A Riviting Combat Film Told With Extraordinary Power and Vision

Rating: 10/10 (20 January 2002)

Before I comment about "Black Hawk Down", I would like to address the fact that some viewers are not impressed with this film for reason such as having a lack of plot, no character development, or being too violent. While I can agree with the fact that this movie has little character development, but saying "Black Hawk Down" doesn't have enough plot or is too violent is too much to swallow. This movie is a reinactment of a battle that actually took place in Oct. of '93. While it isn't 100% accurate, it stays as true to the event as it possibly could. This is what happened, people. This is the story of the men who were there and what they had to endure. There aren't supposed to be little plot gimmicks like character betrayal, and what not. I've heard of people complaining about the fact that it doesn't have a love story either. This isn't "Pearl Harbor" people. This movie doesn't have to have a rediculous love story to keep it interesting. This is what "Pearl Harbor" should have been. Second, this movie doesn't have to rely on character development to create an emotional connection between the audience and the characters. We are given their names, and we've come to understand their personalities before they are thrown into the midst of battle. What they have to face by the angry Somalian Militia is more than enough for us to care deeply about them. We really don't need pointless info about where they grew up or what their parents were like. Finally, some people have moaned and groaned about the amount of violence in the movie. First of all, this isn't a Disney picture. If you don't want to see realistic violence, go see "Snow Dogs". Secondly, this is a war movie. It portrays what soldiers have to face during battle, and sometimes violence is on that list. That's reality people, it happens during war. What do you expect when thousands of bullets are flying is all directions? There's going to be a very considerable amount of blood and gore. People are going to be(SPOILERS!!!) blown in half, people are going to lose limbs, and yes, a bullet is going to rip through a leg and damage an artery. That's the grim reality of war. If you don't like it, don't go see a war movie. It's as simple as that. That aside, Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" is a masterpiece. It is very well acted, and directed, and it's the most honest portrayal of what war is like is to date. The score, by Hans Zimmer is classical in every sense of the word. Its melodies are haunting yet uplifting. It's one of Zimmer's best, bested only by his score for "Gladiator". Everything else, from the camera work, to the special effects, is superb. While I hesitate to call this the best motion picture of all time, I do feel, however, that it is the finest war picture ever made, and it is easily the best movie of 2001.