‘Black Hawk’ a must see war film

Since Black Hawk Down was released in Los Angeles and New York City on Christmas Day, most consumers of popular media have read, listened or watched critics laud Ridley Scott’s recreation of the warring between United States troops and Mogadishu warlords that occurred in Somalia during the fall of 1993.

These critics have stamped Black Hawk Down with Oscar anticipation, and have pre-empted viewer’s moviegoing experience with chatter of best picture splendor and sheer, uninhibited, truthful cinema. Maybe I ate some bad popcorn, but I didn’t see the movie as an instant classic. Scott’s portrait of the conflict briefly outlines the reasons for the United Nations and United States intrusion into Somalia, but like the remainder of the movie, is told strictly from one side. Realistically, two moments are given to the Somalis. This is unlike the book, written by Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Mark Bowden, which objectively looks at the war from both sides.

It may have been easier for me to enjoy all of Black Hawk Down if equal time had been spent exploring both sides of the fight, like Bowden’s excellent investigative book does. Conversely, kudos need to be given to Scott, because transferring Black Hawk Down to the big screen – even if only a portion was transferred – is a monumentally difficult task. Scott achieves this through a fairly quick pace and beautiful cinematography, if such a word can be used to catalogue a war film.

The cast of Black Hawk Down was certainly diverse, but I found myself delighted by the nameless characters – the non-superstars – because they drove the emotion and pulse of the film. Josh Hartnett, one of the big names of the film, may be a dreamboat, but he is an unconvincing soldier, both in Pearl Harbor and in this movie. And as much as I enjoy Ewan McGregor, although I’ve yet to see Moulin Rouge, his Texas-style, over-the-top American accent was way too cheesy.

Good, but not great, that is gist of Black Hawk Down.

Grade: B