Black Hawk Down

Rating:
Summary: I Call This a Docudrama of Major Proportions
Review: This is an excellent movie played out as much as possible as it actually happened. Director Ridley Scott took great pains to portray everything as it occurred, and the military advisors on the set helped see to that, as they wanted as real a presentation representing the facts as possible. As a veteran myself, I fully identified with each combatant, but more so as the team. In the military in small units the teamwork and team theory is everything. In this movie that was played out time and again. I would hope that anyone watching this movie that does not understand what warfare is all about, and what kind of world we are now living in would have a deeper respect for that now. These types of missions are more common now and will be in the future as we tackle problems throughout the world post 9/11.

Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk Down
Review: I just got home from the movies and could not go to sleep. My prayers goes out to my fallen conrades and those that survived. I know some of the fellows that served in somalia. I think you did an outstanding job by releasing this movie about the past military experience. I feel history should not be left untold.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Film! Not Just For War Movie Buffs!
Review: Multi-star cast, incredible effects, heart-wrenching storyline and a powerful war movie altogether. What more could you ask for?!
The film follows troops of United States Rangers and Soldiers as they participate in a mission that actually occurred back in the early 90's. Their journey into a middle-eastern city, to uncover many of its government's horrible acts, begins with one soldier falling from a Black Hawk helicopter. The chaos grows with each passing minute as the troops struggle to fulfill their most important order: To Leave No Man Behind.
This is such a necessary film with a meaningful message, that I believe ALL should see it.
P.S. Josh Hartnett should have AT LEAST been nominated for a Golden Globe and/or an Oscar for his performance. There is conspiracy there...
P.P.S. A Star is Born: Orlando Bloom ("Legolas" in Lord of the Rings) who portrays Blackburn. Let me just say this: he's British, he's hot and he does an amazing job in both "Lord" and in this film.

Rating:
Summary: Mayhem in the Mogue
Review: By now most people in America know the story of Black Hawk Down, the ill-fated 1993 mission of an American Ranger Delta Force to capture warlord Mohammed Aidid in Mogadishu, Somalia. This film is based on the terrific book of the same name, written by Mark Bowden. Both are exciting, and owing to the graphic nature of film, this one really rips from its heart-rending opening scene depicting mass starvation of Somali citizens to its bloody conclusion in a nonstop gunfight through the streets of the city.
The cinematography is swift, dazzling, and gritty. The audience sees Mogadishu from the heights (helicopters) and from street level. The Americans are a combined force of elite Delta Force rangers and special forces operatives who don't trouble with military orthodoxy.
The mission objectives (for the Rangers) is to set up four blocking forces at four corners of the block surrounding the Olympic Hotel where the warlord is staying with his henchmen. The Special Forces people are to go into the hotel and snatch Aidid and his buddies. Trouble is that the "Skinnies", as the soldiers call them, are not a bunch of slackers either and mount a murderous counterassault. A couple of the helos are hit with RPG rounds and go down in the narrow streets. That's when things go really bad for the American Forces who must retrieve their dead and wounded, evacuate the captives from the Olympic Hotel, rescue the downed pilots, and return to base, all within the space of half an hour. Of course, it doesn't work out that way as the troops get scattered and bloodied. And it's not easy escaping the barricaded streets with enemy fighters shooting from the windows, doorways, street corners, and rooftops, even with the American helicopters calling directions out from above. The result is pure bloody spectacle, a montage of fast, loud, and compelling action, with lots of gore and blood spatter.
Some people complain of the lack of characterization, but for me the film was successful precisely because it didn't feature set piece and standard action heroes mouthing John Waynisms or reminiscing in long sequences about their loved ones back home. Not to say that these soldiers do not keep mementos and memories close to their hearts, for they do. But this film depicts group heroics, hunkered down and trying to survive as well as to accomplish the mission. In that way, it was more realistic than other war films I've seen. You get to know the people just as you would know them if you were unlucky enough to be there. This guy, that guy sort of thing. The film retains some of the impersonality of warfare at the same time it reveals its intimacies. This is a sad story, too, because these young men were the victims of an irresolute and unclear foreign policy position.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, but you must read the book
Review: I've seen a pattern in these reviews. Those who have read the book, or are familiar with combat, or personally familiar with what happened in Somalia, think the movie is great. Those who came with an open mind, willing to approach the movie as history (with cautious optimism), were awed, shocked, impressed, and wanted to learn more. Those who are more interested in entertainment or art than reality, disliked the movie. The strongest feelings expressed are reactions to the event itself, transcending the movie.

This is not "jingoism" - it's an embarrassing picture of American foreign policy failure. Those who call this racist seem to be projecting their own shallow interpretation onto a story that clearly has little to do with race. Ask the Somalis if they can (or care to) list the names of their dead. They were too busy cheering the helicopter crashes while watching the pirated screening of the movie in Mogadishu. It was Somalis that ultimately ended up eliminating Aideed. It shows Rangers and Delta operators as imperfect human beings, yet showing far more professionalism and honor than many American civilians ever know. It shows the tragedy of people being used and destroyed by other groups of people called "governments" that are too busy seizing power to be concerned with the value of human life.

If you want character development, or a better understanding of the Somali perspective, or more explanation of the political and historical situation that led to this event, start with the book. To try to fit the complexities of what was going on in Somalia into a single 2-hour movie would destroy any depth of meaning by diluting the facts. The movie was meant to have a narrow focus, and excelled at delivering that. What made this movie great, is that it put aside typical Hollywood style to try to show audiences what it was like to be an Army soldier in Mogadishu Somalia, October 3-4, 1993. Despite the plethora of "realistic" war films over the years, very few even approach any reality, let alone the reality experienced by American veterans. For those who know, this did.

What is more important than entertainment, or how much this made at the box office, or artistic merit, (or what you think of Jerry Bruckheimer) was that it made people think by giving them a glimpse of the real world. If it made people who don't know, ask themselves (or better yet, a veteran they know) "what happened in Somalia?" then it was a success. If people pursue the truth in answering that question, than it was a great success.

If that message is lost on the American public, than it is a greater tragedy than the event described in the movie. Remember the words of historian Will Durant - "those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them."

To Amazon.com - sign me up for the DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Saving Private Ryan on Steroids
Review: I'm a soldier in the U.S. Army. I've known men who fought in MOG. All of them say that the book Black Hawk Down got it right. So, naturally, when I was given an oportunity to see a sneak showing of the movie, I jumped at it. This movie was the most realistic war movie ever. It captured the horror and chaos of urban warfare.
If you've read the book, don't expect the movie to follow it exactly. The story is basicly the same, but the film makers did take a few liberties with the characters. Not everything that happens in the film actually happens to the characters the film follows. For example, the film focuses heavely on Ranger SSG Eversman. In the film, it was he and his men that first reached the first downed Black Hawk. In reality, Eversman was picked up by the wheeled convoy and drove lost through MOG for several hours before mounting a second effort rescue mission. So, don't expect it to be a documentary of the actual battle. The outstanding achievement of this film was the general feeling of the battle.
As we walked out of the theater, I was mad. Not at the movie, but that what the movie portaid, was a real event. The men who died on film, actually died in 1993. Other viewers had similar experiences. Men wiping tears from their eyes. No one said a word until they left the theater. That is how powerful this movie is.

Rating:
Summary: black hawk
Review: I really liked this movie. I was expecting not too... But I was proven wrong. The action scenes are masterful. I was amazed at how Scott was able to give the audience a clear (most of the time, anyway) idea as to what is going on throughout the film, which is about an insanely chaotic attack and ultimately rescue mission. The film also avoids any flag-waving patriotism. I've read a few people complaining about its pro-America stance, but it doesn't really have one, it's rightfully ambiguous. And Scott (a Brit) also avoids any cheap sentimentality. I was surprised again, when thinking about the film afterwards, that I didn't get bored seeing as how the film is basically non-stop machine gun fire and explosions. There's always a little story going on. One character is deafened by a friend's gun firing too close to him, making for some comic relief. There are vehicles carrying bodies around, there's a mini-operation, there's always a little something to keep the viewer interested. I really liked the look and sound of the film. The color tones are kind of dusty and at night has a blueish tinge; the sounds make an impact and Hanz Zimmer's soundtrack (The Thin Red Line) is also very good. The film focuses on the incident, rather than the characters, but we get a good sense of each of them. It's a very linear film however, but it doesn't rely on a three act screenplay. It's not like The Thin Red Line or Apocalypse Now, it's more like Saving Private Ryan, without the schmaltziness. I saw this film with a friend of mine, who is an average movie goer, and he liked it just as much as this moviegoer who prefers offbeat, cerebral, foreign, independant films. If you like watching a good movie, well-directed and acted, or if you just like war movies, this film should appeal to you.

Rating:
Summary: More american patriotism
Review: Another sadly american film, this film attempts to tell the truth but ends up glamorising american soldiers and failed american foriegn policy.

Briliant cinema, but again the message is blurred to suit the american box office

It is a real shame that none of the film makers these days have the guts to tell it how it really is.

Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk Down
Review: For a movie, it is good with all the bullets and RPGs flying over and around. No boring scenes at all. Audience will be caught in attention from the beginning to the end, if you like war game.

But that is all. There is lack of passion or humanity as what I found in Saving Private Ryan or other great war movies. All in this movie is the Big American things. 18 US troopers died with sacrifice of over 1000 Somalians. The Amerians are died not for defending their country but for kidnapping other race leaders. In fact, Americans were losers in the battle but the movie try to make them winners in moral. But the director did not explain why the whole city, from children to women, were against Americans.

If you just want to play war game, this movie is a must see. Don't expect more.

Rating:
Summary: Harrowing tale of heroism
Review: When Steven Spielberg shot the first 30 minutes of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, he created a new type of war film. Ridley Scott (GLADIATOR) follows through with that model with two hours of realistic battling inside the occupied area of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Not for the squeamish, the film does not balk in showing severed legs, arms and fingers. The on-screen death toll has to be in the 300s. That is only horrific if you forget the actual death toll was even higher. This reality is the films greatest asset. The flip side to that reality is how Scott juggles so many real characters, usually all in the same uniform. Much of it is done really well; the life style of the Rangers appears real. But, following the characters is cumbersome and was probably not even an important aspect of the film, but through years and years of Hollywood filmmaking, we've been conditioned to do it. I gave up when someone I thought was killed appeared later on only to get killed again. This happens again and again. ... So, with incredible cinematography and production values, BLACK HAWK DOWN is an important, yet flawed film.