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richfed
Sachem
USA
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May 13 2002
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 Posted - August 04 2002 : 2:15:10 PM
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Watched Black Hawk Down last night for the first time ... I know that it's not 100% based on fact, but ...
Here's some impressions -
No women! Well, there were some Somalian women extras, but no females were actually cast. In this case, much like in Gettysburg, that may have been a good thing. It certainly aided in creating a real guy movie .... no "love interest" distractions.
Hey, [ducking] I like a good love story as much as anyone [see: The Last of the Mohicans] ... it's just that, in this case, the story of Black Hawk Down was just allowed to be told. And I really liked that ...
It was pure combat [again, like Gettysburg] ... riveting, horrible, bloody, moving, gut wrenching, deeply stirring ... it puts you right in the middle of combat, and it's not pretty.
I loved it! Came away with an ambiguous feeling ... that perhaps, we Americans, are just a little too "kind" when it comes to war. It costs us in the end! I feel for the boys in Afghanistan ...
Tonight, on The History Channel, at 8PM Eastern, there's a documentary-type show on regarding this event ...
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Ilse
The Dutch Trader
Netherlands
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May 17 2002
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 11:02:51 AM
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What did you think about the documentary?
I haven't yet seen the movie, but CNN-Europe aired an extensive report on this not that long ago.
quote:
I loved it! Came away with an ambiguous feeling ... that perhaps, we Americans, are just a little too "kind" when it comes to war. It costs us in the end! I feel for the boys in Afghanistan ...
What do you mean here? Watching the CNN documentary all I could conclude was that it was a badly planned military blunder. In the end it cost the Somalians dearly. Too kind? Nah? Naive? yes. If anything, Afghanistan shows that that naivete is no more.
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Brenda
Pioneer
Canada
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June 17 2002
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 12:39:35 PM
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I saw Black Hawk down a few weeks ago and found it very painful to watch. The knowledge that it was based on true events made it that much more horrific.  I don't know .... maybe I prefer to live in ignorance!!!
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Ilse
The Dutch Trader
Netherlands
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May 17 2002
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 1:06:51 PM
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quote:
maybe I prefer to live in ignorance!!!
Brenda! That is a choice.... And a bad one I think..... Who would want to live in ignorance?
Ilse
Are you ready to be heartbroken?
Are you ready to bleed? |
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richfed
Sachem
USA
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May 13 2002
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 1:25:58 PM
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quote:
What did you think about the documentary?
Excellent & enlightening, Ilse. It featured many of the on-the-ground participants, and I was struck by how similar their experiences where to that depicted in the movie. I mean, they had it right, which surprised me, because I had read some unfavorable reviews which stated how erroneous the film was in many instances... not so at all. Not if you believe those who lived through it.
Very bleak ... I loved it!  |
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Brenda
Pioneer
Canada
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June 17 2002
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Posted - August 21 2002 : 6:55:20 PM
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You're right of course Ilse! I suppose that it is just difficult putting into words how this movie made me feel ... other movies of this nature didn't bother me quite as much! My "other half" totally enjoyed it.
Brenda
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Ilse
The Dutch Trader
Netherlands
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May 17 2002
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Posted - August 22 2002 : 06:41:53 AM
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I missed this movie when it was showing in the theaters. Reading these comments, though, I will watch it on DVD. The CNN documentary (which used some footage from the movie I think) was very fascinating to watch.
---
Are you ready to be heartbroken?
Are you ready to bleed?
(Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, 1984) |
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Adele
The Huggy Merchant
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May 17 2002
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Posted - August 29 2002 : 08:58:18 AM
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quote:
I missed this movie when it was showing in the theaters. Reading these comments, though, I will watch it on DVD. The CNN documentary (which used some footage from the movie I think) was very fascinating to watch.
I wonder whether this is the same documentary as the one I am watching on the History Channel at the moment...am half way thru, will probably catch up on the second hour tonight. But so far, I am with Ilse on this one...it seems to be a terrible series of errors and misjudgements...very costly ones at that. I haven't seen the movie, but once I have finished watching this documentary, I will be quite interested to see how it has been converted into a movie.
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Adele
The Huggy Merchant
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May 17 2002
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Posted - September 01 2002 : 09:58:00 AM
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Well, I finally caught up with the last part of the Black Hawk Down documentary, an excellent programme, I thought.
My first reaction to the story was "what a screw up". And I guess, essentially, I still feel that way. The US went from saviours to the enemy in one foul swoop simply because their priority changed from assisting peacekeepers in providing aid to the people, to trying to change the Somali 'government' (I use the word loosely for obvious reasons). This is where the US get its reputation for 'meddling', and one look at Somali history will tell you that this country, for better or worse, does not let any outsiders try to control it.
I am fully supportive of the UN Peacekeeping force, whose main aim is to separate warring factions until such time as they can come together in a civilised way, and reach political agreement. Some times, that never comes, (take a look at Cyprus!), but nevertheless, it prevents millions of innocent lives being taken in the crossfire. The US's involvement in aiding the UN was a legitimate cause, 22 UN peacekeepers had been killed in the attempt to help the Somali people who were starving to death in their thousands, and therefore, the help of the US was welcome. But as soon as someone puts their toe over the line of neutrality, they will become the enemy to someone...and that is precisely what happened.
Although I feel that the whole situation was handled so badly almost from start to finish, there is no doubt that the tales of courage from the troops on the ground were very moving indeed.
To me though, the biggest irony of the whole story, was the fact that the 'bad guy' of the tale, warlord Mohammed Aidid, was replaced after his death by his son, a US citizen and former marine who had served for two weeks in Somalia before being sent home prior to the attempted arrest of his father. Interesting, huh?
HM
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