Movie Reviews - Black Hawk Down

by Frank Wilkins
Black Hawk Down is the story of one of the most successful military encounters in United States history. Although the actual historical event depicted in this movie was a political disaster, much like almost every battle during the Viet Nam war, the outcome was a heroic success when measured on the scale of military execution.

In October of 1993, the deteriorating human landscape of Somalia resembled something that has never existed since man gained consciousness of his own well-being. Drought and famine gripped the country, which then led to the genocidal acts that only man can bring upon himself. Tribal warlords, in their attempts to gain control of United Nations food shipments by force, kill thousands of their own countrymen. The city of Mogadishu, call it "the Mog" if you're cool, is ruled by Muhammed Farah Aidid who uses the hunger of his people as the power to gain their control. Over 300,000 Somalis starved or were killed. "This is not a civil-war, this is genocide".

The U.S. Army Rangers and elite Delta Force soldiers are deployed in a mercy mission to oversee the logistics of the United Nations food distributions in an attempt to save the country from warring factions and ultimately, mortal poverty. In effect, the world is dispatched to save this country from itself. In addition to the soldiers deployed by the United States, several other countries have provided men and materiel to the cause, including the 10th Mountain division of the United Nations force made up mostly of Pakistanis and Malaysians. The world has come to the aid of the country of Somalia to help save mankind.

Based on the book of the same name by Mark Bowden, Black Hawk Down is an intense, all too realistic depiction of the actual events that took place during an 18-hour period in October of 1993 that some believe, indirectly led to the tragedy of September 11. More on that later. The story centers around a young Ranger staff sergeant Matt Eversman, played by Josh Hartnett and Delta force sergeant Norm Hooten, played by Eric Bana. These two lead a band of soldiers, played by Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore and others, into a hornet's nest of heavily-armed Somalis who manage to fight their way out of a country enraged. The mission is to capture several Aidid henchmen and bring them back to the American base to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Calling upon the assistance of a Somali informant, the scheme goes as planned, until an American Black Hawk helicopter is shot down by a Somali-launched Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG). At this point, the mission becomes one of securing the crash site and bringing the pilots to safety. The downing of a second helicopter sends the mission into complete disarray and the young soldiers begin to realize they are seriously outnumbered and out-gunned. Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant upon seeing two delta force soldiers approaching his downed chopper: "Where's the rescue force? "We're it" reply the two rescuers. The soldiers fight their way through the night until the United Nations peace-keeping forces can be organized for a recovery mission. Black Hawk Down is not about world events, it's not about Somalia and it's not about a country ravaged by famine and starvation. Black Hawk Down is about the courage and bravery displayed by 100 young men who were placed in an unwinnable situation, yet fought for their lives and emerged victorious if only in their own eyes.

Black Hawk Down won two Oscars©, one for best editing, the other for best sound. As obscure as these awards may seem, after you watch this movie you'll understand what the quality of good sound can add to the experience. Our chests are thumped by muted tribal bass drum-beats and tinny repercussions as soldiers muddle through the streets of Mogadishu. The soundtrack screams with silence as helicopters roll out of base camp accompanied by Stevie Ray Vaughn's Voodoo Chile, the post-Viet Nam War movie's Purple Haze. Bullets and RPGs whiz past our heads in a terrifying depiction of what it must be like to be shot at. In defiance of an inherent problem of war movies, director Ridley Scott does a masterful job of depicting the hell of war, yet minimizing the confusion of characters, faces and timelines. At any one time, we are following 10 to 15 different soldiers and, although their names are taped to their helmets, through precise control, perfect camera angles, and on-screen placement, I never felt a sense of disorder that often accompanies war movies and action thrillers. It's hard to find any structural flaws in this movie, from the acting, to the directing down to the sound and editing. Even the gaffer and key grip must have been on top of their games for this one.

Although, the United States lost 18 delta force and Army Ranger soldiers, estimates range from 500 to 5,000 Somali deaths, with tens-of-thousands more injured. From a military standpoint and by looking at the body-count scoreboard, I think anyone would consider this an overwhelming victory, however upon striking a deal with Aidid to recover a captured American helicopter pilot, the United States immediately removed all military personnel from Somalia. Many historians believe that because of this pull-out, American enemies, including Osama bin Laden, think that the death of American soldiers will weaken our country's resolve and ultimately bring victory to our enemies. Much like Saving Private Ryan before it, Black Hawk Down transcends the barrier of entertainment and becomes a responsible historical artifact preserving and presenting American and World history in the hopes that one day, mankind will better understand its past and not know war. Only the dead know the end of war - Plato

Intense fighting and war scenes will probably discourage most women, hence the low Julia Roberts factor. By default, due to the on-screen appearance of tanks and guns, BHD receives the highest possible rating in the macho factor. This movie is quite depressing and disturbing so I give it high marks in the Of Mice and Men and Se7en factor categories. I give Black Hawk Down the highest possible reel rating.

Frank Wilkins

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