Black Hawk Down: One hell of a movie

[korn469]

I just got back from seeing Black Hawk Down, and if i hadn't of went and seen the late show i would have watched this twice tonight. I loved this movie, and I will see it again as soon as possible.

The first thing that pops into your head about half way into the movie is where did they film it? It really looks like they filmed it on location in Mogidishu, but I realize that this isn't possible. However it has a very authentic feel, also for most of the movies, Ridley Scott really did a good job on this one. His directing is solid, he almosts makes you forget this is a movie. It is very timely too, especially considering the current situation in the US (i was a fox news broadcast with heraldo from somalia tonight). At the end of the movie the Captain makes a promise they would finish the job, and it looks like we are finally getting around to it. The only knock against I can think of is it looks like they raided the Pearl Harbor cast to bring the movie up to full strength.

I really recommend this movie to everyone. It's not as sentimental as Saving Private Ryan, and while it is patriotic it is more of a "i'd die for my brother in arms" than a "USA! USA! USA!" type movie.

I left the movie with one thought, if there ever is an apocolypse that is what it would look like.

[devilmunchkin]

the female persuasion says

it's got orlando bloom..soo..
it's in my book.

[poison_flower]

Better thatn that... it has Ewan McGregor.

[korn469]

devilmunchkin and poison_flower

i hate to tell you this, but because of the buzzcuts, most of the rangers fade into one another (but the guys in delta force stand out)

however ewan is pretty easy to pick out, but he had a decent american accent so at times he even faded into the background

however this movie is almost totally devoid of sex appeal (or females for that matter), but still you should go watch it, no matter why you see it, i really recommend it

[Buck Birdseed]

It was filmed in Morocco, IIRC, with mostly Congolese extras (Somalians do not look like that!). I've not seen the film yet, but it's got critics who love it and critics who hate it practically tearing at each other's throats here, so it must have done something right. Still, I'm slightly worried already as the US imperialist adventure in Somalia seems to be depicted as "peacekeeping"- always a bad sign.

[MattHiggs]

I really like war films. So I'll definitely be going to see this!

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Snapcase
Still, I'm slightly worried already as the US imperialist adventure in Somalia seems to be depicted as "peacekeeping"- always a bad sign.

That was the only possible purpose it could be considering that we had absolutely no other reasonable excuse for being thier as it benefited us in no way what so ever.

Side questions for the military types:

1) If they had had everything they had requested originally for the raid, might the results have been substantively different?

2) At the end of the moviw it said that the general in charge of the raid (I forget his name), accepted full responsibility for its outcome. What disciplinary actions did he face for the debacle and in your opinion was he being scapegoated?

3) Exactly, how realistic was the film from a military perspective?

[SlowwHand]

I was wondering about this movie.
Believe I'll go.

[DinoDoc]

MtG? Chris62? Anyone?

[David Floyd]

Great movie

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
That was the only possible purpose it could be considering that we had absolutely no other reasonable excuse for being thier as it benefited us in no way what so ever.

It benefitted a couple of oil companies.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
It benefitted a couple of oil companies.

Upon further review, I don't think that a piddly 10,000 barrels a day is enough of a profit motive to force armed intervention.

[DanS]

Excellent movie. Very intense. It seemed very realistic and didn't take the cheap way of exploiting American patriotism. It must have taken the actors quite a while to train for these roles.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Upon further review, I don't think that a piddly 10,000 barrels a day is enough of a profit motive to force armed intervention.

Probably not, but it did benefit some Americans.

More likely, Bush did it for two reasons. One, to legitimize future American interventions by doing this humanitarian intervention. Two, to give Clinton a Christmas present.

[Alexander's Horse]

I want to see this film too. I saw a documentary on that incident and I have to say it was one of the bravest military actions I have ever seen. The rescue teams fought through ambush after ambush. Their vehicles were shot to pieces.

Warning though: This film was made by the same guy who made Pearl Harbor