Here's my review of the film taken from
http://www.currentlyplaying.com
Blackhawk Down
A Film Review by Camilo Arenivar
Some may dismiss this film as just another combat film, while others will view it as a historical film. I consider Ridley Scott's adaptation of Mark Bowden's true story novel, Blackhawk Down to be one of the best war movies of all time.
Blackhawk Down is an adaptation of the novel, Blackhawk Down: A Story of Modern War. That is something that we do get to see this film, it is a first and somewhat enlightening to see a movie made about events that have occurred in most of my generation's lifetime. The Blackhawk Down story revolves around our involvement in Somalia in 1993. The involvement there did not make huge headlines and went away as fast as they came, but something completely disastrous happened there. We had a task force made up of Delta Force (the US Army's elite counter-terrorism unit), Rangers, and a helicopter unit. Together, they were called Task Force Ranger and were made up of 450 men. On October 3, 1993 they were to perform a 60-minute task and pick up some Somalian warlords from a dangerous part of Mogadishu. Of course, everything goes completely wrong when the unit sent encounters much stronger than expected resistance. Ridley Scott does a fantastic job of creating a sense of ominous doom prior to the group of soldiers heading out on the helicopters known as "blackhawks". One of the most amazing things about this film is realizing this is a true story, and it happened less than ten years ago.
The movie clearly explains to us exactly what was going on in Somalia at the time and exactly why these American troops were sent in to do the operation that they do. From a historical standpoint it does wonders in bringing clarity to a not too publicized real life event. But this movie does not play out like a PBS documentary; this is a movie about a very heated battle that occurred. And it is made by Ridley Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, so we are not going to be nodding off, not at all. This is an all out Hollywood production, but it never goes over the top, it presents exactly what happened and gives you a few different opinions on war. It does not slam an anti-war message down your throat or a pro-military one either, it just shows exactly what happened in a fast paced no holds barred manner.
Blackhawk Down violently and graphically portrays the injuries and mutilations that occurred and once the fighting begins, it is non-stop gunfire, explosions, crashes, shouts and screams. The movie initially centers on Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett), who ends up having to lead one of the Blackhawk teams into Mogadishu. Ewan McGregor plays Company Clerk John Grimes who gets to be on the battle lines for the first time and what a first time it is.
The one fault of this film is there is no real character development, and with them all being white males with buzz cuts it does at time get hard to distinguish one from another. But this film is not a "character movie", it is not a dialogue movie, it is a true movie, it is a movie about war. It is a movie about the camaraderie amongst soldiers at war, and the adherence to the Ranger's motto, "Leave No Man Behind". It is with haunting diligence that the people in this film stick to that motto, as they did when this really happened.
There has been some criticism about this film being all about combat and not having a story, or that it has lots of numbing violence but "nothing new". The reality is this is a movie based on a book about a real event; did you want people to make a lot of things up? Some critics get mad when Hollywood embellishes true stories yet when it shocking and realistically portrays a horrifying reality, it is too violent and lacking in story. Go figure!
This is the most intense movie of 2001, a beautifully filmed movie that gives us differing perspectives on war from the mouths of the people fighting it. Ridley Scott has captured a moment in time and dragged us into it. This is a painful but must see film for anyone that can handle the graphic violence. Some people say this is a more violent film that Saving Private Ryan, and it very well may be. This is not a feel good movie; this is not a film you will leave with a smile on your face. Yet it is one of the most compelling films I have seen this year, I did not want to leave my seat but there were times I could not look at the screen. Not for the squeamish, but not too be missed, Blackhawk Down is one of the most realistic, and powerful war films ever made.