Black Hawk Down

KarenC725 · #1 01-22-2002, 11:47 AM

Did anyone else see this movie this weekend? I was just wondering what others thought of it (besides the graphic scenes.) Thoughts?

damasa · #2 01-22-2002, 12:21 PM

Personally, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Yes, it was very very graphic, but they were trying to give movie goers a visual of what the soldiers really encountered there. It could have been worse, they edited a few scenes, including one where a marine was drug through the streets getting beaten until he was dead. BUT, other than that, from what I've read about it, the movie was very factual. Hell, they even had soldiers from that conflict help out in the movie production.

d

AOPiLaLa · #3 01-22-2002, 12:38 PM

Okay, I REALLY want to see this movie, but I am also a wuss, so when you say graphic, how graphic are we talking? I made it through Band Of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan fine, but I am still nervous. Any ideas?

aopirose · #4 01-22-2002, 01:06 PM

We are going on Friday. We did see the special on the History Channel last night - The Real Story of Blackhawk Down. It was great but I did turn my head on several occasions. They interviewed the author as well as the men who fought. In particular, the pilot Durant who was held hostage for a few weeks.

The show begged the question of US foreign policy. What are we doing? If our special ops are there to capture Aidid, why not allow them to continue the mission? Why pull out after a significant US won battle? The graphic pictures being broadcast all over the world upset many Americans. (I know I was.) However, war is not pretty. If our forces are called to duty, we must expect casualties. We lost 18 soldiers in that battle and about 75 were wounded. Those who were there volunteered and knew that they may have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. General Colin Powell, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said, "In Vietnam, those casualty numbers for one day would not have rated a press conference. Let alone the cancellation of an entire operation." It sent the message, "just kill a few Americans, put it on television, and they will back down." This set the stage for a lot of our inactivity during the massacres in Rwanda, Bosnia and other places.

With the US pull out of Mogadishu, the other members of international peacekeeping forces followed suit. Where did this leave the innocents of Somalia? This left them back to fighting a civil war among competing warlords, no commerce or economic development and little to no foreign aid - the Red Cross even left. The average life expectancy is 40.

What I found ironic, is that Aidid's son had immigrated to the US long before his father became a warlord. He became a US citizen and joined the Marines. He was there in Mogadishu fighting to rescue his fellow soldiers and to protect the Somalis from the warlords but how things change. When his father died, he went back to Somalia and took over where his father left off. He is creating his own chapter of horror. He is utilizing many of the tactics he learned in the U.S. Marine Corps against the very people he had sworn to protect.

Makes you think. What are we doing?

KarenC725 · #5 01-22-2002, 01:12 PM

I really liked the movie as well. I saw a "CNN Presents on it the night after and it was very fact based. As for graphic, if you made it through Saving Private Ryan, you'll be fine. I didn't feel it was as bad as that.

AOIIBrandi · #6 01-22-2002, 02:41 PM

I saw it this past weekend. It definitely seemed very real. I think that they did a good job of being accurate with the exception of the marine being dragged through the street (previously stated that the scene was deleted). When the promos first came out I kept asking my husband if Somalia was the conflict where they dragged the marine, so for me I learned a lot more about something that all I came away with from the news was the dragging.

Anyway, it was about on the same graphic scale as Saving Private Ryan. I liked Black Hawk Down better b/c it didn't have all the shakey camera stuff (the shaking camera angles give me motion sickness).

KillarneyRose · #7 01-22-2002, 05:51 PM

I normally enjoy historical accounts (i.e. Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Platoon, etc.) but to me the events of less than a decade ago are still too "fresh" in my mind to want to see made into a movie.

However, I did read an interview with a Staff Sargeant involved in the operation (can't remember the gentleman's name, but he was played by Josh Hartnett in the movie) and he professed to be very pleased by how he and his comrades and the operation were portrayed.

justamom · #8 01-22-2002, 07:22 PM

I have a hard time with war movies. Do most guys really like to watch them? War in general makes me want to scream. I think of all those young BOYS who are NEEDLESSLY killed and then I think how I would feel. I've never watched Full Metal Jacket, Platoon or Apocaplypse Now. I DID see Saving Private Ryan, and though it was good, I could have done without it.

"WAR uh-good God y'all, what is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING"

We are now in a different era and a different kind of war. I know that...

Maybe in 5 years or so I can take a look.

IowaHawkeye · #9 01-22-2002, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by aopirose

The graphic pictures being broadcast all over the world upset many Americans. However, war is not pretty. If our forces are called to duty, we must expect casualties.

I completely agree with what you have to say. Justamom - youre right - war does make me want to scream too and those boys with their whole lives ahead of them are getting killed - but it is war. And they're protecting our freedoms, our security, our ability to have a stable life. They know what theyre getting into. So while its not easy to look at - i think some of he most important things we should open our eyes to are those things tha make us want to close our eyes and turn away - becuase only then can we see the fundamental issues at hand.

Beef · #10 01-22-2002, 07:49 PM

While it is sad that so many people have lost their lives defending our freedom, Action speaks louder than words.... I can tell you to quit, or I can make you quit... Its a neccesary evil.

James · #11 01-22-2002, 08:11 PM

Great Movie.

I was told I gotthe wrong message from it: IT so pissed me off that I wanted to personally kill some Somali militia.

Especially when they kept firing into the delta force non-com that was defending the helicopter. Those were two very brave soldiers btw to volunteer to set up a perimiter against hundreds of hostiles with no relief in sight. They deserved the CMH.

One of the problems was that the natives smoked some kind of herb that dulled their sense of fear to the point they were willing to charge machine guns. It sucks to fight a well armed, plentiful enemy with no sense of self preservation.

Its important to face the reality of War because it does exist. ITs all well and good to say that War doesn;t solve anything, but history doesn't bear that out. The Carthaginians would definitely disagree as well as many another empire, nation, or people that have been changed by armed conflict.

damasa · #12 01-22-2002, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by James
Great Movie.

One of the problems was that the natives smoked some kind of herb that dulled their sense of fear to the point they were willing to charge machine guns. It sucks to fight a well armed, plentiful enemy with no sense of self preservation.

actually, that was some type of native plant that they chewed. It was given to them by the warlord and his men to basically buy off the citizens of mogadishu. I can't remember the name of the plant but from what i hear, it took away all fear, dulled the senses beyond belief, etc.

If you really want to know more about the whole conflict go to

http://www.blackhawkdown.com

many great explanations and background info on the whole deal.

d

AlphaGam1019 · #13 01-23-2002, 12:45 PM

http://slate.msn.com/?id=2060941

justamom · #14 01-23-2002, 06:29 PM

IowaHawkeye - i think some of he most important things we should open our eyes to are those things tha make us want to close our eyes and turn away - becuase only then can we see the fundamental issues at hand.

A deeply profound statement that has application to all aspects of life.

ShaedyKD · #15 01-24-2002, 02:45 AM

Excellent movie, although I think the characters could have been developed more, a la Saving Private Ryan. It was a disturbing movie, with the hunger, and Somali civilian involvement, especially with the women and children. But all in all, an awakening to an event and period of world history that not many young college students remember. We will go see the movie because of the actors and action scenes. Hopefully all will come out of the theater with a higher level of awareness for world events, and an appreciation for our countrymen who so selflessly served and continue to serve our country each and every day, both at home and abroad.