Review of Black Hawk Down (2001) by Brian R — 18 Jul 2012

I watched BHD again on DVD and I must say it is a masterpiece. Ridley Scott is a master filmmaker with superb technically skill. I am not even sure if I could make a film this big and so gigantic with a fleet of extras, weapons, vehicles and chaos.

"Black Hawk Down" is the story of U.S. military raid that went wrong. In Mogadishu, Somalia, October 1993, 18 Americans lost their lives, 70 more were wounded, and within days Washington pulled out troops that were on a humanitarian mission. By then some 300,000 Somalis had died of starvation, and the U.S. purpose was to help deliver U.N. food shipments. Somali warlords were more interested in protecting their turf then feeding their own people. two of the helicopters went down and what seemed at first an easy raid mission turns into a "Leave-no-men-left-behind".

The film is supported by an all star cast. Very difficult to identify at first but they're there. Josh Harnett, Tom Sizemore, Orlando Bloom, Sam Shepard, Ewan McGregor, Eric Bana, Ioan Gruffudd, Jeremy Piven and yes Tom Hardy. The film is all non stop violence but it seems to me the US soliders all care for each with the proud promise of leaving none of their comrades left behind. Well that may work in this film but in real life I think it's all about saving your own skin in the heat of battle. Everyone who has seen countless war pictures should be smart enough to know this by now.