And this:
But how clear is it? The New York Times reports:
Tom Matthews, who retired after 28 years as a helicopter pilot, was a lieutenant colonel in charge of all of the choppers hovering over Mogadishu during the battle depicted in Mr. Bowden's book. "I think, clearly, that some people looked at what happened in Somalia and they saw that as a sign of weakness," he said.
What was important to him, and to the Army Rangers and Delta Force members who had taken part in the 1993 battle and who were at the world premiere last week of "Black Hawk Down" at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, was that the record be made clear that what occurred on the streets of Mogadishu was not a military debacle for America.
Sgt. First Class Matthew Eversmann, who played a key role in the Mogadishu fighting and is the central character in the film (portrayed by Josh Hartnett), said that he was satisfied that the filmmakers, within the constraints of their need to be entertaining, had accurately shown what it was like to be in the middle of that battle. And regardless of inferences about how it might have affected subsequent American foreign policy, which he said he was constrained from discussing because he was still on active duty, he was convinced that the film would be a tonic for audiences now that American soldiers are in conflict once again.
"I think it's going to be good for people to see this movie in the wake of what has been happening," Sergeant Eversmann said. "It's good for them to know that we have a capable military filled with guys willing to slide down the rope into the furnace, if you'll pardon me using a cliche."
Actually, the decision on the closing crawl on the film was made in early December, as Mr. Scott scrambled to get a finished print of the film in time for its limited release (the final piece of the film's score, by Hans Zimmer, was not finished until 45 minutes before the premiere, the composer said, which is about as close as you can cut it).