Black Hawk Down - Movie Review

The Movie Black Hawk Down (2001) is a film depicting the historical Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1992. It is based on the book with the same name "Black Hawk Down" in 1992, 123 elite soldiers go to Mogadishu in an effort to try to capture to capture two top aides to a renegade warlord leader, but find themselves in a desperate battle with heavily armed Somali Militia and it becomes even harder when a Black Hawk (Helicopter) gets shot down in the middle of the Bakara Market, a stronghold for the Pro-Aidid supporters and his militia. Overall, this movie was very historically accurate.

The main characters in the film are Josh Harnett as Sergeant Leader Eversmann, Danny Hoch as Pilla, Ron Eldred as Michael Durant; the Captive, Treva Etienne as Firimbi, the Somali militia leader, and even Orlando Bloom as First Ranger Blackburn, who fell off the helicopter at right of the beginning of the battle when everyone lands, severely injuring his back. Most of the characters portrayed in the movie were historically; Michael Durant was the pilot of the first helicopter shot down, rather than the second, however, he was shot down by an RPG and was cornered by local Somalis beating him fiercely before being taken captive by Firimbi, the local militia leader of the area. He was then released, weeks, by his captives under huge pressure by the United States. Abdullah 'Firimbi' Hassan, was the clan leader and advisor to Aidid, Durant was transferred to him when he was taken captive. Although not exactly kind, he treated Durant much better than his previous captives and gave him medications that was needed in the movie, however, it was not him that give him the medication and drugs, it was a much kinder local doctor who feared assignation if his name was shared. It was he who convinced "Firimbi" to release him in return for money.

Although the movie plot was largely historically accurate, there were some historic facts that were not true and not possible. For example, the rangers were not wearing their Unit Patches (Scroll with a battalion sign) throughout the whole battle, despite wearing them before while they were preparing! Another historical error is the scene where the Somali militia were calling each other by their cell phones. This was not possible because prior to the battle, the UN shut down all non UN and non-American calls and radio signals. Another one was showing when the Americans were retreating to the Pakistani Stadium, a black soldier, sergeant Kuth, was shooting at the Somalis as he was backing up, however in a previous scene, it showed him boarding Somali captives and joining them in the Humvee returning to the base.