143 minutes of stylized pain

Rating: 1/10 (23 January 2002)

On first thought, I wanted to accuse Black Hawk Down of being artless. But there's a sort of artful effect, one that communicates on a completely different emotional frequency than what I'm accustomed to. I was not entertained; this movie had no pleasing or inspiring effect. I simply left feeling taumatized. This film paints its monotone point in gore, smoke, and expressions of suffering. I was expecting trauma, but not with the intensity and tedium with which BHD doles it out. I feel awful I invited several friends and thankful they politely declined.