Okay, i’ve been a bit late to review this movie, when there have already been ten reviews on this movie and that too in 2002, right when the movie was released! I have a collection of few good hollywood movies on my computer and deservingly, Black hawk down is a part of my little party.It just happened that I was feeling a bit drowsy yesterday (you could blame the weather outside!) and I felt, I needed a dose of adrenaline or something to keep my eyes wide open!! So I picked up Saving Private ryan and Black hawk down for the afternoon...But soon I dropped the idea of watching Private ryan because the ghastly visions of the first 45 minutes of the movie came to my mind and though Black hawk down was’nt much behind in gore, I thought it was a better option! And after watching it for the 5th time I couldnt control myself from writing a review on the movie...
Only the dead have seen the end of war.
With this eye-opening line the movie begins...The first scenes are grim.A man is seen covering dead bodies in bandages.Dead bodies of malnourished Somali children killed by years of starvation.The situation is heightened by the haunting tribal background score which is pathetic but brilliantly complements the scene.Let me add that this movie is based on a real incident back in the 90s when the whole of Somalia was engaged in a civil war. There was no government in the center and the order of the day was that of the gang lord, Mohammed Farah Aidid.Hunger was his weapon.He used to control the capital, Mogadishu from his stronghold in the ’Bakara Market’ region of the city. All Red cross humanitary shipments of food supplies for the citizens were seized by his followers.This led to large scale deaths due to starvation, lack of medical facilities and epidemics and subsequently to the civil war.
Seeing the futility of sending shipments unarmed, the UN sends troops from several countries to control the situation there.America responds as well and behind thousands of marines and delta force units, shipments arrive to somalia and the situation is restored. But not for long... After months of lying low, Aidid’s followers wait for the last of the marines to withdraw and then declare war on the remaining peacekeepers. This is the backdrop of the story. But let me remind all of those who havent watched the movie yet that Black Hawk Down is not an attempt to analyze what happened in Somalia - its concern is dramatizing 24 hours of hell that killed 18 United States servicemen and injured 70 others while racking up a Somalian body count that numbered in the hundreds. The movie is about combat, not politics. Its about saving the marines onboard the two downed Black Hawk helicopters in the middle of the hostile city by the ground troops.It’s about heroism and courage amidst unspeakable brutality.
This is not an easy film to sit through, but it does what it sets out to do and brings the audience deep into the heart of combat. It’s noisy, messy, and repetitious. There are probably more bullets and explosions than in any recent picture. Yet the illusion of ’’being there’’ is so real that, I remember, when I watched it the first time, at one point, I involuntarily ducked my head to avoid being struck by something!!If you want to heighten the ’being there’ syndrome, watch it in a large screen with surround speakers!!Amazingly, Ridley Scott (gladiator) manages to convey the chaos of the experience without losing the narrative. There is a story to be told here - one based largely on the accounts of the survivors - and it comes across clearly, not muddled.
As the movie progresses, a key supplier of arms and other utilities to Aidid is captured.He goes by the name of Mr.Atto.When he is in custody, Major General William Garrison (Sam shepard) plans a mission to capture several key advisors of Aidid. A lot of faces are introduced from here onwards, including Josh hartnett, Eric bana, Tom sizemore and many many more!!Together, these men, and many others, are about to become involved in a seemingly routine mission that will go disastrously wrong.
The United States wants Aidid out of the way, and this seems to be the best opportunity to advance that goal. But the troops, both on the ground and in the air, encounter stiffer resistance than expected, and this results in the downing of two black hawk helicopters. The ground troops then become divided as the raid turns into a rescue mission, and, in part because of poor planning and in part because of bad luck, the fire fight turns into a debacle. From here onwards, its more of a horrific depiction of the troops trying to survive in the heat of the situation, surrounded by the armed and extremely hostile civilians of the warlord controlled area.
The scenes have been executed perfectly and you’ll see everything from a man’s body ripped apart in halves, a sliced but still somehow held by flesh thumb finger to a missile shell all the way through the middle of the stomach and stuff like that!! But more pathetic is the scene of the half naked body of a marine flung by the hostile civilians.
In short, it’ll keep you on the edge of your seats throughout the 2 hours or so of the movie’s length...There is no uncanny slackness in the scenes anywhere and the movie is tautly paced.
The Actors
Ridley scott knows how to get the work done and all the actors here perform admirably for their short roles.No one can surely be said to be larger than life in this movie where most of the times you’ll find actors tucking inside their helmets..
but of all of them, I personally liked the character played by Eric Bana, the one role of unrelenting camaraderie for fellow men in trouble..one who is not afraid of risking his life to save a few in need.His bravery inspires you like nothing else.And Eric is perfectly upto his character.
The best line I liked in the movie was when in the end of the mission inside the US camp Eric says to Josh hartnett, ’’ You know, a lot of people ask me, why do you do this, fight someone else’s war, are you some kind of a war junkie?? And I dont say a thing..you know why? because they would never understand...its about the person next to you..’’
And boy..was that inspiring??Hell yes!! full marks...
Josh hartnett is okay and Tom Sizemore is once again at it..like Saving private ryan and Pearl harbor...fitting his role!!
Reality watch
This movie is supposedly based on a true life incident but a few things were changed to appeal to the audiences.Firstly, in reality, the last of the soldiers amidst the hostile area were unable to get out, that’s when most of the 19 soldiers were killed.The real figures may be more..who knows ...something US government would never talk about.This is why this unfortunate venture by Bill Clinton’s government was and still is referred as the black and shameful episode in America’s foreign policies.
This was not a heroic rescue operation as depicted in the movie but more a mission of errors, gone horribly wrong.The United States military machine was reminded that its perceived invulnerability was an example of self-delusion once again after Vietnam.
Conclusion
Out and out, Black hawk down is one amazing show of creativity by a director who has given us films like the Gladiator and also of the actors have made this movie one of the few epic war movies going down the hall of fame!!
Its one thunderbolt which’ll hit you in the face and leave you gasping for breath!!
Personal remark
Dont see it with your girlfriend!!
Caayotee out.