"Black Hawk Down" is my favorite war movie. It is a bit less sensational than "Saving Private Ryan", and a bit more realistic than "Blood War Hacksaw Ridge". It sets the benchmark for modern war movies. The cast, group performances, and battle scenes are among the best of its kind.
However, "Black Hawk Down" is not an ordinary American-style war movie with the main theme, nor is it a cool film that abandons the core of the film purely to highlight the action scenes. There is a saying that goes well: "A good war movie will not beautify the war." This film does not deliberately highlight the anti-war sentiment, but calmly portrays the war itself, and tolerantly shows the great pain caused by the war to the soldiers. In my opinion, "Black Hawk Down" not only has wonderful fighting scenes, excellent scene scheduling and shocking soundtrack, but also a hidden anti-war theme. Maybe we can see what else "Black Hawk Down" talks about in addition to the hardcore action scenes.
The film is based on real events that occurred in the 1990s, and reality is often more dramatic than a deliberately fabricated script. In 1992, warlords fought in Somalia, which caused widespread grief in the local area and the people did not have a livelihood. The United Nations asked the U.S. military to intervene and quell this civil war, so a large number of joint forces with the U.S. military as the main force went to Somalia, but unfortunately suffered a defeat and withdrew from Somalia. The battle shown in "Black Hawk Down" is one of the missions carried out by the US military. The initial goal was to arrest important officials under Aidid. As a result, accidents frequently occurred. Two Black Hawk helicopters crashed during this operation. This mission gradually evolved into a protracted battle that intensified.
Wars are often complex products, and careful analysis can tell that there is no absolute villain in this war, and there will not be an absolute winner. The goal of the U.S. military is to complete the tasks assigned by the United Nations. The goal of American soldiers is to follow the arrangement of superiors to catch warlord officials. Warlord leaders are unwilling to let other countries interfere with the civil war. The goal of warlord soldiers is to kill all American soldiers, while the Somali militia’s goal The goal is to defend the home and the country. And "Black Hawk Down" maintains a neutral attitude to a large extent, and takes a rational view of this war of mixed forces.
What kind of war is shown in "Black Hawk Down"? I think the word "despair" is the best interpretation. Starting from the famous Plato quoted at the beginning, "Only the dead can see the end of the war", this sense of despair and powerlessness runs through the entire movie. Ridley Scott presents the real battlefield without modification. There is no individual heroism, only frightened soldiers, bullet shells and broken arms everywhere. The faithful narration like a documentary makes the cruelty of the war more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Of course, as an American-style war movie, "Black Hawk Down" spends more pen and ink to describe the characters and experiences of the US military, but lacks a deeper shaping of the Somali warlord soldiers. This is understandable. But there was a scene with Somali soldiers as the protagonist. After the second Black Hawk helicopter crashed, the crew was surrounded by Somali soldiers. These soldiers swarmed up and dragged out the American soldiers like hungry wolves tearing their prey. This shot is impressive. profound. The film focuses on the unorganized and undisciplined image of Somali soldiers, deepening the desperate atmosphere.
In my opinion, Ridley Scott’s monologue at the end of the film is the finishing touch. The reflection of the soldier played by Josh Harnett after a successful retreat can be described as the best discourse on war from the perspective of a soldier. "No one on the battlefield wants to be a hero, sometimes it's just a time to make a hero." Soldiers participate in the battle, the purpose may be for the supreme honor and glorious mission, but when they fight on the battlefield, it is not so much to fight for the country. Fighting to become a hero is more like fighting for your comrades, fighting for your loved ones, and fighting to leave the battlefield alive.
No one on the battlefield cares about those illusory things, people will only tightly grasp everything they have, such as life.
Any war between justice and injustice brings only pain to mankind. This may be the enlightenment given to us by "Black Hawk Down".
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