Two specials are standouts

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, TV will be awash in documentaries, special reports and tributes.

Many of those programs will look and sound alike. Two documentaries airing today and Wednesday, however, are worth noting. Cinemax's "Visions From Ground Zero " and ABC's "Report From Ground Zero may have similar titles, but they differ in style and tone.

TheBoth films take the same horrific incident and probe it from two vastly different perspectives. Report From Ground Zero," based on the bestseller by 18-year firefighting veteran Dennis Smith, lets cops, firefighters and Port Authority officers tell their gripping and moving stories about that day and the months that followed.

"Visions From Ground Zero," is an eclectic and interesting mix of short films and documentaries that range from one minute to one hour. In "From the Ashes -10 Artists," artists who lived within the shadows of the Twin Towers recall how their once idyllic neighborhood was transformed into a chaotic war zone.

One painter feels more focused than ever. Another changed her hair color just to get a fresh start. A once happy-go-lucky musician laments how he never hears music in his head anymore.

"But," he says quietly while choking back tears, "I know I will."

"Underground Zero" is a series of eight short films by documentary filmmakers. One of those films is "The End of Summer," in which a young girl eloquently articulates her feelings about Sept. 11 over a montage of seemingly benign suburban images. "Voice of A Prophet" is a chilling 1998 short film in which Rick Rescorla, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter's chief of security, talks about how America's arrogant attitude and not-so-patriotic deeds will one day lead to a devastating terrorist attack. His prophetic words linger long after they're spoken.

Rescorla was one of the thousands who died on Sept. 11.

A New Yorker who was in China with her mother on Sept. 11 talks about what it was like being so far from home during New York's darkest hours in "China Diary (911)."

The most moving film in Cinemax's collection of documentaries is "WTC: The First 24 Hours." There's no music or narration during the 30-minute film. Etienne Sauret's roving camera is more than enough as he captured the bleak images and ghostly sounds immediately following the attacks.

You'll feel as if you're at ground zero as you bear witness to weary firefighters sleeping on grocery store floors; the hum and rattle of vehicles and machinery and an eerily desolate Wall Street. Sometimes the best films are the most understated.

If you're looking for a Sept. 11 program that takes a somewhat different approach, "Visions From Ground Zero " paints an often compelling portrait. There's even a one-minute animated short in which a disparate cast of New York characters are seen bellowing "Me! Me! Me!"

Me, however, becomes "us" after Sept. 11.

Meanwhile, you'll be hardpressed not to get choked up while watching ABC's "Report From Ground Zero." Wisely, the film doesn't use a narrator. It simply lets those who were there tell their stories, much like "Third Watch's" tribute to the New York City firefighters, cops and paramedics.

They talk lovingly about the bond among firefighters. And how they love their jobs.

"There aren't too many jobs where you get to be a hero," says one.

They also talk convincingly about how scared they were on Sept. 11. One firefighter, for instance, knew he was going to die. He just hoped it would be quick and painless. As he recalled the most memorable day of his life, he sounded like a frightened little boy when he said all he wanted to do was crawl inside his helmet.

With so many similar stories of terror and fear, you can't help but feel numb after listening to it all. At two hours, "Report From Ground Zero " is one hour too long. These stories need to be told. But after a certain point, and that threshold is different for each person, it's not easy listening to all of them.

R E V I E W

"Visions From Ground Zero"

GRADE: B+

When: 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Watch it on: Cinemax

The verdict: A collection of documentaries and short films that offers interesting takes on Sept. 11

"Report From Ground Zero"

Grade: B

When: 9 p.m. today.

Watch it on: ABC

The verdict: A moving, but overly long documentary that lets firefighters, cops and Port Authority workers tell their harrowing stories.

Uploaded September 11, 2002