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| Hit and miss epic-maker Ridley Scott teams with action producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this tale of the US disaster in Somalia Based on journalist Mark Bowden's bestselling book 'Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War', Ridley Scott's film examines the real life events of the Battle of Mogadishu during the Somalian Civil War in October 1993. Inspired by the detailed, minute-by-minute accounts in Bowden's book, it tells the story of a precisely planned US army mission to capture several top Somali lieutenants that went disastrously wrong. Two American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were shot down during the raid, leading to a 15-hour street-bound firefight that has been described as the worst ground battle since Vietnam. Jerry Bruckheimer (Pearl Harbor) produced the $75 million film, which boasts an impressive array of international talent such as Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Sam Shepard, Tom Sizemore and Eric Bana (Chopper) all of whom were put through their paces at a Texas Rangers boot camp before relocating to Morocco for the 2001 shoot. Ridley Scott is regarded as something of a cinematic master thanks to Gladiator, Blade Runner and Alien, but he does misfire. Hannibal was a soulless exercise in money making, White Squall and 1492: Conquest of Paradise were bloated flops and the last time Scott turned his attention to the US military the result was the disastrous Demi Moore vehicle, G.I. Jane. Bruckheimer's credentials speak for themselves and Black Hawk Down is saturated with the kind of sun-kissed cinematography and militaristic fanfare displayed in Con Air, Armageddon, The Rock and Pearl Harbor. Remember The Titans, his low-key 2000 hit, demonstrated the über-producer's interest in worthier stories but it still had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. So how does this partnership work for an examination of the complexities of the real life events. Although Black Hawk Down does boast some subtlety (fleetingly - with Josh Hartnett and Sam Shephard called upon to look anxious and thoughtful about what the US has got involved in), it's not the overriding impression - that is one of exhaustion arising from the relentless, brutal action that characterises the film. "Theirs is a story of well-laid plans gone awry, of tragic blunders, of skilful soldiering, heroism, and occasional cowardice," wrote Mark Bowden of the Ranger and Delta Force soldiers involved in the Battle of Mogadishu, in which 18 American soldiers and an estimated 500 Somalis, including many innocent civilians, died. McGregor and Bana were vocal in their support of the film, claiming it covers both sides of the conflict. The film's release date was shuffled around since 11 September and subsequent events in Afghanistan, forcing Scott to finish post-production with three months less time in the schedule than expected. Test screenings proved so positive that Black Hawk Down was given an Oscar-qualifying run in December 2001 before opening wide in January 2002. Considering Scott's awards success with Gladiator, there's always a chance. In January 2002, the Academy announced the lists of films being considered for the Sound Editing and Visual Effects Oscars - both lists included the film, which is particularly strong in these departments. As unlikely as it may seem after the critical savaging of Pearl Harbor, Jerry Bruckheimer may yet get to utter those infamous words: "I'd like to thank the Academy." Alistair Harkness Review by Demetrios Matheou |