Black Hawk Down Film Review

Black Hawk Down is known as a controversial film with the delicate subject matter as its central focus. The plot is taken from author Mark Bowden’s account of the events surrounding the efforts of the U.S. Military to capture the Somali military leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid. In the capital of Mogadishu before it ultimately descended into an all-out war zone. The resulting mission which had intended to be stealth get in and get out operation had ended up becoming a battle that cost the lives of various U.S. Soldiers and Mogadishu citizens. The events were marked as a pivotal feat of outside military involvement and changed the course on policy and what would shape significant events to come.

The film’s first depiction of the burgeoning battle gives context to what had occurred before. The poor conditions of its citizens, caused by the famine by control of their leaders and which starts America’s involvement to extract Aidid under the command of General Garrison played by Sam Shepard. The film gets to the proceedings pretty quickly. While there is that inevitable feeling of unease as the soldiers make their way to the town centre of Mogadishu. The scene itself is paced very well and makes it all the more disturbing when the mission goes horribly wrong.

The majority of the film is essentially the battle itself. Soldiers are separated; various bullets; rockets and other forms of weaponry being used. All create this crescendo that drowns the characters as they struggle to survive and complete their mission, and that is primarily the film’s strength. The film deftly captures the brutality of warfare and even the confusion of it all. I think that the lack of character development that has been noted in reviews, I believe actively makes the film’s point. The chaos that emanates pushes characters aside for little time to quickly focus on others, which creates a disorientating effect that is not so much distracting as authentic. There are big names amongst the cast, and although they play soldiers of a certain rank, none of them think to grandstand and instead play secondary to the story itself.

I think Ridley Scott made a commendable effort of depicting the events as brutal and disorientating. The film may not be everyone, but one can’t deny how well-executed the film is and with a brilliant cast of actors that commit themselves to the best of their ability. So, as a war film goes, it’s well put together, and as a statement of war, it’s effectively sombre.

4/5