Black Hawk Down (2001)

Number Rolled: 51

Movie Name/Year: Black Hawk Down (2001)

Genre: Action & Adventure

Length: 144 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Ridley Scott

Writer: Mark Bowden, Ken Nolan

Actors: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, Ewen Bremner, Sam Shepard, Gabriel Casseus, Kim Coates, Hugh Dancy, Ron Eldard, Ioan Gruffudd, Tom Guiry, Charlie Hofheimer, Danny Hoch, Jason Isaacs, Zeljko Ivanek, Glenn Morshower, Jeremy Piven, Brendan Sexton III, Johnny Strong, Richard Tyson, Brian Van Holt, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Steven Ford, Ian Virgo, Tom Hardy, Gregory Sporleder, Carmine Giovinazzo, Chris Beetem, Tac Fitzgerald, Matthew Marsden, Orlando Bloom

This story, based on a real event, shows the ordeal Delta Force Soldiers and Army Rangers went through in order to kidnap two crime lords in war-torn Somalia. What is supposed to be an easy mission turns into one of the longest ground battles involving Americans since Vietnam, after a Black Hawk helicopter is shot down. The Americans are committed to getting every one of their men out, and so they are surrounded and must fight until help arrives.

To be honest, I don’t actually know the historical validity of this movie. I’m not a historian and I wasn’t really old enough to care about the news when this event would have taken place. Since many of my friends have gone into, or come from, the military I’ve cared a great deal, but that’s now. The real terror of “Black Hawk Down” is that, even if it’s not word for word exactly what happened – it easily could have been. It projects into the audience the anxiety and confusion of war in the most realistic manner I’ve ever seen. The story is heartbreaking and difficult to separate yourself from.

There wasn’t an actor in it that I didn’t believe. Hartnett was the main lead, and he was absolutely outstanding, but so was everyone else in the film.

I’d highly recommend this movie, to most viewers. However, there’s no comedy and no light-heartedness to break up the harsh light of the main storyline. I’d recommend any viewer with sensitivities to violence reconsider their film-viewing options.

Overall Opinion – 4.5/5