On
October
3, 1993
, a group of 123 Delta Force soldiers
is dropped by helicopter into the Somalian city of
Mogadishu
for the purpose of capturing the
cabinet of a corrupt warlord. The
tale, based on a historical incident, deals with the myriad aspects of the
mission that go horribly wrong as two choppers crash and most of those on
the ground are left to face the wrath of a city full of heavily armed
Somalis, while efforts continue to extract them.
Steve
says:
Okay,
let me just surrender up front and say that I will no doubt owe Patty one
really sappy
estrogen-flick
after this intense two and a half-hours of bloody battle scenes.
This movie has more viscera per minute than just about anything
I’ve ever seen. But, then
it’s a war movie, so what did you expect -- The Joffrey Ballet?
The upshot is that I have lost all feeling in my left arm as the
result of the death grip that Patty kept on it from the moment the first
bullet was fired.
BLACK
HAWK DOWN manages to skirt most of the war movie clichés that we’ve
been brought up on: the new recruit, who won’t live long enough to see
the baby his wife is having; the coward who rises to a moment of brief but
shining heroism; the short-timer who goes on one last mission, never to
return home alive. Also, most
war movies spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get us to care
about everyone so that we’ll be devastated when they’re killed.
Not this one. We barely
learn anyone’s name before the mission is blown and hell explodes on
earth. But even if we don’t
care about the dead and the wounded, it’s okay because the characters
do. BLACK HAWK DOWN
distinguishes itself from run-the-mill war movies in this regard more than
any other: there is genuine caring
and deep sorrow when a life is lost.
Everything possible is done to try to avoid anyone having to make
that ultimate sacrifice. Never
have I seen such reverence for human life in a war film.
If
you remember the first twenty minutes of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, then you
have some idea of the level of battle action that takes up the last two
thirds of BLACK HAWK DOWN. Once
the action begins, there is scant let-up until the film’s end.
No moments of contemplation, wondering if perhaps it isn’t
“just a little too quiet.”
No listening to crickets around a camp fire as someone plays a
harmonica. Once the violence
begins, it is relentless and in your face -- much like a pitched battle
must be like in the real world.
You
may be led to expect another kind of movie, given that BLACK HAWK DOWN’S
producer is Jerry Bruckheimer. Yes,
this is the same Jerry Bruckheimer who brought us TOP GUN, THE ROCK, CON
AIR and oh, let’s not forget
PEARL HARBOR
. I
was beginning to think that perhaps “bruckheimer” was the German word
for “huge, loud, empty movie.” But
Bruckheimer redeems himself with BLACK HAWK DOWN, a film that is far more
thoughtful and realistic than all of his others combined.
This is no escapist entertainment.
Make no mistake, it’s a tough one to watch.
But watch it, you should.
I
must admit I gained a small measure of respect for Josh Hartnett.
He made little impression on me in
PEARL HARBOR, but considering what utter tripe that
jerry-rigged love story was, it’s not surprising.
It seems Hartnett does have some acting chops, which he puts to
good use here as Sergeant Matt Eversmann, who functions as the heart and
soul of the story. Oh, and
speaking of acting, check out Tom Sizemore as Lt. Colonel Danny McKnight.
Sizemore owns every scene he’s in.
Playwright/actor
Sam Shepard anchors the film as Major General William Garrison, who looks
on helplessly via video reconnaissance cameras as his men are trapped and
attacked. With each
chopper crash or loss of life, Shepard is a study in controlled grief.
It’s a tour de force, but not of the sort that tends to win
awards. To some, it’s just
too minimalist to be considered “real” acting, which, of course, is
precisely what it is.
Director
Ridley Scott not only draws the best from his actors, but he also delivers
where we’ve come to expect it -- in the visuals department.
From first frame to last, BLACK HAWK DOWN is a series of visually
arresting images that put us right into the belly of the beast.
And
so, Patty my dear, I owe you one three-hanky chick flick to make up for
what I put you through with BLACK HAWK DOWN.
Just -- please God -- don’t let it
be
the
next
Kevin Costner
atrocity.
I still haven’t forgiven you for dragging me to MESSAGE IN A
BOTTLE and I probably never will.
BLACK
HAWK DOWN is a solid four-kernel movie.
*
* * *
Patty
says:
Steve,
you don't give me enough credit. When I agreed to see this film I
knew I was going to see blood, guts and occasional brain matter flying.
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN upped the ante on projectile body parts. I
generally expect to be grossed out in contemporary war movies, but BLACK
HAWK DOWN was so gory that 45 minutes into the film, I had no idea which
character was which. One blood-soaked, sweaty, dirty, soldier looked
just like the next to me.
Suffice it to say I won't be commenting on the merits of the individual
actors.
It's not that I even find chick flicks that appealing. The guy meets
girl, guy chases girl, guy gets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl, gets
old. At least there IS a girl in chick flicks, however. The
only female in evidence was a quick scene of the wife of one of the
pilots. None of the relationships were fully developed. There
wasn't time. We had to get to the guts n' gore. This
movie lacked all the important components for a 5 kernel rating from me.
No relationship tension, no hot sex scenes, no snappy repartee, no nubile
guy tushes (at least those in one piece) and the good guys really didn't
win (Whoops!
Mea culpa if that's news flash for some of you). If wanting to see
the motivation for guys being willing to die for one another makes me
shallow, call me Vanna.
Action junkies will love this film. Once the perfunctory
introduction of the characters takes place, the highly charged battle
scenes just don't stop. About the time you think things can't get
much worse, another seventy-five to a hundred well-armed Somalis corner
five or six of the good guys. And, the good guys are ALL good guys.
There isn't the turncoat, or coward that you typically see in war films.
The commanding officers calling the shots were misguided, but honorable.
There really wasn't anyone on the home team that gave you reasons not to
like him. Nobody balked at going back into the action, nobody ran
off and left the fallen buddy in the dust and nobody said, "Hell
no!
I'm not dyin' in
Somalia
for a cause we can't win anyway."
The battle scenes are spectacular and realistic. You get your undies
all bunched up squirming in your seat with unbridled suspense. You
have several opportunities to close your eyes when things get a little too
gory and nobody will notice because they have their eyes shut too.
In short, it was a
testosterone
fest
of the first order.
Give this one three kernels.
*
* * *
