A Lot of Action, But Where's the Context?

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2002)

"Blackhawk Down" has now been the top grossing film in the USA for the past three weeks. Quite apparently there are themes, or visualizations which resonate with the American population, as our troops are in action at this moment in Afghanistan. Absent the very real daily heroics in Southwest Asia reported in newspapers and on television to the US population, I do not think Blakhawk Down would have been so successful. It is a well-made movie which strives for (and succeeds in) authenticity, but it is not, in my opinion a "great movie" or would stand as such on its own in different circumstances.
I think that for Americans, (including myself), and particularly in light of the military tactics employed with such success against the Taliban forces in Afghanistan, the frustration of watching the dire situation of the Army Rangers and Special Operations soldiers stranded and surrounded after the ambush is exacerbated by the knowledge that what was done in Khandahar this Winter could just as easily been done in Mogadishu ten years ago . This is a major part of the story which is essentially ignored by the movie. Another is any real mention of the planning and motivation of the "warlord" forces who ambushed the US troops and were trying to kill them. A lengthy synopsis of the history of African politics or essay on international affairs may not be not necessary, but some type of context is needed as we watch the firefights and carnage.
A perfunctory set-up of the situation in Somalia is given at the beginning of the film. There is some attempt to explore the military culture of the US soldiers, but this too is far too abbreviated; some distinction is made between Rangers and the Delta force personnel, but no explanation is forthcoming. (Why could a Delta Sergeant speak so dismissively to a Ranger Colonel in the mess line?). The fact that the Army Rangers are themselves a very elite unit is not emphasized, and I do not think the general public (even one now following the news from Afghanistan) knows the real distinctions between regular soldiers, airborne soldiers, airborne Rangers and Special Forces. The point is that these men represented the very best of the US Army in terms of training and motivation. The Delta personnel, the absolute best of the best, consider themselves answerable to none but their own (also shown later in the film).
As I mentioned, no effort is made to illuminate the thinking of the Americans' antagonists or to explain their actions. In fact, the Somalis in question had studied Rangers rappelling down from Blackhawk helicopters, and so knew when best to strike. The US raiding party was ambushed, and then cut off, while efforts were made to extract them. This is the heart of the movie, and it is done very well: pinned down, the US soldiers, vastly outnumbered and outgunned, try to cope with their situation and await rescue while surrounded by heavily armed "militia" indistinguishable from the general population. Unlike many movies, the heroics shown were quite real: it really did happen that way (there is a Documentary on the ambush now on the History Channel). Why, however, was this ambush undertaken by the Somalis? What did they hope to gain? Why was a prisoner taken and later released? What was the reaction of the rest of the population?

For an American viewer, other questions pose themselves more urgently: Where were the fighter-bombers? Where were the Cobra gunships? Where were the US reinforcements? President Clinton had been quite specific in limiting the American military presence, completely ignoring the manpower and equipment requirements stipulated by the officers in charge of the Somalia expedition. There were no US forces, or adequate airpower or armor to face that contingency (which the Somalis knew). This deserved some mention or explanation in the film (but then again, Hollywood loves Slick Willy and won't do him wrong). The ignominious withdrawl of the US troops after the ambush ordered by Clinton was a major factor in the renewed interest in attacking Americans and American interests on the part of adversaries around the globe, strengthening the belief that American casualties will end any American international involvement- a belief quoted very enthusiastically recently by those espousing a "holy war" against the US.
We see what happened, but we don't know why. In the end, "Blackhawk Down" provides an interesting vignette of soldiers in action, and is horrifying realistic in its portrayal of the gore of combat, but raises far more questions then it answers, and these are answers that the movie's viewers deserve to be told.