The trauma of terrorism: Post 9/11 hollywood cinema

Abstract

This essay offers an evaluation of the depiction of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in Hollywood cinema. By reviewing a broad sample of related films from the period 2001-2015 and focusing on notions of trauma and terror, this essay examines the cultural representation of 9/11. The author observes that US cinema responded with great variety-appealing to an ‘unbroken’ US spirit, re-asserting the symbolic coordinates of prevailing reality, but also gave voice to doubts and dissent. ‘The Trauma of Terrorism: Post 9/11 Hollywood Cinema’ concludes that Hollywood fulfilled a critical role in uniting the public in the wake of the terror attacks, as well as in offering a form of cathartic closure.