It's about the man next to ya...

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2004)

With stunning visual movies such as BLADE RUNNER and GLADIATOR, Ridley Scott brings us yet another spectacular film. This time, it's in the form of one of the greatest depictions of war ever to be brought to the big screen.

The film is based on actual events in Mogadishu, Somalia, 1993. At the time, Somalia was a nation conflicted with civil war. Somalian warlord, Mohammed Farrah Aidid, commanded a militia whose methods of control led to genocide. Elite American soldiers, Army Rangers and Delta Force, needed to extract Aidid's two top lieutenants. Major General Garrison, played by Sam Garrison, scheduled a raid that was to take no longer than an hour. What was supposed to take an hour, resulted in a 24 hour firefight in which 19 American soldiers lost their lives.
A major objective in the mission was to not leave any man behind, and the soldiers certainly obeyed and were discipled to that rule. The actors were familiarized with how the Army Rangers and Delta Force trained by participating in a week long training demonstration. From learning how to properly hold a gun to blowing up doors, the actors learned a lot.
Great performances from all the actors, especially Eric Bana. This film, and the Australian drama, CHOPPER, catapulted Bana to international stardom. A true depiction of what war is like and what soldiers go through out on the battlefield. ***1/2 out of ****