Dullest of the dull

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2003)

One of the most overrated films on the imdb (how it scored over six out of ten I do not know) is also one of the most shallow and monotonous. But, hey, it DID come from the same man who produced the worst film of the last few years, Pearl Harbour and the dumbest film of recent memory- Armageddon.
Based on a true story of a 1993 mission to topple a dictator, Black Hawk Down is, if anything a vivid depiction of the horrors of war. With one of the best directors around (Ridley Scott)and an all-star cast (Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor etc.) how could this fail? The movie really fails from the start as it possesses a dog of a screenplay which does not bother to relate the audience to the characters in the situation (a la Saving Private Ryan)as we never get a chance to get to know them. This would be less of a travesty if the final act of the film didn't need the audience to relate to the characters, but it did. The supposedly poignant ending just comes across as pathetic and cliched. Ewan McGregor is the only one who comes out of the film with their reputation intact as the remainder of the cast come across as wooden and lifeless. Josh Hartnett is a capable actor but after this and Pearl Harbour, his credibility and hireability should really be brought into question.
One of the only plus points of the film, is the combination of Scott's direction and the superb cinematography. Visually this film is superb and extremely arresting. The lighting and some of the visual contrasts employed are nothing short of astonishing. However good cinematography does not make a good film and it only emphasises the fact the film is so emotionally and ideologically shallow.
Ridley Scott- why?