Review of Black Hawk Down (2001) by Gregory G — 03 Jun 2013

Characterization and political connotation are secondary to the action in this gritty war drama based on events that resulted in the deaths of nineteen American soldiers during a two-day 1993 skirmish in Somalia.

Adapted from the book by Mark Bowden, it involves the failed raid by Americans to capture a Somali warlord in the Battle of Mogadishu. Director Ridley Scott's main objective is to dramatize the graphic battles with brutal realism told solely from the soldiers' point-of-view.

Cinematographer Stawomir Idziak incorporates hand held cameras and grainy imagery with Pietro Scalia's dynamic editing that captures the endless barrage of violence with unrelenting immediacy. Solid acting throughout is undermined by a constrained portrayal of individual soldiers that makes it difficult to differentiate between them.

When Scott slows the action down to allow for conversation, the dialogue is often stilted. Won Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Written by Ken Nolan. Music is by Hans Zimmer. With Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, and Sam Shepard.