Black Hawk Down is the story of a real event that took place in 1993. Somalia is going through a horrible famine ("on a biblical scale", as the opening subtitles read), and the UN is helping out by sending food. Unfortunately, the warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid, ruling Somalia with an iron fist, takes the imported food from the dying civilians. The U.S. sends in Delta Force troops and Rangers to take out Aidid. On the day that the movie is concerned with, the Americans are given a relatively simple mission: surround a building in which some of Aidid's most important men are, move in, and bring out the prisoners. The U.S. troops expect the whole thing to be over in an hour.
However, things start going horribly wrong when one of the U.S.'s helicopters, a Black Hawk, gets shot down. What was anticipated to be a simple mission turns into a desparate attempt to get all the men back safely.
This was a good war film; however, nearly the entire movie consists of brutal fighting. It is not really concerned much with plot; once the movie gets kicking, the focus is completely on the fighting. For this reason, not everyone will like it. But those who particularly enjoy war films should be pleased.
Black Hawk Down may not be for everyone, but it is still a good movie that tells of a true historical event that many are not familiar with. As long as you can stomach constant war violence and deal with almost as much swearing, Black Hawk Down is worth a watching. |
