Relentlessly tense and realistic war drama

Rating: 7/10 (27 April 2018)

From the first scene to the last, 'Black Hawk Down' never lets up. The non-stop battlefield action, complete with relentless gunshots, explosions and bloodshed, makes for a very tense two and a half hours of viewing. Rather than focusing on a particular character or event, 'Black Hawk Down' gives a wider perspective of war - a realistic and hard hitting account of the horrors that take place on the battlefield.
It's far from the perfect war film, however, and it's relentless pace means that not everything that takes place is totally clear. As it jumps from one frantic situation to the next with virtually no respite, it can be difficult to keep up with what's happening and to which characters, especially since the film is largely shot from the ground. That said, the film as a whole functions well as a war account and makes for a tense and absorbing viewing experience.