Jeri Jacquin
Coming to 4K Ultra HD, Bluray and Digital from director Ridley Scott and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the true story of the men and BLACK HAWK DOWN.
Somalia is a nation in civil war and the UN Security Council wants a peacekeeper through military operations. However, within a year, there is rivalry between UNOSOM II and a militia in Mogadishu loyal to Mohamed Farrah Aidid. The United States has their own response as President Clinton decides to send the Task Force Rangers to capture Aidid who is taking from his own people.
Immediately they capture Osman Ali Atto who sells arms to Aidid and continue their mission to capture Aidid’s top advisers. Staff Sgt. Mathew Eversmann (Josh Hartnett) leads Private Todd Blackburn (Orlando Bloom) and Specialist John Grimes (Ewan McGregor) up for the operation. When a helicopter goes down, Sgt. Jeff Struecker (Brian Van Holt) and his Humvee team converge on the crash site but Lt. Col. Danny McKnight (Tom Sizemore) can’t get through. The Rangers led by Cpt. Mike Steele (Jason Isaacs) and team are also pinned down.
Aidid’s militia is now doing everything they can to destroy any American military they find. Death and destruction happen among the soldiers trying to find a way to escape from those who will do anything to kill. What the militia didn’t count on was the strength and determination of their fellow soldiers and the countries who refuse to tolerate it all.
To go into detail for each of these actors would take more pages than I can possibly use. This is an intense film that brings together the work of all these actors taking on roles that are poignant, frightening, heart-wrecking, strong, protective and every other descriptor of a hero you can possibly want to use.
In a country that is run by individuals who only know death and destruction, their aim was to brutalize anyone who got in their way. This is a difficult film for some to watch for its brutality and its general hatred portrayed all around. Yet, in the midst of that is a wide cast of roles that each see their duty and do not question what it is they are to do – save lives if they can.
Other cast include Ewen Bremner as SPC Shawn Nelson, Gabriel Casseus as SPC Mike Kurth, Hugh Dancy as SFC Kurt Schmid, William Fichtner as SFC Jeff Sanderson, Kim Coates as MSG Chris Wex, Steven Ford as LTC Joe Cribbs, Ioan Gruffudd as Lt. John Beales, Tom Guiry as Sgt. Ed Yurek, Charlie Hofheimer as CPL Jamie Smith, Danny Hoch as Sgt. Dominic Pilla, Zeljko Ivanek as Ltc. Gary L. Harrell, Johnny Strong as SFC Randy Shughart, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Msg. Gary Gordon, Richard Tyson as Ssg. Daniel Busch, Ron Eldard as CW4 Michael Durant, Glenn Morshower as Col. Thomas Matthews, Ian Virgo as Pfc. John Waddell, Tom Hardy as Spc. Lance Twonbly, Gregory Sporleder as Sgt. Schott Galentine, Carmine Giovinazzo as Sgt. Mike Goodale, Chris Beetem as Sgt. Casey Joyce and Jeremy Piven as CW4 Clifton Wolcott.
Boyd Bestner as CW3 Mike Goffena, Pavel Vokoun as CW3 Donovan Briley, Jason Hildebrandt as CW3 Dan Jollota, Keith Jones as himself, Tac, Fitzgerald as Spc. Dale Sizemore, Enrique Murciano as Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz, Michael Roof as Pvt. John Maddox, Kent Linville as Pfc. Clay Othoic, Norman Rees as Lt. Tom DiTomasso, Razaaq Adoti as Yousuf Dahir Mo’alim, Treva Etienna as Firimbi, Ty Burrell as Tsgt. Timothy Wilkinson, Dan Woods as Sgt. Scott Fales, Giannina Facio as Stephanie Shughart and Sam Shepard as MG William Garrison.
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The Special Features include Three Audio Commentaries Featuring Director Ridley Scott-Producer Jerry Bruckheimer-Author Mark Bowden- Screenwriter Ken Noland -Task Force Ranger Veterans, “The Essence of Combat: Making BLACK HAWK DOWN”, PBS Presents: “Frontline: Ambush in Mogadishu”, 8 Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Optional Commentary, “Designing Mogadishu” Featurette, Production Design Archive, Ridleygrams with Commentary and Target Building Insertion with Commentary.
Also included Q&A Forums: BAFTA, Motion Pictures Editors Guild & American Cinematheque, Jerry Bruckheimer’s BLACK HAWK DOWN Photo Album, Title Design Explorations with Commentary, “Gortoz A Ran – J’Attends” Music Video Performed by Denez Prigent & Lisa Gerrard, Photo Galleries, Theatrical Poster Concepts, Trailer & TV Spots, and Original Special Features Designed & Produced by Charles de Lauzirika.
BLACK HAWK DOWN is probably one of the most intense films about war that I can recall seeing. Seeing how the people of Somalia were being treated and subjected to brutality and starvation, it is clear why the world reacted as it did. However, going according to plan had dangers of its own, dangers that the soldiers that committed to the mission knew existed.
It is one-hundred and fifty-two minutes of intensity but a story that director Scott felt compelled to tell. In that lies the story in the book by Mark Bowden and while a dramatization of events, the re-writes and help of the military, BLACK HAWK DOWN has once again come to the forefront and worthy of a spot in anyone’s home entertainment library.
In the end – leave no man behind!
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