History Lesson

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 2002)

This movie is an uncomfortable, agonizing film for all the gore and feelings of utter helplessness evoked. The shock value of Saving Private Ryan's opening 25 minutes has now been expanded into a feature length film. Whether this is entertainment or not may be argued. What is not at issue is that the death, desperation, thirst, and mayhem lasted considerably longer than the 2 hour investment the viewer is asked to make. While it may elevate the Rangers (NOT Texas Rangers) and the Delta Force to hero status, their sacrifices were certainly worthy of it. Reviewers who take the film to task as glorifying the American military are embarrassingly ignorant of the history of US/UN involvement in that country.
Many reviewers have taken the producers and writers to task for not providing a balanced and more charitable view of the Somalis. Indeed, this is true. Like most non-fiction books, the book is better than the translated film version. I saw the movie before reading Mark Bowden's excellent book which I recommend to anyone seeking an intellectual recounting of the events in Mogadishu. But it is after all a movie and only that. A documentary has been done already - the PBS show "Frontline" recounted US involvement in Somalia and is also recommended to anyone seeking a dispassionate analysis.
In any final analysis, Aided is dead and Somalia still has no viable government. More film documentaries showing "both sides" of the battle will never change that.