Phillip Altbeker
7 March 2002
analysis
Johannesburg — BLACK HAWK DOWN,directed by Ridley Scott
BLACK Hawk Down epitomises the difference between what a film shows (or omits) and how it presents whatever is chosen or ignored, the dichotomy being crucial to distinguishing purpose from achievement.
There is no doubt that technically this movie is superbly made with Ridley Scott's direction, Pietro Scalia's editing and Slawomir Idziak's photography (all deservedly nominated for Oscars) combining in a stunning display of cinematic expertise to convey horror of modern war.
Having acknowledged that Black Hawk Down is a terrific action movie, it should also be noted that it purports to be a faithful record of a disastrous yet heroic day in recent US military history.
As such, if it is meant to be an accurate record, it should include all the facts.
By 1993, Somalia had suffered years of drought and starvation, which the local warlords exploited to their own advantage. Mohamed Farah Aidid was by far the most powerful and notorious of these manipulators, but his henchmen's shooting of desperate civilians the scene that opens the film and brands him immediately as a villain who has to be eliminated is not supported by any factual evidence, even though it is captioned as having occurred on October 2.
The next day, according to the film, US forces under Gen Garrison (Sam Shepard) were led to believe two of Aidid's lieutenants would be at a meeting in Mogadishu. Picking them up should have been relatively easy, but the plan went hopelessly awry.
The abducting Rangers were pinned down by gunfire, a helicopter was shot down, troops got lost and, by the end of a mission that took 12 hours instead of the estimated one, the US counted 18 dead and dozens of wounded before retreating to base.
Given their superior weapons and training, the Americans felt certain of success, but their confidence bordered on arrogance. They failed to take into account Somalian resentment of foreign troops trying to impose order on their traditional factionalism. Also, an attack (not mentioned in the film) a few weeks earlier had left heavy casualties among Somalians meeting to consider a United Nations peace initiative.
US President Bill Clinton's idealistic vision of assisting in nation building did not survive the humiliation that would influence his subsequent reluctance to intervene in other conflicts.
However, Black Hawk Down remains a tribute to the courage of the US's fighting boys. To this end it presents the battle as a victory rather than a debacle. To reinforce the patriotic message, it avoids showing wounded soldiers being dragged through the streets, arguably the most enduring image of an episode that ought to be forgotten or treated with respect, not glorified.
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