Josh Hartnett,
Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichner, Jeremy Piven
Written by Mark Bowden
and Ken Nolan
Based on the novel Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern
War by Mark Bowden.
Produced by Jerry
Bruckheimer
Directed by Ridley
Scott
Released by Paramount
Trailer:
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When I
used to teach History, I used to be asked by my students why
it was important to know history since it was nothing but
events in the past. When asked this question, I would mention
that if one remains ignorant of what had happened before,
one might be doomed to repeat it. I used the recent conflict
in Bosnia that was spurred on by the Horrors of World War
II, and the need to make sure that people are protected from
ethnic violence as an example.
While many students saw the wisdom in this answer, it is a
shame that history has a sad way of repeating itself. Take
the case of the current conflict in Afghanistan, as our forces
are engaged in a battle to capture and topple an individual
who has caused suffering and death amongst millions of people,
it is all to familiar to those of us who were in the Armed
forces in the early 90s. Just as the conflict with Iraq
was winding down, reports of widespread deaths and abuses
in the nation of Somalia were reported. The local warlords
had started an all out battle for power, and 300,000 people
had been killed and scores more were starving and suffering.
The world poured in relief supplies only to learn that the
items were being confiscated upon arrival by the top Somalian
warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and his followers.
Unwilling to stand aside and let this continue, The United
States sent in troops to assist the UN troops in restoring
order and bringing Aidiad and his men to justice.
In the film Blackhawk Down, director Ridley Scott
has combined with action producer Jerry Bruckheimer to bring
the true story of the battle of Mogadishu that took place
on October 3rd 1993. The film is based on the book by Mark
Bowden and tells the story of the elite soldiers that were
sent on a mission to capture top officials of Aidiad as they
met for a meeting. What started as a textbook mission soon
became a nightmare when two Blackhawk helicopters were shot
down, and the soldiers found themselves separated and cut
off as they attempted to rescue crash survivors and accomplish
their mission. Filmed on location in Moracco, the film centers
on a group of men many facing combat for the first time. Josh
Hartnett Staff Sgt. Matt Eversmann, (Josh Hartnett), is the
young soldier taking command of combat troops for the first
time, Grimes (Ewan McGregor) is a soldier who has spent his
time behind a desk and now gets to taste combat, Gen. William
Garrison (Sam Shepard), is a leader who cares for his men
but is pressured by the military brass to bring and end to
the conflict, Lt. Colonel McKnight (Tom Sizemore), is a officer
who gets things done and makes sure his men are taken care
of. There are a number of other characters and while lesser,
they are every bit as important to the mission as the men
commanding them.
The film is a fascinating look into an event that got little
coverage in the media at the time. The aftermath of the mission
left 18 Soldiers dead, 73 wounded and hundreds of Somalians
dead as the planned one-hour mission became a fifteen-hour
standoff. Several city blocks of controlled population descended
upon the men and the crash sites with the goal of killing
or capturing the soldiers and getting the technology in the
Blackhawks. By following the strict leave no soldier behind
policy, the troops constantly re-entered dangerous areas,
even when safely clear of the fighting in order to retrieve
their comrades. While heroic, this caused even more casualties
as wounded men continued to fight and worsen their injuries.
Blackhawk shows the true horror of combat, as the action is
intense and graphic. It also avoids many of the soldier clichés
of most war films. Aside from a new recruit that viewers are
sure is about to get in over his head, the men are a diverse
and unique bunch. The men are regular people who are doing
a job they were asked to do. The biggest problem with the
film is that it is long, and Scotts pacing at times
makes the film plod and drag out. Another issue I had with
the film is that due to the short hair, the blood, and the
dirt, on the cast, it was very difficult to tell many of the
actors apart and this hindered forming an attachment to various
soldiers as many of them became faceless grunts.
That being said, the film was enjoyable and very informative.
With a bit of editing this movie could have been a fast paced
action film with substance and story. As it stands now, it
is a long, slow, and at times interesting look into a tragic
event that paved the way for the removal of American troops
from the region.
3.5
Stars out of 5
Gareth Von Kallenbach
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