Black Hawk Down Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)January 23rd, 2002
"Black Hawk Down" – The Few, The Proud, and Being All They Can Be
by Homer Yen
(c) 2002
"It's about the men next to you. That's all it is," says one soldier to another during a military mission that turns out to be more hair-raising than anyone could've expected. "Black Hawk Down" is a dramatic re-enactment of a true-life military rescue mission in which an ill-conceived raid led to the deaths of 18 soldiers while several dozen were wounded. It follows in the vein of films like "Thirteen Days" in which nation-defining episodes ("Thirteen Days" tells of the Cuban Missile Crisis) are deconstructed and then replayed for us so that we can better appreciate the mood, the logistics, and the series of decisions that were made. Moreover, it is a gripping presentation of brotherhood, sacrifice, and patriotism.
The film, which is based on journalist Mark Bowden's book of the same name, retells a tale of unlikely heroes that emerge from the botched mission. The movie is set in Somalia in 1993 when U.S. troops were sent on a humanitarian mission to get food and relief to starving people. Famine swept through this poor country on a biblical scale, and more than 300,000 starved to death. Yet, the warlords who controlled the country, especially Mohamed Farrah Aidid who controlled the capital, were more concerned with their influence rather than with hunger -- food shipments would undermine their power. Their response was to meet the Americans with armed resistance.
It recounts the operation to capture two top lieutenants of Aidid in a hostile district. This task was considered to be relatively easy as it involved elite ground troops, well-armored humvees, and air cover provided by Black Hawk helicopters working in concert. In fact, the soldiers left behind canteens and night-vision gear believing that they would be back at their base within a few hours.
However, enemy rockets brought down two of the helicopters. The enemy militia quickly surrounded the U.S. positions and created roadblocks to prevent a support convoy from approaching. American intelligence underestimated the resolve of the Somali's and a war of attrition ensued that lasted 17 long hours. For the besieged soldiers, ammo was running low, casualties were mounting, darkness was approaching, and rescue seemed improbable. Eventually, chants and cheers designed to boost confidence and morale degenerated into screams of "incoming" and pleas for a medic.
The film focuses on several soldiers that do their best to salvage their hopeless situation. This includes the idealistic Josh Hartnett who, out of a matter of necessity, is quickly promoted to staff sergeant and is tasked with leading his team of young men in uniform. Tom Sizemore is a stalwart veteran who coaches the younger soldiers. Ewan McGregor, who had the best role, is a Ranger who specialized in office duties and making coffee but is pressed into service at the last minute.
We see the chain of events unfold hour by hour as the American situation worsens. And despite the ensuing chaos, Director Ridley Scott keeps it easy-to-follow through aerial shots, conversations within the operations center that clarify the situation and upcoming dangers, straightforward dialogue by the soldiers, and dusty and sepia-toned cinematography that gives us a better perspective of the situation.
Film's like this is noteworthy for two reasons. First it helps bring to light an important event in world history. Second, it allows audiences to better understand the actual experiences of combat troops instead of trivializing them through gung-ho films of the war movie genre.
Grade: B+
S: 0 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 3 out of 3
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