+1
Best post 9/11 movie of the decade.
It really did bring a confluence of a lot of the events of the time and events Spielberg held close to.
9/11, the Iraq War, the Holocaust, and Spielberg melded these three themes together magnificently.
A movie that strikes at the very centre of the ensuing panic and confusion from the 9/11 attacks and captures American society in the face of extermination.
Tom Cruise clouded in dust, masses of people simply being liquidated were all very effective imagery which drew from 9/11 and The Holocaust.
Invasion by an Alien also parallels the Iraq war and links the whole 'zeitgeist' of the time together... i mean how did we feel when when some martians outta nowhere invade and starts causing immense death and destruction? Probably exactly how the iraqis feel. We dont know why they're exactly here and what they want and neither did the Iraqis when suddenly the whole country was plunged into a decade long war.
One thing i always like to say is that 9/11 made great reference material for VFX people on how to animate buildings collapsing and smoke.
You look at Armageddon (pre 9/11) and buildings collapsing was goofy and unrealistic but post 9/11 every building getting destroyed evoked 9/11 (example Man of Steel, BvS)
