Terrific cinematography

Rating: 8/10 (23 January 2002)

My comments will probably have been made by others such is the impact this film has. This is not war lite as usually portrayed with lots of scene setting, character establishment and a romantic interlude, indeed one hardly gets to know most of the cast before being plunged into the operation itself, which despite huge resources goes horribly wrong.
No punch is pulled as we see helicopters downed, men shot dead and the wounded die horribly. Quick cutting, frequent aerial shots and a greyish feel to the colour stock make this almost documentary in style now and again. This is Ridley Scott at the height of his powers, bringing an exciting story alive and keeping you on the edge of your seat as to who will get out or not.
The young cast do immensely well, including many boyish Brits usually only seen on television before - I was surprised to see Matthew Marsden, previously just a minor bit of male totty in Coronation Street (the UK's biggest soap for our foreign readers) as the guy with the cast on his arm.
I must say for a newshound like myself I don't remember this episode from the news at the time, but the closing titles telling how 1,000 Somalis died makes a pertinent message. Were we cheering for the right guys on the day.............
Morocco's run down cities, and they would not have had to much set dressing from my visits there, stand in for Mogadishu.
Superb film, dubious morality, but probably fitting the times excellently in the West after 11th September.