| ~Movie Review~ Black Hawk Down. |
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| STORYLINE: When 300, 000 Somalian civilians died in 1992, the Rangers and Troops knew they needed to take action against the hunger and murder Aidid was inflicting in Somalia. They set out with a 2 week time frame in mind, but 6 weeks later they were growing impatient. Something so simple as a raid in Somalia on October 3rd of 1993 turns into an explosive bloodbath when the Australian Rangers and Delta Force Troops join forces and charge in at 2:20 pm, expecting to be in and out in an hour. In an attempt to capture hostages and threaten the enemy warlord, Aidid, everything goes terribly wrong, especially for loveable 18-year-old Todd Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) who had intended to "kick some ass" but didn't make it through the first ten minutes. In a true story of battling bravery where no man is left behind; follow the choices, the sacrifices, and the decisions made after a black hawk goes down. CHARACTERS INCLUDE: Todd Blackburn: Orlando Bloom Sergeant Matt Eversmann: Josh Hartnett Specialist Grimes: Ewan McGregor Lieutenant Colonel Danny McKnight: Tom Sizemore Sergeant First Class 'Hoot' Gibson: Eric Bana Sergeant First Class Jeff Sanderson: William Fichtner Specialist Sergeant Shawn Nelson: Ewen Bremmer Major General William F Garrison : Sam Shepard Specialist Mike Kurth: Gabriel Casseus FOCUS: Foremost, the focus remains that of the fight against the Somalians: the angered civilians wanting the Rangers and Troops off their territory. Only expecting to be in and out of the hostile area of Somalia within an hour, the danger and severity of the shootings escalates as the courageous men result in staying there for 24 hours, unable to get out. BRIEFS: Well although this is no recount, but merely briefs, I can honestly say this is going to be literally brief. Because the basis of this movie, although simple, was utterly horrific. Once a Rangers Lieutenant undergoes an epileptic fit before the excerise on October 3rd, Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett) is ordered to take his place and lead the Rangers out by Hawk. (Hawks are black helicopters known as birds ... or something like that). After giving his fellow recruits a pep talk before entering the hostile area of Somalia, and bonding with excited new recruit Todd Blackburn (Orlando Bloom), they head off in groups: some in Hawks, others in war vehicles through the streets. As the Hawks stop in the middle of a deserted street, they lower themselves and let out the soldiers via ropes on each side. This causes a catastrophe for the new recruit, Blackburn, as he misses the rope and falls heavily to the dusty, sandy ground. It results in a slight pause in the shooting, as soldiers transfer him to the nearest medivac truck and back to the site. As from here, hell breaks loose. The real danger begins when a Black Hawk goes out of control after it is hit by a granade and crashes to the ground, killing the pilots. From here, the Somalians run frantically through the streets, men and sons firing guns and rifles to any ranger or troop while women and children hide in deserted buildings or decide to fight for themselves like the men. The Troops and Rangers find themself in a maze of bullets, and take on an entire city of angered Somalians. This is basically it. The entire movie is full of fighting: shooting, bombs, explosions and life saving. Bonds are formed, and lives are lost and that is really all that can be said. The characters evolve throughout the horror that they see firsthand, and even though the bodies pile up, they do not back down. They honour their mates and their families, and the emotion of the surviving recruits is evidently relief, shock and sorrow as they jog hastily through the streets and out of the hostile war area zone and back home to the site. I also warn anyone who hates blood and guts and graphic experiments or surgery-like screenshots to be prepared to turn away quite a bit ... Because even I, who am good with everything except bones, had to run away for a period of 3 minutes because one scene got overly untolerating. Only a warning, though! COMMENT: Being a fond fan of Orlando Bloom, of course watching this movie would only upset me when I learn he falls helplessly and pathetically out of a helicopter as a result of missing the rope. As much as I wanted to turn off the television after the shot of him lying hopelessly on the ground with a blood nose appeared, I did not. The suspense and authority the movie possessed made me want to discover what would come next. At first, I thought maybe the entire movie would be the whole hour the armies used to their advantage, but it turned out to be a film filled to the brim with blood, shooting, guns, war, enemies and faith. A great amount of male bonding is shown in a great many scenes, and although in one bloody scene I turned away from the graphic accuracy, I still cried and felt empathy toward the tiresome soldiers. I also, must admit that Josh Hartnett plays a fantastic role in this movie, and I only say this because his character was well portrayed. Not only was it believeable and magnetic, but his voice and narration was remarkable, especially at the end. This film being based on a true story makes it even more gruesome and disgusting as the knowledge that this really DID happen enters viewers' minds. I think all of the actors did a magnificent job together to create the feeling that rises in someone's gut when they realise they have shot a man ... and when they face the fact that they are going to die. And, what with the brutality of what went on the day of October 3rd, 1993, is a shock to all who discover it was to no avail. Even though the fighting and bloody deaths did not cease until the early morning of October 4th, the enemy warlord Aidid was not killed on either of those days, but on the following day: October 5th. And by accident. It is important to remember the soldiers who knew their place and their will: for nineteen it was death ... for the ones who remained, it was life filled with terrorised memories ... and for those injured, it was eternal suffering. ONE WORD: Mindblowing |