Ok war movie, I guess

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2002)

By todays standards for what makes a good war movie, then I guess Black Hawk down is one. It seems like war movies have been reduced to battle scenes, explosions and gunshots. War movies have lost their personality. No more is the social context surrounding wars examined, like they were in older war movies such as Apocalypse now, All quiet on the western front, and the deer hunter.
The "saving private ryan" age of war movies are judged by what movie can create the most realistic battle scenes so that the audience can fully experience a battle field in war. Black Hawk down does just that, with some of the most intense, and realistic scenes I have ever witnessed on film. However is that what people go to see war movies for? I know thats not why I go to see war movies. If I wanted battlefield experience, then I would go fight in a war. The movie seemed to lack a personality, like most modern day war movies do. It did not examine the U.S involvment in the war, it just basically said "Ok we are fighting in somalia, lets not examine why, lets just show the audience what its like to fight in somalia". The movie did a poor job of setting up a background as to why the conflict even occured.
The success and critical acclaim of Saving private Ryan seems to have marked the end of an era in war film history. The days of studying the social context of war have been replaced by which movie can produce the most excellent, realistic battle scene.