CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 06/23/06

Fire in the Sky

by dennis sampson

The Bruckheimer machine churns out yet another testosterone-saturated, military-themed, larger-than-life cinematic endeavor. While there's a great story about military hubris and soldiers getting in way over their heads, it's in keeping track of who's who is where the tale gets bogged down.

Black Hawk Down
(Extended Cut)

Ken Nolan
Based on the book by Mark Bowden

Black Hawk Down centers around the fact-based events of a 1993 United States military raid in Mogadishu, Somalia that turned horribly tragic. Unlike most war films, the picture doesn't focus on one or two specific soldiers as they fall behind enemy lines only to make a daring, climatic escape. Instead, Black Hawk follows a number of different storylines -- from teams of men on the ground to those in the air to those monitoring back at a base camp. This being a Jerry Bruckheimer production, the movie relies more on spectacle than narrative and character development. However, the usual conventions of moviemaking -- particularly Bruckheimer moviemaking -- where the good guys ultimately blow up the bad guys in an enormous CGI-laden set piece take a backseat to the historical events depicted here. As United States Marines and Rangers converge and penetrate the poverty-stricken city, the experience doesn't feel as much like watching a movie as it does going along for a documentarian's ride. Never before has stepping behind enemy lines, only to have the most expensive and high-tech equipment be shot out of the sky rendering everyone helpless, been so cinematically portrayed.

The greatest strength of Ken Nolan's script (which is based on Mark Bowden's book) lies in its highly detailed retelling of the chain of events as they transpired (more or less) in real time. We watch as what's supposed to be a routine assignment goes from optimistic ("You won't need those," one soldier tells another in reference to a pair of nightvision goggles) to problematic (the first Black Hawk chopper shot out of the sky) to unthinkable (as a second helicopter goes down and its pilot is taken hostage). Gone are the typical heroic practices of the war film genre. Here, the soldiers shake, hyperventilate, and pray they'll get out in one piece. But while the script portrays the soldiers as ostensibly human, it unfortunately fails to provide any of them with much personality. Despite an impressive cast (Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGergor, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, William Fichtner, Sam Shepherd), it's often difficult to tell the difference between characters. The Somalis are drawn no better; for the most part, they're presented as a snarling, angry pack, out for blood.

Characterizations aside, there's no denying the impact of several of the film's individual scenes and set pieces. While much of this credit belongs to Ridley Scott's direction, certain scenes, such as the one involving an impromptu surgery in the field, are unparalleled on all levels of filmmaking. There's an overall realism and energy to the picture on par with the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan.

- FRONTLINE: Ambush in Mogadishu Documentary

This is the third time Sony has released Black Hawk Down on DVD. While the features on the first version were an insignificant featurette, the second set's package included a three-disc set replete with a number of commentaries (including screenwriter Ken Nolan and novelist Mark Bowden) and featurettes detailing the films historical and production origins. For reasons unknown, Sony has chosen to re-release the film on DVD without any of these features. We're left with an unspecified eight minutes of additional footage in the film and one measly documentary that offers little insight into the writing of the screenplay, much less any other aspects of production.

The authentic feel and breakneck pace of Black Hawk Down give the film an edge and level of tension that is impressively sustained throughout the picture. Unfortunately, the indistinguishable characterizations keep the movie from being a homerun in the screenplay department.

Black Hawn Down (Extended Cut)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated R; 152 min.
$19.94

Buy it now

Dennis Sampson is a commercial production coordinator and unproduced screenwriter. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his better half, Susan, and their dog Tripp.

Black Hawk Down (Extended Cut) courtesy Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

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