Propaganda, Yes. Nonetheless Revealing

Rating: 7/10 (20 September 2015)

I have watched Black Hawk Down a few times, and despite agreeing with some of the negative reviews that the production is a typical pro-U.S. war film, I do believe that it makes some effort not only to honor the troops who died in Somalia in 1993, but also to suggest how wrongheaded it is for the US military to become embroiled in other nations' civil wars.
It is true that the soldiers depicted all have a swagger to them, and they call Somalis "skinnies", and they act as though the death of one of their own is worth many times more than those of the enemy, but I believe that this is how U.S. soldiers view matters, so there is value in being offered some insight into that perspective, as distasteful as it may be. The truth is the truth, and it helps to explain what happened later, in Iraq, as well.
I also find that Black Hawk Down does a good job of capturing the raw emotions of the soldiers as they confront seemingly insurmountable problem after problem. That glimpse into how they process the horror of watching their buddies blown away is bound to be cross-cultural, not unique to this particular group of Americans.
The film does not glorify the mission but instead reveals how pointless it was. The cinematography and pacing was quite good. Even if it did not attempt to reenact a chapter of military history, this production would be worthwhile as an action-adventure movie.