and the beginnings of emergency first aid and strechers arriving to haul them away inside to more help.

The last and for Truth the most hard to watch images were for a minute or two back in the states with some Soldiers or what was left of them in wheelchairs, a hospital bed and doing some physical therapy.
-------------------

That's what was seen in a first viewing anyway and for what it's worth it was not anywhere near as bad as what all the hype would make you think.

Any 12 year old has seen more gore and more violent killing in movies and is likely to have heard much more foul language than what little was in F911, but the show does not really seem like something anyone under the age of 15 or 16 is going to get anything out of unless they have yet to learn that people in postions of responsibility do not always act responsibly.

[belladonna]

13. Thanks everyone!!

I feel much better about this after seeing your replies and I'm off to see the movie :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[texas1928]

16. Have fun and enjoy

My wife and I may go see it this Friday.

[ET Awful]

14. It's grainy, from a distance, and over quickly. . >BUT

if you really want to warn her, as soon as you hear Moore mention Saudi human rights violations, you will see a large crowd of people and 2 men kneeling. That's when to cover eyes.

[Carni]

15. How old is your daughter?

The beheading scene is not a biggie--in fact I wasn't sure I even saw the act itself because it's a long shot and I was looking in the wrong place.

There are some scenes of the dead in Iraq however that are EXTREMELY disturbing (esp the ones of children)I actually closed my eyes when they were operating on an Iraqi child.

As long as your daughter isn't a tiny tot she should be ok... but JMO I wouldn't take a kid under 10 to see it (maybe 12 I don't know

[LTR]

17. I was 15 when I saw one of the most horrifying films ever

It was "The Day After", and it was a made-for-TV film.

You may remember it. A horrifying depiction of the aftermath of an all-out nuclear attack. Gave me nightmares.

But it was one of the most powerful films I ever saw. I'm glad I watched it.

I would definitiely take her.

[Carni]

19. I remember that film

It scared the hell out of me!

[LynneSin]

20. I would worry about the other disturbing scenes in the movie:

When Paul Wolfowitz puts a comb in his mouth and then combs his hair with him and when Ashcroft sings "When Eagles Soar"

THose scenes could traumatize a child for life

[zbdent]

21. Did she see "The Passion of the Christ"?

AKA Mel Gibson's snuff film.

[hunter]

22. I'm going to repeat what I said on another thread...

The images of death and injury are deeply disturbing but they go by quickly. I've noticed that people who don't have any experience with extreme injuries tend to see only a few seconds of random carnage that doesn't make a lot of sense to them. Paramedics, emergency room staff, and other frontline medical people will not be so lucky.

I found the images of injured people much more disturbing than the beheading that everyone keeps talking about.

My wife, who has done triage in big city emergency rooms, doesn't feel she needs to see the movie. She already knows that war and the Bush administration are rotten.

I am not taking my children to see the movie. As a family we can wait for the DVD and watch it all together on a small screen.

Seeing this movie gave me nightmares about bombs and burns and spinning shrapnel. But I don't think most people will catch that.