Black Hawk Down
Leave no man behind
Director: Ridley Scott
Main Cast: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner , Sam Shepard
Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 29 nominations
US and UN troops are based in Somalia on 3 October 1993. The mission is: take the Warlord’s council and himself hostage. It seems like a simple mission for the Army Rangers. But, a Black Hawk gets shot down and a rescue mission is launched bring back any man, dead or alive. As the Somalia militia move closer to the crash sight the troops become desperate to save their comrades. They’re sent in with the order “Leave no man behind”
We follow the movements of the Army Rangers as their situation and their need to reach their injured comrades grows desperate. The film is very moving as we see how war affects each man in a different way. Some want to give up as they’ve seen their friends fall from bullet wounds others simply get on with the job – saving their friends. The emotions are portrayed very well by everyone and the interaction between all the characters is infallible.
The film is based on the true story of what happened in Somalia in ’93 and it is dedicated to the 19 men who died on that day, as a result the director had the full co-operation of the US military and the use of weapon systems; and soldiers who were involved that day were there too. All that expertise on set leads to a very life like film with fire-fights that were realistic in both tactics and injuries sustained on both sides.
The make up was really good too, with all the blood that comes form treating (and being) wounded. There was one man who lost his legs to a rocket and we could see his internal organs, that part is either a dummy or CGI but it was so realistic that the first time I saw this film I cringed.
Many different stories are followed and tied off in effective ways, we flick between the battle field and the different groups who are there, and base camp where the General is helping to organise operations. I quickly began to feel his frustration as he couldn’t be out on the field with his men. Then the backup troops were sent out and there was a lot of activity in camp, they were eager to leave but scared too. There was one man who threatened to cut a plaster cast off his arm so that he could join his brothers in arms.
The music added another level to everyone’s emotions. There was some great contrasting music when the scenes flicked between the US troops and Aidid (the Warlord) and his men. The army had more classical music whereas Aidid and his men had Jimmy Hendricks, rockier, and showed their feelings of anticipation and excitement. The music for the army showed their military approach of order and precision.
The attention to detail is massive, whether it’s a background character that’s only in the screen shot for a matter of seconds or a lead character everyone has the same high standard of acting and make up, mostly blood, and ripped clothes, injuries, how their emotions communicated.
There were a lot of different approaches to the camera angles; at times we were watching everything from the level of the soldiers, at one point the camera is at the level of someone’s feet, I initially thought that a camera angle like that would be pointless but it works. We also see a rocket fly into a man from the level of the rocket which is interesting to watch and highly effective too.
Although this is a fast moving, high impact film there are some sentimental moments where the Rangers give each other pep-talks to get them back into the fight. The end is quite sad as Eversman (Josh Hartnett) talks to one of his dead comrades and says that he knows his reply to a question he got asked before he left for Somalia: “Do you all think your hero’s?” his reply would be “No it just sometimes turns out that way,”
Black Hawk Down has had me gripped until the very end every time I’ve watched it; it’s the fact that it’s based on a true story that makes me think for ages after watching. You see the bravery of all the man on that day, and that which still happens today as a result of war. We see the lengths that soldiers are willing to go to, to help save their men and defend countries even if it’s not their own. At the end, before the credits, there are the names of the 19 men who died on 3 October 1993 and the very ends of a few of the stories are told.
A fast paced action film and not for the faint hearted. Rated 15 as it has a lot of language and fighting. Although it’s an old film I’d recommend it to everyone who can take a war film. Buying it on DVD is a must. If you liked Band of Brothers and Behind Enemy Lines you are guaranteed to like it.
5/5
