Black Hawk Down

Released 18th January 2002, Black Hawk Down follows the true story of a unified task force trying to remove the extremist Somali leader Mohammed Farah Aidid… and their subsequent day under siege. Similar to The Hurt Locker, and many other war films, the film encompasses the themes of comradery, military incompetence, death and conflict; there are also undertones of hunger as a theme in the first few minutes but are dropped after the opening which makes the opening feel somewhat wasted in retrospective. As for the characters, most come across as little more than stock characters who have no time for backstory due tot the intensity of the ensuing battle; whilst aiding the focus on the narrative, it does leave you desiring more from this star-studded cast. Eric Bana is one of the standouts in that he actually takes the threat seriously from beginning to end with Bana imbuing SFC ‘Hoot’ with a commanding vocalisation to convey his leadership qualities.

On the more comedic end of the spectrum, Tom Hardy and Ewen Bremner act as the comic relief of the rangers in their antics as SPC Twobley and SPC Nelson, respectively, which is made natural due to their lacking contact with Somali soldiers through most of the narrative and the specific circumstances they solicit. Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor also do well as the newly drafted SSG Eversmann and SPC ‘Grimesy’, respectively; we see how they both falter under the newly experienced pressures of combat while also being more logistical under the gauze of being fresh from training. McGregor especially has a strong chemistry with William Fichtner’s SFC Sanderson; the two work well together due to the impressionable nature of Grimesy under the experienced Sanderson who takes a shining to the young ranger. While I could spend another 4 paragraphs summarising every individual character and performance, just know that everyone shares great chemistry with one another and everyone (albeit shallow in depth) bestows discernible personalities into their characters.

Interestingly, the majority of the film was shot practically with actual materiel and helicopters being used from the US military themselves to help establish the battle. There are also some interesting editing choices made during the battle to present the back and forth between the higher ups giving orders and the subordinates who are fighting against the clock to receive orders. However, as much as it pains me to say it, Hans Zimmer’s score is completely forgettable; not bad… but perhaps his only forgettable soundtrack. Black Hawk Down is definitely a strong war film with lots of high-points, however, the lacking character depth and occasional narrative beats hold it back from being one of the greats.