Probably the best war film since Coppola & Stone.

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2002)

Ridley Scott proves he still has the right stuff in this faithful account of the tragic events that occurred in Somalia in 1993. Although everything in the book (by Mark Bowden) could obviously not be included, Scott at least alluded to those details which make the soldiers real people, rather than the usual stereotypes seen in films (war films, in particular).

The pacing is perfect, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Scott's use of special camera effects--a brief freeze on a severed hand, blurring during chaotic moments, handheld shots--effectively convey the mayhem of war. You feel as if you are down there on the ground with these people.
The intensity of the violence in this film has been criticized by some, but battle IS intense. War is ugly--and this film conveys that. Through the characters, you feel the agony of lives needlessly lost--on both sides.
Watching this film, I was aware how easily one of those young men could be someone I know, someone who might now be gone forever from my life. Three cheers to Mark Bowden and Ridley Scott for having the courage to tell it like it is.