Some where there to kick ass, others to try to make a difference

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2013)

This film is about a simple mission that is supposed to take an hour maximum. That soon changes into a full blown battle when a black hawk is shot down. At that moment the U.S. forces loose their initiative and complete chaos breaks out in the streets of Mogadishu as the soldiers are heavily outnumbered trying to stay alive and most importantly keeping their friends alive too. The only advantage they have is their training although many lack the experience.
But what is it that makes this film so good? For me it's the reality. Although I have never seen war with my own eyes this film is what I think comes the closest to showing the brutality of warfare. Ridley Scott is a genius in making the perfect atmosphere and that is not lacking in this film.
But why is this film more realistic than most other war films? I noticed one thing while watching which takes a huge part in this films excellence. In the battle scenes, everything happens very fast. There are no pausing moments even though something tragic happens there are no close ups of the soldiers faces or emotional music in the background. The battle continues in the same speed as before much like in reality. Now you may be thinking "but what kind of a war film doesn't have emotional scenes?" Well this film has emotional scenes and lots of them. They just don't happen in the heat of the battle but instead when the battle slows down or when the soldiers are in a safe place for the time being. It's then when they have time to take a breath and get their minds straight. Thats when they realize all the horror that has taken place. That has a lot of effect on the viewers as well because now we have time to think about the previous events. If you have ever been in a tough situation where you are suddenly in a danger of harming yourself you would know that you don't really think about what to do, you just do it. It isn't until it's over when you realize what has happened.
Another thing that helps to make this film so real is that there is no main character. You get to know a few characters but none of them is more important than the other. Ofcurse some have more screen time than others but I think it's very well balanced. Having many characters and no hero that tells the story makes it much easier to connect to them and place yourself in their steps.
I think this is the best anti war film ever made. Yes this is an anti war film although it tells a true story about a "successful" mission. First of all because the amount of reality as I have talked about, and secondly this mission wasn't really that successful. The tragic truth is that 19 men died in vain. Aidid was still in command. Although he was not the key to the crisis because if you look at Somalia today 20 years later it's still pretty much the same.
This film isn't about the mission itself or whether it was successful or not. It's about the men that fight the battle. Even though I think those men died in vain, they are no less heroes as other brave soldiers who die in war. They are heroes because they always look out for each other and leave no man behind. Hoot describes it very well when he explains why he is always on the front lines. "They wouldn't understand why we do it, they wouldn't understand that it's about the man next to you." And for me that is what this film is all about. These soldiers are trying to make a difference, to watch out for each other, make sure every one gets home alive. It's just that you don't have much luck trying to make a difference with a gun in your hand.
I said earlier that I haven't seen war with my own eyes, but this I know well. My fathers older brother worked for the red cross in Afghanistan 6 months before the battle of Mogadishu. He was shot down trying to safe wounded men. He is the only Icelander that has died working for the red cross. Although that is 3 years before I was born I fully understand this event. He knew the risks but the will to help people who needed it badly that is what kept him working there. It's pretty much the same for those soldiers fighting on the streets of Mogadishu watching out for each other. But their job was not to help people, their job was to fight back. They were all trying the best they could to help but that doesn't really work well with a gun in your hand.
In the end this film tells the true story of the soldiers fighting the battle of Mogadishu. No Hollywood style action and no unrealistic events. It tells the truth.